Why Mindfulness?

‘Mindfulness’ has become a buzzword that is used both in business world (often as a means to achieve material success) as well among spiritual seekers (often as a means to quiet the mind). But the fact is, most mindfulness techniques are not spiritual at all; just being mindful of the present does not satisfy the soul. And whether mindfulness is spiritually beneficial or not depends upon what one is mindful of.

So what is the real importance and function of mindfulness, and how can it help us in our quest for self-discovery? Why should I practice mindfulness?

In today’s talk we take a closer look at the (perhaps) inconvenient truth about mindfulness. We speak about how this podcast presents truths that most people are not speaking about, because they are somehow inconvenient. But if you really want to know the truth, then this podcast is for you. We also discuss how there are many spiritual teachers who have a good intention, but also have a limited knowledge about the goal of life. Therefore, they can only lead people to a certain level – and not to the ultimate destination.

Mindfulness means to focus the mind on a particular subject matter. Many times it is used for the end goal of some kind of material material, or just to quiet the thoughts. But if you tune in, you’ll hear Balakhilya explain how the goal is to be mindful of, or focused on, the Absolute Truth – that we are spirit souls, part and parcel of the Supreme Soul. And being mindful of our relationship to the Supreme Cause allows us to awaken the spiritual love inherent in all of us.

Highlights

• 0:00 Intro: ‘Aham Brahmasmi’ – a spiritual mindfulness technique
• 1:24 A spiritual teacher can only take you as far as their understanding goes, though their intention and motive does matter. But the heart knows; there’s nothing superior to loving devotion.
• 7:55 Practicing being mindful about the right things is essential in the spiritual journey
• 13:08 Spiritual techniques to train our mind to be mindful of the truth
• 20:05 The degradation of family and authority in society is now a stumbling block in seeing the true function of a spirit soul, and attaining absolute mindfulness
• 31:32 With knowledge and intelligence, we can gradually train the mind to see things in the proper perspective and take steps to go in the direction of our goal
• 41:15 Balakhilya shares a short story about how to engage in fulfilling activities while being mindful of others needs, according to our true nature. Some look forward to retirement from work, but satisfaction comes from providing true value.