Buddha's teachings of enlightenment have a central point of 'mindfulness' or 'awareness'. For him every path of spirituality in some form passes through it. He not only takes it as a spiritual path but also as an effective tool to eliminate bad habits and mind evils. They are effective not because 'Buddha' has preached them but because he had experienced it on himself. This is the unique quality of ‘Buddha’ that he has preached only after experimenting upon himself. One cannot find any ready reference from any ancient book in ‘Buddha’s’ teachings.
'Mindfulness' is nothing but a way to keep on rationalizing deeds and things while doing or passing through it. A continuous analysis of mind, body, and things associated with you. 'Buddha' says that, no one can choose evil or vicious consciously, it is a result of Highway Hypnosis in our life. When this hypnosis breaks, knowledge illuminates you. Illumination is the first lightening experience of enlightenment. On the path of spirituality it is just like a station before enlightenment, though 'Buddha' focused on it in an unprecedented way where 'mindfulness' had always been an important part of anyone's spiritual journey. Reason behind its importance rests in its relationship with mind.
After 'Buddha' many of his follower and 'Buddhist' master used it effectively. A story weighs this philosophy on practical ground.
"There was a great Buddhist master, "Nagarjuna". A thief came to him. The thief had fallen in love with the master because he had never seen such a beautiful person, such infinite grace.
He asked 'Nagarjuna', "Is there some possibility of my growth also? But one thing I must make clear to you: I am a thief. And another thing: I cannot leave it, so please don't make it a condition. I will do whatsoever you say, but I cannot stop being a thief. That I have tried many times--it never works. I have accepted my destiny, that I am going to be a thief and remain a thief, so don't talk about it. From the very beginning I want to make it clear."
'Nagarjuna' said, "Why are you afraid? Who is going to talk about your being a thief?
'Mindfulness' is nothing but a way to keep on rationalizing deeds and things while doing or passing through it. A continuous analysis of mind, body, and things associated with you. 'Buddha' says that, no one can choose evil or vicious consciously, it is a result of Highway Hypnosis in our life. When this hypnosis breaks, knowledge illuminates you. Illumination is the first lightening experience of enlightenment. On the path of spirituality it is just like a station before enlightenment, though 'Buddha' focused on it in an unprecedented way where 'mindfulness' had always been an important part of anyone's spiritual journey. Reason behind its importance rests in its relationship with mind.
After 'Buddha' many of his follower and 'Buddhist' master used it effectively. A story weighs this philosophy on practical ground.
"There was a great Buddhist master, "Nagarjuna". A thief came to him. The thief had fallen in love with the master because he had never seen such a beautiful person, such infinite grace.
He asked 'Nagarjuna', "Is there some possibility of my growth also? But one thing I must make clear to you: I am a thief. And another thing: I cannot leave it, so please don't make it a condition. I will do whatsoever you say, but I cannot stop being a thief. That I have tried many times--it never works. I have accepted my destiny, that I am going to be a thief and remain a thief, so don't talk about it. From the very beginning I want to make it clear."
'Nagarjuna' said, "Why are you afraid? Who is going to talk about your being a thief?
The thief said, But whenever I went to a monk or a religious priest, or to a religious saint, they always say, 'First stop stealing.'
‘Nagarjuna’ laughed and said, "Then you must have gone to thieves; otherwise, why? Why should they be concerned? I am not concerned!"
The thief was very happy. He said, "Then it is okay. It seems that now I can become a disciple. You are the right master."
'Nagarjuna' accepted him and said, "Now you can go and do whatsoever you like. Only one condition you need to follow. Be aware!
Go, break into houses, enter, take things, steal; do whatever you like, that is of no concern to me, but do it with full awareness."
He said, "Then everything is okay. I will try."
After three weeks, he came back and said, "You are tricky, because if I become aware, I cannot steal. If I steal, awareness disappears. I am in a fix."
'Nagarjuna' said, "No more talk about your being a thief and stealing. I am not concerned. Now, you decide! If you want awareness, then you decide. If you don't want it, then too you decide."
The man said, "But now it is difficult. I have tasted it a little, and it is so beautiful--I will leave anything, whatsoever you say. Just the other night for the first time, I was able to enter the palace of the king. I opened the treasure. I could have become the richest man in the world--but you were following me and I had to be aware.
‘Nagarjuna’ laughed and said, "Then you must have gone to thieves; otherwise, why? Why should they be concerned? I am not concerned!"
The thief was very happy. He said, "Then it is okay. It seems that now I can become a disciple. You are the right master."
'Nagarjuna' accepted him and said, "Now you can go and do whatsoever you like. Only one condition you need to follow. Be aware!
Go, break into houses, enter, take things, steal; do whatever you like, that is of no concern to me, but do it with full awareness."
He said, "Then everything is okay. I will try."
After three weeks, he came back and said, "You are tricky, because if I become aware, I cannot steal. If I steal, awareness disappears. I am in a fix."
'Nagarjuna' said, "No more talk about your being a thief and stealing. I am not concerned. Now, you decide! If you want awareness, then you decide. If you don't want it, then too you decide."
The man said, "But now it is difficult. I have tasted it a little, and it is so beautiful--I will leave anything, whatsoever you say. Just the other night for the first time, I was able to enter the palace of the king. I opened the treasure. I could have become the richest man in the world--but you were following me and I had to be aware.
When I became aware, diamonds looked just like stones, ordinary stones. When I lost awareness, the treasure was there. And I waited and did this many times. I would become aware and I became like a Buddha, and I could not even touch it because the whole thing looked foolish, stupid--just stones, what am I doing? Losing myself over stones? Then I would lose awareness; they would become again beautiful, the whole illusion. But finally I decided that they were not worth it."
Consciousness is an ultimate gift by nature bestowed on human beings but in race of materialism, we forgot it. Buddha rediscovered it, explained it and proved it. Even great western philosopher ‘Voltaire’ too supports it with words that—
"Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in Eternal awareness or Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity."
Consciousness is an ultimate gift by nature bestowed on human beings but in race of materialism, we forgot it. Buddha rediscovered it, explained it and proved it. Even great western philosopher ‘Voltaire’ too supports it with words that—
"Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in Eternal awareness or Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity."
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