Chapter 1 Flashcards
What does embodied mean?
It means whatever is expressed comes from the heart, is deeply felt and often forcefully expressed. It expresses a connection to the “feeling” side of us, to both the heart and guts of us. There is an experiential quality to being embodied.
What does embedded mean?
It means having a sense of care, connection and belonging towards the world and those with whom we share it.
This springs from being embodied.
What are some ways to become more embodied and embedded?
Do a body scan meditation.
Reawaken the body as an instrument of feeling, sensation and aliveness.
What is the difference between the Eastern and Western view of mind?
Eastern philosophy views the mind and body as one whereas Western culture sees them as two separate things. This is where we run into trouble with Western people and dualistic thinking.
What is dualistic thinking?
It is thinking of two things as separate, when they are in fact one. Westerners believe the mind and body are two separate things, but Buddhists and Easterners in general, see them as one and the same.
How do Easterners view mind?
They view mind as all aspects of our experience, including both conscious and unconscious thoughts. So, when working with mind in meditation, it includes the whole human body.
How do we view mind in meditation?
We view it not just as mind and body, but all aspects of who and what we are. That is, the whole of the human being.
Why is the body so vital to meditation?
When we’re first born, we experience everything physically. As we grow, we lose a lot of our experience and expression through our bodies due to thought - due to all the mental chatter in our heads. We need to find a balance between our ability to experience and express emotion through the body and our mental wellbeing.
What is meditation about?
It is about becoming, rebecoming or rediscovering ourselves. It is about becoming intimate with ourselves, to reclaim aspects of ourselves that have been lost.
What is Buddhism’s idea of mind?
It includes dealing with all aspects of our mind, including our feelings, on the level of physical sensations and emotions.
How is meditation linked to awareness?
Meditation aims to make us increasingly aware of ourselves in the moment. Hence, awareness is the key to meditation. Awareness simply means being alive to our experience - to what is really happening, in a down-to-earth, simple, direct way.
How can mindfulness be described, with respect to mind, and in general?
Mindfulness is a particular quality of mind. It is similar to concentration, but not forced and much more pleasurable. It could perhaps be better described as absorption or engagement, like the feeling you get when you are really enjoying yourself.
The ability to be aware is not the same as thinking, it is more of a feeling. So mindfulness is about being aware of these feelings, as well as our thoughts.
Why is selfhood a delusion in Buddhism?
This is complex to grasp. We see “ourself” as separate from “objects” and “others”. But if you look at a subatomic level, there are no clearly defined edges. Plus, what determines I am me and a table is a table? These are just labels. If I sit on a chair for example, the edges where I end and the chair start become blurred, they are not two separate “objects” anymore. This hints at why selfhood is a delusion, but as yet, I do not have a full understanding of it.
How is awareness different to thought?
Awareness is something we feel. For example, we “feel” beauty, we cannot think beauty. As soon as we start to think, we lose contact with the actual sense of beauty, the words and thoughts get in the way. Our thoughts lead us away from direct awareness of what is happening in our body.
Mindfulness is a kind of awareness - it is a knowing that is not thought but directly felt. However, mindfulness can also be applied to thoughts themselves, in terms of being aware of our thoughts without adding to the thinking; then we notice the feeling of thought more than the actual content.
How can we try to reunite our thoughts with our feeling aspect?
We need to be aware of the texture of the thoughts. For example, are they anxious or angry? Do you feel any related sensations in your body? Perhaps you have tightened up in your belly or face, or feel energy or heat or pain somewhere?
In this way, there is a “re-membering” of thought to the body and the heart.
