Wise Ways To Happiness

Practicing Mindfulness–Some Basic Assumptions

Posted by George Shears | Filed under Mindfulness Basics

In 1994, I developed the first hospital program in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in Minnesota and continued to lead it until I retired in 1999.

This program, was strongly patterned after the original one founded by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn at the UMass Hospital in Worcester, MA in 1979.  I set it up after completing a week-long training program with Dr. Kabat-Zinn and his colleague, Saki Santorelli, in the summer of 1993.  Prior to that time, I had personally practiced mindfulness for over 20 years.

As an aid in helping my MBSR students gain a clearer understanding of the foundations of mindfulness, I prepared the following list of 14 basic assumptions.

1. The universe (or “Great Nature”) is a constantly changing process.  No matter how hard or long you may search throughout its vastness,  you will not find a single fixed, unchanging thing, self, or entity of any kind.

2. At any point in time, however, it is just the way it is. There is absolutely no other way it can be. THIS IS IT!

3. We humans are seamlessly interwoven into the fabric of Great Nature.; in fact, we are ultimately none other than Great Nature.

4.  As such, we too are constantly changing, but at any point in time there is absolutely NO OTHER WAY we can be than how we are–including whatever we are experiencing in this moment.

5. To be consciously aware and accepting of this is skillful or wise–that is, in harmony with basic reality. To not recognize/accept it is to oppose reality. This inevitably creates suffering, which is essentially a form of friction.

6. The more we are aware and accepting of how we are–that is, whatever we are experiencing in this moment–the less we suffer and the more we experience happiness and peace of mind.

7. When we experience pleasure, we tend to become attached to it and want it to continue.

8. When we experience pain–whether it be physical or mental/emotional–we dislike it and want it to end. We tend to resist it automatically, avoid it, condemn it and try to escape from it.  All such attempts to escape from pain–whether gross or subtle–can be understood as “terminating reactions.” They range from highly skillful to highly unskillful. Many of them develop into addictions.

Automatic reactions to physical pain typically add to the pain. Observing such pain mindfully and learning how to “relax into it” can be a much more effective way to cope with it. The greater the resistance to pain, the more suffering is experienced.

In principle, pain is part of life and is inevitable, but suffering is optional. The following formula generally defines how pain, resistance, and suffering are inter-related:

Pain x Resistance = Suffering

9. Attachment to pleasure and aversion to pain causes suffering. Both are forms of resistance to a basic universal law–constant change or impermanence.

10. The human mind has two very different aspects or modes:

A) Pure awareness (the unconditioned mind or “Big Mind”)); and

B) the mind of habit formations and automaticity (the conditioned mind or “little mind”), including concepts,  beliefs,  assumptions, judgments, interpretations, images, attitudes, intentions, feelings, compulsions, and addictions.

Very importantly, the conditioned mind includes the construct or concept of an enduring self, with which we tend to be very strongly identified. Most of our energy is channeled automatically into sustaining, promoting and trying to protect this mentally constructed “I” or self. This is the basis for much distress and suffering.

11. The unconditioned mind of awareness (“Big Mind”) is unchanging and always available. In order to be “in this mind,” however, it is necessary to let go of all mental formations and to shift consciously into non-interfering, moment-to-moment awareness or “bare attention.”

Learning how to make this shift and to sustain it requires commitment and persistent practice. Through such practice, most people can develop this skill in high degree and, as a result, experience increased peace and fulfillment, along with much less suffering,  in their lives. Until it is developed, however, we continue to be strongly identified with, and at the mercy of the automatic reactive mind, suffering all of the distress that it entails.

12. Being aware, moment to moment, on purpose, without judgment (that is, without attachment or aversion) is to practice MINDFULNESS.

13. As long as we are able to shift into awareness–that is, to be mindful–there’s more “right” than “wrong” with us. That is, we are in position to shift into “just being” and to experience the intrinsic meaningfulness that this entails.  To whatever degree we do so, we come into harmony with the ever-changing universe.

14. This moment is the only time we have to practice being mindful and to live. To miss our moments is to miss our lives. THIS IS IT!

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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: By clicking on the following link, you can  get a FREE self-guided program in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, including 6 audios in mp3 format.

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Tagged : addictions, bare attention, big mind, compulsions, conditioned mind, consciously aware, happiness, jon kabat-zinn, just being, mbsr, mental formations, mindfulness-based stress reduction, pain, peace of mind, reactive mind, saki santorelli, suffering

Comments (4) | May 7th, 2010