Mindfulness, Alertness, and Attentiveness
We could say mindfulness (Tib. drenpa)
means not forgetting. In this context it means not forgetting mahamudra, not forgetting mind as it is.
Alertness (Tib. shezhin) is very closely related to mindfulness. The alertness that we are speaking about is in-the-moment alertness, a present, active knowledge that becomes possible by way of mindfulness. If we have mindfulness, alertness can develop; if our mindfulness declines, alertness is not possible.
When we talk about attentiveness (Tib. bagyöpa), we are evaluating our mind, asking: Are faults of this sort or that sort arising? Is samadhi or the stability of meditation declining? Attentiveness is making sure we don’t get on the wrong track in our meditation.
Mindfulness and alertness are important at all times. The reason for this is very simple: If mindfulness and alertness are present, faults will not arise; if they are absent, faults will arise.
Shantideva compared disturbing emotions to bandits. Thieves and murderers will not harm us if we are protected by people who are strong. But if our guardians become lazy, stupid, or weak, burglars will be able to sneak in, harm us, and steal whatever they want. Shantideva said that it is similar with thoughts and disturbing emotions.
As long as we are protected by mindfulness and alertness, thoughts and disturbing emotions cannot take control. But as soon as mindfulness and alertness slacken or are abandoned, thoughts and disturbing emotions arise and bring trouble by blocking and covering over whatever good qualities there are. Therefore it is important to adhere to mindfulness and alertness at all times.
Attentiveness tames the mind—it subdues the disturbing emotions and keeps us from doing things that cause others to give rise to aggression, envy, pride, and so forth. At the same time attentiveness dispels the joy we take in doing harmful things; in other words, it prevents us from seeing attachment and aggression as good characteristics. Attentiveness lets us see harmful things as faulty so we don’t enjoy them. It is attentiveness that understands why Dharma is beneficial. It enables us to take delight in the Dharma and prevents us from disliking the Dharma.
In sum, mindfulness, alertness, and attentiveness enable our meditation practice to develop further and further. Let’s look more closely at mindfulness and alertness.
Mindfulness
The text says, “As for mindfulness, it enables one not to forget the meaning that one is seeking to accomplish.” Mindfulness keeps our mind on the point we are contemplating in our meditation and maintains clarity within our meditation.
The Sutra Requested by the Student Who Had a Jewel upon the Crown of His Head points out the different functions of mindfulness.
The first function is that “through mindfulness, delusions do not arise.” Because we have become so accustomed to disturbing emotions, and have established such strong predispositions and habits in that direction, disturbing emotions arise quite naturally through the force of these habits. If we can sustain mindfulness, however, disturbing emotions such as desire, hatred, and pride will not have an opportunity to arise.
The second function of mindfulness is that “through mindfulness, we do not become involved in harmful activities [Skt. mara].” These first two functions are related as root and branch: through mindfulness, we protect our mind so that disturbing emotions do not arise; once disturbing emotions do not arise, the activities of body and speech do not go in the direction of harmful action.
Finally, “through mindfulness, we do not stray from the correct path.” Mindfulness keeps us on the path that leads to genuine benefit. In this sense, mindfulness can be understood as a doorway. Since mindfulness prevents the mind from going in a nonvirtuous direction, the text says, “We should exert ourselves in genuine mindfulness.”
When we talk about mind in the Buddhist tradition, we often talk about mind and mental factors. A mental factor is “that which arises from mind.” Mental factors are different types of thoughts, which in Buddhism are subtly distinguished from one another.
Mindfulness is one such mental factor. Its particular aspect is continually recollecting whatever we are trying to pay attention to, whether it is remembering our vows, maintaining a beneficial motivation, or avoiding harmful actions.
In this context, mindfulness allows us to keep the mind on the point of the meditation. If we guard our mind well with mindfulness, it will not wander from this point; we will not sink into dull mental states or develop wild mental states. When we have understood the dharmata that is the mind’s way of being, the power of mindfulness prevents us from straying from that to something else. Thus, mindfulness is critical in guarding the realization that comes about as the insight of vipashyana.
Alertness
Alertness is knowing what’s going on in our mind and examining it closely.
Alertness arises in dependence upon mindfulness.
The text says that first we have to establish mindfulness; then this quality of evaluating what’s going on in our mind in the present moment can arise. It monitors the activities of body, speech, and mind, and discerns what to pursue and what to reject. Alertness is critical for nourishing a healthy state of mind.
In Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, Shantideva put it very simply, “When mindfulness guards the door of your mind, then alertness naturally arises.”
In mahamudra meditation, it is important to rely upon mindfulness and alertness because they sustain our realization of the mind’s way of being and enhance that realization.
Since mindfulness and alertness enable us to know precisely what to accept and what to reject, then without them, faults arise. In Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life Shantideva said that without alertness, the fruits of listening to the Dharma, reflecting upon its meaning, and meditating upon what we have understood will disappear. Our good qualities will not increase and we will not retain what we have accomplished. It will be a waste of time.
When we have proper mindfulness and alertness, then self-restraint or conscientiousness can arise in the continuum of our mind. What exactly is this self-restraint or conscientiousness? It knows when delusion is arising and sounds the alarm, “Oh, I think there’s a delusion coming around here.” We can then respond appropriately.
Mindfulness as the Root of the Other Characteristics
If we sustain mindfulness, our meditation, or samadhi, and all good qualities will increase straight away. If mindfulness declines, our meditation and good qualities will also decline. Therefore the siddhas of the Kagyu lineage talk about “holding mindfulness.”
Mindfulness is like the shepherd who collects the sheep when they have wandered into a place where fierce animals could devour them. If a sheep wanders into a dangerous place, the shepherd brings it back to a place with water and grass, a place where it will be happy and want to stay. In the same way, when the mind strays from meditation, mindfulness brings it back and places it in the relaxation of meditation so that we can enjoy its benefits.
Mindfulness is vital to the practices of listening, contemplating, and meditating on the meaning of the Dharma.
Furthermore, mindfulness is important for sustaining meditation because it focuses the mind on a single point and prevents it from becoming distracted. If we do not have mindfulness, we lose sight of the purpose of our meditation; we become confused and get lost. If we have mindfulness, we can maintain our meditative stabilization; if we do not, our meditative stabilization gets lost. For that reason, it’s important.
Je Drikungpa said, “The main highway for the buddhas of the three times is mindfulness that is never interrupted.” How did the buddhas of the past, the buddhas of the present, and the buddhas of the future progress to enlightenment? In all cases, the great highway on which they travel is the highway of mindfulness. They have a mindfulness that never lapses. Je Drikungpa continued, “If you do not know undistracted mindfulness, then you will fall prey to restive tendencies of body and mind.” If we don’t have mindfulness, we simply won’t attain the fruition that is buddhahood.
We could say mindfulness (Tib. drenpa)
means not forgetting. In this context it means not forgetting mahamudra, not forgetting mind as it is.
Alertness (Tib. shezhin) is very closely related to mindfulness. The alertness that we are speaking about is in-the-moment alertness, a present, active knowledge that becomes possible by way of mindfulness. If we have mindfulness, alertness can develop; if our mindfulness declines, alertness is not possible.
When we talk about attentiveness (Tib. bagyöpa), we are evaluating our mind, asking: Are faults of this sort or that sort arising? Is samadhi or the stability of meditation declining? Attentiveness is making sure we don’t get on the wrong track in our meditation.
Mindfulness and alertness are important at all times. The reason for this is very simple: If mindfulness and alertness are present, faults will not arise; if they are absent, faults will arise.
Shantideva compared disturbing emotions to bandits. Thieves and murderers will not harm us if we are protected by people who are strong. But if our guardians become lazy, stupid, or weak, burglars will be able to sneak in, harm us, and steal whatever they want. Shantideva said that it is similar with thoughts and disturbing emotions.
As long as we are protected by mindfulness and alertness, thoughts and disturbing emotions cannot take control. But as soon as mindfulness and alertness slacken or are abandoned, thoughts and disturbing emotions arise and bring trouble by blocking and covering over whatever good qualities there are. Therefore it is important to adhere to mindfulness and alertness at all times.
Attentiveness tames the mind—it subdues the disturbing emotions and keeps us from doing things that cause others to give rise to aggression, envy, pride, and so forth. At the same time attentiveness dispels the joy we take in doing harmful things; in other words, it prevents us from seeing attachment and aggression as good characteristics. Attentiveness lets us see harmful things as faulty so we don’t enjoy them. It is attentiveness that understands why Dharma is beneficial. It enables us to take delight in the Dharma and prevents us from disliking the Dharma.
In sum, mindfulness, alertness, and attentiveness enable our meditation practice to develop further and further. Let’s look more closely at mindfulness and alertness.
Mindfulness
The text says, “As for mindfulness, it enables one not to forget the meaning that one is seeking to accomplish.” Mindfulness keeps our mind on the point we are contemplating in our meditation and maintains clarity within our meditation.
The Sutra Requested by the Student Who Had a Jewel upon the Crown of His Head points out the different functions of mindfulness.
The first function is that “through mindfulness, delusions do not arise.” Because we have become so accustomed to disturbing emotions, and have established such strong predispositions and habits in that direction, disturbing emotions arise quite naturally through the force of these habits. If we can sustain mindfulness, however, disturbing emotions such as desire, hatred, and pride will not have an opportunity to arise.
The second function of mindfulness is that “through mindfulness, we do not become involved in harmful activities [Skt. mara].” These first two functions are related as root and branch: through mindfulness, we protect our mind so that disturbing emotions do not arise; once disturbing emotions do not arise, the activities of body and speech do not go in the direction of harmful action.
Finally, “through mindfulness, we do not stray from the correct path.” Mindfulness keeps us on the path that leads to genuine benefit. In this sense, mindfulness can be understood as a doorway. Since mindfulness prevents the mind from going in a nonvirtuous direction, the text says, “We should exert ourselves in genuine mindfulness.”
When we talk about mind in the Buddhist tradition, we often talk about mind and mental factors. A mental factor is “that which arises from mind.” Mental factors are different types of thoughts, which in Buddhism are subtly distinguished from one another.
Mindfulness is one such mental factor. Its particular aspect is continually recollecting whatever we are trying to pay attention to, whether it is remembering our vows, maintaining a beneficial motivation, or avoiding harmful actions.
In this context, mindfulness allows us to keep the mind on the point of the meditation. If we guard our mind well with mindfulness, it will not wander from this point; we will not sink into dull mental states or develop wild mental states. When we have understood the dharmata that is the mind’s way of being, the power of mindfulness prevents us from straying from that to something else. Thus, mindfulness is critical in guarding the realization that comes about as the insight of vipashyana.
Alertness
Alertness is knowing what’s going on in our mind and examining it closely.
Alertness arises in dependence upon mindfulness.
The text says that first we have to establish mindfulness; then this quality of evaluating what’s going on in our mind in the present moment can arise. It monitors the activities of body, speech, and mind, and discerns what to pursue and what to reject. Alertness is critical for nourishing a healthy state of mind.
In Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, Shantideva put it very simply, “When mindfulness guards the door of your mind, then alertness naturally arises.”
In mahamudra meditation, it is important to rely upon mindfulness and alertness because they sustain our realization of the mind’s way of being and enhance that realization.
Since mindfulness and alertness enable us to know precisely what to accept and what to reject, then without them, faults arise. In Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life Shantideva said that without alertness, the fruits of listening to the Dharma, reflecting upon its meaning, and meditating upon what we have understood will disappear. Our good qualities will not increase and we will not retain what we have accomplished. It will be a waste of time.
When we have proper mindfulness and alertness, then self-restraint or conscientiousness can arise in the continuum of our mind. What exactly is this self-restraint or conscientiousness? It knows when delusion is arising and sounds the alarm, “Oh, I think there’s a delusion coming around here.” We can then respond appropriately.
Mindfulness as the Root of the Other Characteristics
If we sustain mindfulness, our meditation, or samadhi, and all good qualities will increase straight away. If mindfulness declines, our meditation and good qualities will also decline. Therefore the siddhas of the Kagyu lineage talk about “holding mindfulness.”
Mindfulness is like the shepherd who collects the sheep when they have wandered into a place where fierce animals could devour them. If a sheep wanders into a dangerous place, the shepherd brings it back to a place with water and grass, a place where it will be happy and want to stay. In the same way, when the mind strays from meditation, mindfulness brings it back and places it in the relaxation of meditation so that we can enjoy its benefits.
Mindfulness is vital to the practices of listening, contemplating, and meditating on the meaning of the Dharma.
Furthermore, mindfulness is important for sustaining meditation because it focuses the mind on a single point and prevents it from becoming distracted. If we do not have mindfulness, we lose sight of the purpose of our meditation; we become confused and get lost. If we have mindfulness, we can maintain our meditative stabilization; if we do not, our meditative stabilization gets lost. For that reason, it’s important.
Je Drikungpa said, “The main highway for the buddhas of the three times is mindfulness that is never interrupted.” How did the buddhas of the past, the buddhas of the present, and the buddhas of the future progress to enlightenment? In all cases, the great highway on which they travel is the highway of mindfulness. They have a mindfulness that never lapses. Je Drikungpa continued, “If you do not know undistracted mindfulness, then you will fall prey to restive tendencies of body and mind.” If we don’t have mindfulness, we simply won’t attain the fruition that is buddhahood.