Mindfullness helps when performing tasks which you don’t like; I think I even read that on this site. I hate washing-up, but when I really pay attention to what I’m doing, I quite enjoy it.

qotd - Dalai Lama edition

From 43 Folders, a bit from Jack Kornfield
Jack Kornfield on mindfulness | 43 Folders:

I’ll tell you a story. A reporter was asking the Dalai Lama on his recent visit to Washington, “You have written this book, ‘The Art of Happiness,’ which w…

I have Kornfield’s “After the Ecstacy, the Laundry” and enjoyed it very much. Even better was the Audible version of “The Inner Art of Meditation.” He is a great speaker and the audio includes some meditation practice.

Jack Kornfield is a wonderful teacher/speaker/what-have-you. My introduction to him was his stint as a regular voice on Joe Frank’s super-amazing-freako radio shows several years back. In fact, that might be a great introduction to Kornfield, period, since he’s served up in cheery, digestible bits woven into these oddly compelling verbal landscapes.

At any rate, I second Griff’s reco: Kornfield is even better in audio than he is in print. I can’t imagine how great he must be in person.

ummmm, nice. Also reminds me of the often recommended “Flow”.

[…] Jack Kornfield on mindfulness | 43 Folders A reporter was asking the Dalai Lama on his recent visit to Washington, “You have written this book, ‘The Art of Happiness,’ which was on the best-seller list for two years — could you please tell me and my readers about the happiest moment of your life?” And the Dalai Lama smiled and said, “I think now!” […]

I read the writeup too quickly and was sure it was about Herbert Kornfeld for a moment. Whoops.

I like him, or, what I’ve heard of him on Joe Frank’s show — which you should check out if you haven’t. KCRW is local to you, but I don’t think his show is on there anymore.

I have some favorites I can let you listen to, if you’re interested. You would not be disappointed.

An opposite view from Alfred North Whitehead:

“It is a profoundly erroneous truism, repeated by all copybooks and by eminent people when they are making speeches, that we should cultivate the habit of thinking of what we are doing. The precise opposite is the case. Civilisation advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them. Operations of thought are like cavalry charges in a battle - they are strictly limited in number, they require fresh horses, and must only be made at decisive moments.” (Intro. Math. p. 61)

[…]  [ Via 43 Folders. ] […]

Kornfield and Whitehead (Bateson seems to be in the same camp) are both right, imho. The key perhaps is to choose [wisely] what you do, and thus what you are being mindful of — viz David Allen & GTD “mind like water.”

A Path With Heart was where I really began my journey down the path (Buddhist / spiritual). The writings of Kornfield and Thich Nhat Hanh had the compassion, wisdom, and insight to really help me open my heart. I highly recommend everyone check their works out, especially A Path With Heart and just about any Thich Nhat Hanh book you can find :-)

Whitehead is not disagreeing with Kornfield. He’s talking about something quite different. Mindfulness is not thinking about what you are doing. Thoughts are one of many things that mindfulness notices. Becoming aware of your thoughts, so that you see them clearly, rather than being pulled around by identifying with them, is an important use of mindfulness. Strange as it may sound, you are not your thoughts. You just have them from time to time.

I highly recommend everything on Audible.com by Jack Kornfield. Life-changing.