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plans die. Pay attention to your to help us develop a sense of Mindfulness practice is the
emotions as you begin to watch your spiritual urgency (saṃvega) and current craze in the modern
plans die – with acceptance. As you renunciation. Do you think this is world. How can mindfulness of
begin to become comfortable with applicable only for monastics or death be incorporated into the
how uncertainty is always a part relevant even for the laity? many mindfulness practices now
of your daily life. You can begin to taught, especially for those who
project beyond your daily plans. There are definitely times when the are not religious?
Buddha was teaching specifically to
The plans you have made for your his monastics. The Vinaya is a good First, let’s consider why mindfulness
week, your month, your year – all example. And there are teachings has become such a craze. As a
of this is built on a perception of that he gave to laypeople. The secular practice, it would seem that
control, and an illusion of certainty. Sigālovāda Sutta, is one of the most the goal of mindfulness is to help
Yet, plans help us navigate our lives. common examples of a discourse individuals improve their well-being.
Keep making plans, and as you do, that is specifically meant to help And often what that represents is
acknowledge that there will be laypeople. to help alleviate stress, depression,
impermanence. Some of your plans, and anxiety. Mindfulness is also
or elements of your plans will die. What I appreciate about this used to build concentration, and to
And when this happens, call it death. question, is that this really does improve athletic performance or on
Remind yourself, that this is a type of help me to ponder, when the the job productivity. And this leads
death. Now, you are living with death. Buddha taught and only his monks me to answer your question with a
were present, does that mean that question. Does mindfulness of death
As soon as you can, move from laypeople need not be concerned belong in a secular mindfulness
the death of things and ideas to with these teachings? If these practice? It would be very interesting
the recognition that you and your lessons were only for the monastic to open this question up to
loved ones are also subject to community, why then, did his secular mindfulness teachers and
impermanence. Allow yourself to monastics travel and share the practitioners.
entertain the thought, “One day I teaching that they had committed
will die.” Or “Today could be my last to memory? With all of the Right now, I think, it depends. My
die.” Bring these thoughts to your collaboration and agreements that apologies, I know that is not a
meditation and notice how it feels. came from the early councils, if these definitive answer. I come back to,
Be aware of the emotions that arise, lessons were not meant to be shared, what is the reason that an individual
and work to study those emotions. it seems that there would have been is engaging in mindfulness practice?
Try to be nonjudgmental. You think stricter controls around keeping You noted that I am an advocate of
what you think, you feel what you the teachings secret, or definitively Death Dhamma, and I do believe that
feel. Just be with it. Consider reading segregating monastic teachings from embracing our own impermanence
and chanting the Five Recollections teachings for the laity. leads us to a peaceful life and death.
each day. As you spend time I think this is true for us all, no
following impermanence all the Where I land is that the Buddha matter our religious beliefs or lack
way through a natural progression taught, suffering and the liberation thereof. Before inserting mindfulness
from plans that died to your death, from suffering. We are all going to of death into a secular practice, it
and the death of your loved ones, die, we will all benefit from having would be wise to consider the timing
eventually you will develop more a peaceful death. And to be born and the placement of the message.
ease. You will find peace in your into the human realm is a rare gift, Buddhism has often been accused
awareness of death. not to be squandered. And to me, of being a pessimistic religion
this means, that yes, we can all and life negating because of
In Buddhism, meditation on access the teachings of maraṇasati its emphasis on suffering. How
death (maraṇasati) is meant and saṃvega. can we change the perception