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of worldviews and habituatng norms that defne As you begin to read this artcle, pause for a moment our consensus “reality.” to be mindful of your body sitng here… of your eyes To the degree to which we wake up with gazing at this screen… of the natural fow of your and learn to open our hearts and breathing as you inhale….and exhale… of the sounds minds, the walls of our conventonal, familiar, arising and passing in the space around you… of the consensus of reality become more clear, fow of thoughts and mental images in the clear open open, and transparent, revealing a deeper, vaster, space of your awareness… of the miraculous process of by which the meaning of the words you see on the multdimensional, and interrelated view of the screen before you is discerned and comprehended… As actual nature of reality than we have previously you contnue to read, experiment with being mindful imagined. This is why what we call mindfulness of the mental associatons, imagery, commentary, or meditaton is traditonally known as Vipassana, or distractons that arise in your mind…. “Insight Meditaton.” Mindfulness gives us and the direct, non-conceptual intuitve When we frst began our study, practce, and wisdom that liberates us from our misconceptons research of mindfulness in the early ‘70s we knew regarding the nature of reality and the true nature fewer than a handful of people who were involved of ourselves. While engaging in such pursuits is in this path of practce. As our practce and research likely to expand our consciousness, it may also matured, we began to develop mindfulness-based narrow the circle of people in our lives-work who programs in medicine, higher educaton, and can comprehend what we are searching for. As business. In the mid ‘70s and early ‘80s, we knew poet William Staford reminds us: of no one else bringing these methods into the mainstream. Gradually over the years a groundswell “There’s a thread you follow. of insight, interest, and research has emerged, It goes among things that change. creatng a host of benefts and challenges, clarity But it doesn’t change. and confusion, that inspires and confounds the People wonder about what you are pursuing. You have to explain about the thread. modern mindfulness movement. But it is hard for others to see. Our intent in composing this brief artcle While you hold it you can’t get lost. is to ofer an overview of some key perspectves Tragedies happen; people get hurt on Mindfulness. For people relatvely new or die; and you sufer and get old. to Mindfulness it’s helpful to have a deeper Nothing you do can stop tme’s unfolding. understanding of the roots, shoots, and trends of You don’t ever let go of the thread.” mindfulness in order to have a broader view of the deeper meaning, purpose, and value of this vital While mindfulness is certainly widely practce. adopted and practced, our experience is that These VUCA tmes – of Volatlity, Uncertainty, surprisingly few people are aware of its deep Complexity, and Ambiguity - are teaching us a lot roots and origins in wisdom traditons—its more about the value of mindfulness (Levey, J. and Levey, profound meanings, value, highest implicatons, M. 2015) We are learning that it takes courage and and most intriguing applicatons. Our intent here Roots and Shoots of Mindfulness determinaton to wake up – to be fully present – to is to ofer insight, inspiraton, and illuminaton on keep our hearts and minds open discerningly and these facets of the jewel of mindfulness as it shines objectvely, to care deeply, be curious, investgate, out in our modern tmes. and queston the nature of reality. To embrace Joel and Michelle Levey this challenge we risk being contnually surprised, Roots of Mindfulness:

frequently distressed, disappointed, confused, Mindfulness as a technical term has its or overwhelmed by the joys and sorrows of our historical origins in the ancient word sat used complex world, and of stepping out beyond the pale by the Buddha in his teaching on mindfulness “Jolly Giants” by Paul Rudy 22 Subtle Energies Magazine, Volume 28, Issue 3 Subtle Energies Magazine, Volume 28, Issue 3 23 over 2600 years ago. Sat literally translates as their king as “the protector of the Dhamma” – the Tree Main Streams of 40+ years, giving rise to hundreds of other “memory” -- as in remembering what you are liberatng teachings of the Buddha which, when practice centers around the globe, and playing a paying atenton to in the present moment of taken to heart, have the power to free us of our Mindfulness Practice: significant role in inspiring the global diffusion

awareness. In an atempt to meaningfully translate delusions and confusions by opening our wisdom of mindfulness practice into higher education, The next wave of mindfulness treasured Buddhist meditaton manuals, the English eyes to directly discern things as they truly are. medicine, business, military, government, revolutonaries appeared as droves of globe translator Rhys Davids, was the frst to ofer an Mindfulness is the primary practce of these sports, and other arenas of modern life. Within trotng spiritual seekers, peace core volunteers, English translaton using “mindfulness” in 1881, liberatng teachings, and its power lies in quietng this stream many other respected teachers, government spooks, and mind scientsts who and by 1910 mindfulness had become the generally the conceptual dualistc overlay of thoughts to including , Dipama, traveled to Asia in the 1960s and 70s intent accepted norm. Davids was inspired to use the term allow direct insight into the true nature of reality Amaro, , Thannasaro , on seeking out enlightening teachers, wisdom “mindfulness” by its use in an Anglican prayer that to arise clearly in the mind. Taungpulu , and Rina Sircar, to name teachings, and liberatng contemplatve says, “Always be mindful of the needs of others.” As the Brits marched into the capital city of but a few, have deeply inspired the diffusion technologies. Word of inspiring teachers and Interestngly, from this inital choice to translate Mandalay, the Burmese people looked on in hor- of mindfulness teachings throughout North meditaton retreats quickly spread through the sat as mindfulness, there is an implicaton that ror as their beloved king and his family, surround- America, UK, and Europe. social networks of those tmes drawing early waves mindfulness is also akin to a newly emerging meme ed by Britsh soldiers brandishing rifes, were The second stream came to the West of contemplatve pilgrims to the monasteries and of “kindfulness” which reminds us that we pay taken from the royal palace and unceremoniously from the Burmese teacher U Ba Khin, the meditaton centers of SE Asia to get their frst atenton to what we care about. The widespread loaded in a oxcart that carried them to a waitng Accountant General of Burma, who founded the immersive and transformatve experiences of use of the term “mindfulness” has endured to this steamship that would carry them into exile. The International Society in Rangoon in intensive mindfulness meditaton practces, which day where we fnd the meaning of mindfulness royal palace was then transformed into an of- 1952 where he attracted the attention of many were ofen presented in 10 day silent retreat contnuing to be adapted, as it is incorporated into cers’ club for drinking, dancing, and socializing! international students and teachers. As a lay formats or longer even more intensive retreats. common use with an ever expanding variety of A profound wave of concern rippled practitioner and respected holder of Through the infuence of many of these early mindfulness-based interventons (MBIs) that are through Burmese society giving rise to an the vedana vipassana tradition of mindfulness adopters of mindfulness, three principle streams emerging within health science, corporate, and unprecedented cultural revoluton that actvated practice, and also a respected accountant, U Ba of mindfulness practce have fowed into modern high-performance arenas of contemporary culture. the Burmese people to protect the teachings of Khin accepted the invitation from the Burmese Western culture. Unfortunately, the meaning of the term the Dhamma. Foremost among these cherished government to assume the role of Accountant One stream of mindfulness practce came mindfulness is also becoming increasingly miscon- teachings was the practce of mindfulness. General and to assume leadership in order to the West through the teachings of Mahasi strued through its associaton with deep relaxaton Up to this tme in Burma and throughout to route out the corruption in the Burmese Sayadaw, U , Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu, and without mindful awareness, creatve imaginaton SE Asia, the teachings and practce of mindfulness Treasury Department. U Ba Khin accepted this other Thai and Burmese teachers of the “forest visualizatons, getng a good night’s rest, “mindful- had been mostly held within the monastc appointment with two conditions. First was that monastery” tradition which emphasized a blend ness chairs,” mindful men’s clothing, or even “mind- community of ordained monks and nuns, while one wing of the Treasury Department would of mindful breathing, noting and noticing of the ful mayonnaise”—all of which have litle or nothing the religious practces of the lay community be transformed into a meditation hall where nuances of momentary changing experiences, to do with the meditatve practce of mindfulness. focused primarily on generosity and giving members of his staff could come and meditate mindful walking, mindful eating, integrating Some respected teachers in the realm of mindful- of alms to generate spiritual , with the at any time. Second, was that everyone on his mindful awareness into every activity, and ness have gone so far as to say that the word ‘mind- assumpton that lay people were unlikely to staff at in the Treasury Department would train resting in open clear awareness without grasping fulness’ has all but lost its original meaning. actually realize enlightenment through practcing with him and participate in at least one intensive at any momentary experience. This lineage of meditaton. With the advent of the Britsh ten-day silent Vipassana style mindfulness mindfulness practice is widely referred to as invasion and the king’s exile, visionary teachers retreat. As U Ba Khin said, “I refuse to work with Roots of the Modern “Insight Meditation” and was introduced to the within the monastc community, lead by Ledi incompetence.” West primarily through the influence of Jack Mindfulness Revolution Sayadaw, launched a cultural revoluton intent U Ba Khin’s style of mindfulness practice Kornfield, , and Joseph Goldstein on teaching and encouraging the practces of focused on developing concentration through While the teachings of mindfulness who co-founded the Insight Meditation Society the Vipassana traditon of insight meditaton single pointed concentration on the breath, practce have endured for millennia since the tme in Barre, Massachusetts in 1975. Kornfield that mindfulness comes from, to penetrate more and then the close application of mindfulness of the Buddha, the contemporary “mindfulness later also co-founded the Spirit Rock Center in widely throughout secular society. In the decades by scanning or “sweeping” mindful awareness revoluton” was propelled into modern tmes by the Marin, California in 1988 with a number of other that followed, a contemplatve cultural revoluton slowly through the body from the top of the colonial thrust of the Britsh Imperial Army invading teachers. spread throughout Southeast Asia giving rise to head to the toes, over and over again, for up to and conquering the Buddhist kingdom of Burma on The wise and creative teachings offered a renaissance and wide difusion of mindfulness 20 hours per day, leading to a profound state November 28, 1885. at these two Centers alone have inspired teachings. (Braun, 2014) of vivid mental clarity and the purification of For centuries the Burmese people regarded tens of thousands of people over the past

24 Subtle Energies Magazine, Volume 28, Issue 3 Subtle Energies Magazine, Volume 28, Issue 3 25 embedded congestion within the gross and One of Thay’s greatest gifts of It is becoming increasingly more Mindfulness, subtle body. In this austere and intensive style of contemplative technology for modern common for mindfulness teachers to expand practice there is only sitting meditation, with no practitioners is the encouragement to bring a their studies and practice of mindfulness to Collective Intuitive Wisdom, mindful walking, yoga, mindful eating or other gentle, heartfelt, compassionate inner smile into draw inspiration from traditions that give & Human Flourishing practices at all. mindfulness practice, to help us to “smile to our greater emphasis to heartfelt qualities such as In his later life, U Ba Khin passed his sorrow” and realize that “we are more than our gratitude, genuine friendliness, compassion, “The world we have made as a result of the level of legacy of teachings on to seven teachers sorrow.” This convention of smiling with practice lovingkindness, self-compassion, and engaged the thinking we have done thus far creates problems including S.N. Goenka (a Burmese business has rapidly diffused through the networks of social justice action, into mindfulness that we cannot solve at the same level of thinking man who is widely known in the West), Robert mindfulness instructors, and over the past education and training. This heartwarming, (i.e. consciousness) at which we have created them… We shall require a substantially new manner of Hover (a former U.S. aeronautical engineer), 20 years has become a new norm of how compassionate impulse may be integrated thinking if humankind is to survive.” -- Einstein Ruth Denison (a German pioneer in embodied mindfulness is often introduced and practiced in into mindfulness practice simply as a gentle, practices), and John Coleman (a British MI6 the West. merciful, inner smile as one musters the Could it be that the global surge of agent), each of whom carried these liberating Beyond these three primary streams, courage to look within and mindfully, whole- interest in mindfulness is an evolutionary teachings back to North America and Europe. there are other streams, lineages, and heartedly embrace the tension, apprehension, impulse perfectly responsive to the challenges In particular, Goenka’s approach to teaching teachers who emphasize a variety of aspects or sadness or rage found there. Or it may be of these VUCA times? From our many years mindfulness has become very popular and approaches to the practice, and there are also intentionally cultivated as a robust practice of practice, research, and work bringing widely available in the West and around the many teachers and centers that weave together of meditation such as lovingkindness—or mindfulness to organizations and communities world, especially as the teachings and retreats teachings and practices drawn from these metta—wishing well to ourselves, others, and around the globe, it seems that the greatest are offered free of charge. After retreats, the different traditions. all beings; or generating radiant compassion value and most highly leveraged application of students are encouraged to make donations regarding and embracing the presence of mindfulness may be to follow Einstein’s advice and “play it forward” to freely fund retreats for suffering in our lives, relationships, and and equip individuals and innovative teams with future students. world; or activating an explicit dedication the skills necessary to raise or refine the level A third stream of mindfulness teachings Kindfulness: to practicing mindfulness with an intention of their personal and collective consciousness came to the West in part due to the U.S. invasion Mindfulness Blossoms As Compassion of realizing one’s true nature and highest in order to source the intuitive wisdom and of Vietnam, where the monk Thich Nhat Hahn and Lovingkindness potentials for the benefit all beings. guidance necessary to bring forth breakthrough, and his community were practicing and teaching As mindfulness matures into kindfulness disruptive innovations and solutions to complex mindfulness as an integral practice in their non- (Braum, A. 2016) on a societal level we are global problems. violent peace work amidst the terrors of the war. “Being present with kindness and compassion witnessing the emergence of more university is being mindful.” As the key to accessing the most subtle As the war raged on and many of his colleagues programs that explicitly include compassion - Jon Kabat Zinn dimensions of intuitive wisdom, the greatest were brutally murdered, Thay, as his students science and encourage compassion-based value of mindfulness in this age may be in call him, took in France where he founded As the practice of mindfulness deepens practices as part of their curriculums. Among its capacity to liberate us from our collective the Plum Village international Meditation and matures, it flowers and fruits as engaged the most respected programs in today’s world ignorance by opening our minds to the wisdom Center, and began to teach his unique compassionate concern and creative altruism, are: Stanford University’s CCARE Program we need to flourish together in this beautiful and highly accessible form of mindfulness embracing and responsive to the needs, not (Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and fragile world. which emphasizes the practice of mindful only of ourselves, but of all beings who suffer and Education) (http://ccare.stanford.edu); One of our most cherished visions and breathing, mindful walking, and the repetition and experience vulnerability or injustice in The Greater Good Science Center (http:// aspirations is to develop cohorts of altruistically of meditation phrases or “gathas” that are their lives, society, and world. As many of the greatergood.berkeley.edu) connected motivated, sincere and disciplined individuals synchronized with the inhalation and exhalation foremost Western mindfulness teachers and with Stanford and UC Berkeley; University and teams, intent on employing mindfulness of the breath. Developing deeper ease and movements have matured in their practice, the of Wisconsin’s Center for Healthy Minds for accessing or “sourcing” insight from deeper, continuity of meditation practice, phrases such nature and tone of their teachings have warmed, (http://www.investigatinghealthyminds.org/ subtler strata of personal and collective intuitive as “calming...’, “smiling…” or “arriving… home…” shifting from a more austere and terse focus on cihmDrDavidson.html); Mind and Life Institute; wisdom, in order to bring forth the insights help to calm and focus the mind, and quiet “bare attention” and taking on a more heartfelt, and Max Planck Institute’s Human Cognitive and innovations necessary to resolve the dire the tendency toward random narrative during though often fiercely compassionate, tone and Brain Sciences’ ReSource Program (https:// challenges of these treacherous times while meditation practice. Today there are hundreds of that encourages their students to blend their www.resource-project.org/en/home.html ) promoting human flourishing and thriving for centers around the globe teaching Thay’s style of mindful awareness with a merciful, open hearted generations to come. (Levey, J. and Levey, M. mindfulness practice. approach to mindfulness practice. 2008)

26 Subtle Energies Magazine, Volume 28, Issue 3 Subtle Energies Magazine, Volume 28, Issue 3 27 Pause for a moment to imagine that you can expand the boundless clear sky-like dimension of your “New Pioneers by Mark Henson (by permission - http//markhensonart.com/politics) mindful awareness to encompass and be aware of the inner mindstates and quality of being of all things and all beings around the world. ethnobotany, psychopharmacology etc. Afer Imagine that you can sense the degree to which each being is awake and present, or mindless, Mainstreaming graduate school, many stepped up into roles as distracted, or asleep. professors, researchers, science editors for global Like a vast luminous topographical map of the inner states of consciousness of all beings, envision new papers, heads of research insttutes, faculty that wherever there are beings who are truly mindful and awake, there is a spike or spire of awareness or Mindfulness: presence, and to the degree that a being is awake and their minds and hearts are open, the spire is higher and at medical schools, teachers in public schools, brighter. Encouraging Trends leaders in HR departments in leading companies Envision also that you can discern the groups of people who are gathered in mindful ways…. Those around the globe, consultants, and other infuental roles in society where we could widen the circles rare groups of people who have developed the personal and shared protocols to be fully awaken and present In search of a deeper wisdom and true- together…. Those sitng in meditaton rooms and circles together… those who are sitng in boardrooms and of our infuence to help ease the stress, anxiety, hearted love, thousands of seekers went to in meetngs within organizatons such as Google, LinkedIn, Britsh Parliament… thosewho have the collectve confusion, overwhelm, despondency, and monasteries, ashrams, temples, and retreat wisdom and intelligence, the capacity and dedicaton to really show up, to be awake and fully present helplessness that are so prevalent in our society. center to study with the babas, , gurus, together, to gather and actvate all their highest, deepest, truest human resources to coalesce together in In an inspiring recent book, Stealing Fire, shamans, and wisdom keepers of a myriad of order to do the best work and make the wisest decisions that they can, in order to create ripples of beneft Kotler and Wheal state that, “Eighteen million indigenous and contemplatve traditons in the and blessing for all their stakeholders throughout the world at this tme and rippling out to bring beneft for Americans now have a regular practce (Clarke generatons to come. 60s and 70s. Some percentage of us became T. C., et al. 2015), and, by the end of 2017, 44 Can you imagine how rare and precious it is for a person to be awake that they are awake - to “know serious students, practtoners, researchers, percent of all U.S. companies will ofer mindfulness that they know”? To be in the presence of others who just like them are dedicated to cultvatng the qualites and teachers of these treasured inner science training to employees (Natonal Business Group on of mind necessary to re-engineer, or re-sculpt their nervous systems to allow energy and informaton to stream traditons as they have streamed into modern Health and Fidelity. 2016). Since rolling out their unimpededly, and superfuidly in order to morph and evolve themselves to be –what the Buddha described Western culture. program, Aetna estmates that it’s saved $2,000 as a rare form of sentent being, called an Arya – one whose wisdom eyes are opening, as compared to a As many of us returned to the West “worldling”, which is a being whose wisdom eyes are occluded and stll closed and dominated by mindlessness, per employee in health-care costs, and gained from Asia, out of a wish to share more widely distracton, deluded views of reality, neurotc and compulsive self-concern and selfshness. In contrast, those $3,000 per employee in productvity (Pinsker, what we had learned we made our way into whose wisdom-eyes are opening have at least had a glimpse of the true nature of reality. They are dedicated J. March 10, 2015). This quantfable return on graduate programs in psychology, medicine to learning and practcing the skills of mindfulness necessary to contnue to open their wisdom eyes, in order investment helps explain why the meditaton and and health sciences, contemplatve science, to directly realize the highest, deepest, truest potentals of themselves and others, and living a truly selfess mindfulness industry grew to nearly $1 billion in positve psychology, tech, human resources, way of life dedicated to helping others to awaken as well. 2015 (Wieczner, J. March 12, 2016). What had been

28 Subtle Energies Magazine, Volume 28, Issue 3 Subtle Energies Magazine, Volume 28, Issue 3 29 the domain of seekers and swamis is now a staple “The purpose of the Academy for Contem- of HR.” (Kotler, S. and Wheal, J,. 2016) platve and Ethical Leadership is to seed a new In our work and travels with hundreds feld of inquiry, practce, study, and research that of leading medical centers, universites, can advance understanding of the role of contem- organizatons, and governmental groups around platve practces and mindfulness in leadership for the globe over the past 40+ years we are our tme.” heartened to see an ever widening difusion of The charter of ACEL is to explore: “The mindfulness teachings. Here are some of the role of contemplatve practces—individual and most inspiring examples we have seen: collectve— in the cultvaton of empathy, com- passion and ethics in leadership formaton; the • Contemplatve Science: The rapidly emerging role of contemplatve practces in the formaton feld of contemplatve science brings together of collectve intelligence, creatvity, innovaton, the best of technology, neuroscience, and inner and authentc commitment for the long haul; and technology inspired by the wealth of the world’s how contemplatve practces, both individual and wisdom traditons giving rise to innovatve collectve, may play key roles in moving the social programs and research in hundreds of universites feld from familiar dysfunctonal paterns, and and respected insttutes around the globe. Mind giving form to more life-enhancing paterns on and Life Insttute’s Internatonal Symposiums on behalf of the common good.” Contemplatve Studies have brought together Can you imagine how diferent our lives thousands of people from around the world to and world would be if all leaders in our world had share their research on mindfulness and many the opportunity to engage in such a deep, trans- other contemplatve practces. (htps://www. formatonal development of mindfulness before imconsortum.org) they step into positons of power?

• Leadership and Contemplatve Science: While • Mindful Law: Nearly a decade ago Rhonda a myriad of leadership developments are being McGee took a bold step to introduce the frst ofered in our world today, few have seriously course on Mindfulness in Law class at Berkeley addressed the development of moral, ethical, Law School. Since then, 40+ law schools have and contemplatve capacites of leaders. One followed her lead with programs on Mindfulness of the most relevant and inspiring initatves and Contemplatve Lawyering as essental skills for we have seen in this regard is the Mind and Life professionals in the judicial system. Insttute’s Academy for Contemplatve and Ethical integraton of mindfulness in four domains of Britsh and creatve engagement to experience. This Leadership (ACEL) that we were fortunate to help • Mindfulness in Medicine: Mindfulness is an society: health care, educaton, criminal justce, and should be of real interest to policymakers given birth. (htps://www.mindandlife.org/legacy- essental element of the core curriculum within the workplace. (The Mindfulness Initatve: Mindful the importance of improving productvity, and programs/acel/ ) the 70+ medical schools that partcipate in the Naton UK Report. 2015) nurturing creatvity and innovaton in the UK Consortum of Academic Health Centers for The Mindful Naton UK report artculates economy.” The ACEL charter states, Integratve Medicine. (htps://www.imconsortum. the concept of “mental capital,” by which is meant From recent conversaton with leaders of “In this tme of disrupton—unprecedent- org) the cognitve and emotonal resources that ensure the Mindfulness Initatve, our understanding is ed social and ecological change—many hunger for resilience in the face of stress, and the fexibility of that leaders in seven other global governments leadership marked by the consciousness, con- • Mindfulness in Government: In recent years, mind and learning skills to adapt to a fast-changing have already launched mindfulness-based science, and capacity to catalyze and infuence the Britsh Parliament’s Mindfulness Roundtable employment market and longer working lives. programs, seven more are seriously considering larger systemic changes now needed. This is the which involved over 120 MPs and Lords from It argues that “developing the mental capital of such initatves, while representatves from another tme to focus on individual leaders in the context diferent partes of the government who the naton will be crucial to our future prosperity 35 countries have inquired about the benefts of a deeper understanding of how teams, orga- have trained in mindfulness, gave rise to the and wellbeing…. Qualitatve research shows that and potentals for developing similar mindfulness nizatons and networks can shif a larger social development of the Mindfulness Initatve and the mindfulness develops exactly these aspects of programs within their governments. feld.” Mindful Naton UK Report which encourages the mental capital, encouraging a curious, responsive

30 Subtle Energies Magazine, Volume 28, Issue 3 Subtle Energies Magazine, Volume 28, Issue 3 31 • Wisdom 2.0: Since its incepton in 2010, the social and emotonal learning into a wide array of • Dialectcal Behavioral Therapy (DBT) from Marsha Wisdom 2.0 conferences have brought together primary and early childhood development learning Secular Adaptations M. Linehan, University of Washington thousands of organizatonal leaders and consultants programs around the globe. • ReSource Training from Tania Singer, Max Planck from around the planet interested in the interphase From our extensive work, travels, and of Mindfulness Insttute for Human Cognitve and Brain Sciences of mindfulness, meditaton, yoga, leadership, research it is clear that these methods, when Many of us who immersed ourselves in • Refuge Recovery from . innovaton, organizatonal health and performance, properly contextualized and introduced, are mindfulness study and practce in the 60s and social justce, quality of life, and botom-line regarded as profoundly relevant, easily accessible, 70s went to graduate school, and then moved business results. With leaders and presenters from and able to consistently deliver inspiring personal Important Considerations: on to assume leadership roles in mainstream Google, Ford, Facebook, Twiter, LinkedIn, PayPal, and organizatonal results that are almost organizatons, inspired to develop creatve ways Zappos, AETNA, Blackrock, Burning Man, Slack, universally gratefully received. When mindfulness practces are extracted to skillfully introduce mindfulness practce into Britsh Parliament, U.S. Congress, and many other For a monthly update of compelling from the cultural, motvatonal, and ethical healthcare, higher educaton, sports, business, and leading organizatons to explore the many wise and research on mindfulness and mindfulness based contexts in which they were originally developed as government where a wider spectrum of people, helpful ways that mindfulness and related practces practces visit: htp://GoAMRA.org profoundly transformatve and liberatng practces, who would not ordinarily seek out explicitly is delivering measurable value in our lives and and then repurposed, reformulated, branded, meditatve practce, could come into contact with world of work. (htp://wisdom2conference.com/ These are just a sampling of the signifcant and commodifed, or aggressively marketed for use in the universally benefcial aspects of mindfulness About) inspiring trends that we are seeing in the difusion a secular context with the benefcial, though ofen practce. of mindfulness into the mainstream of narrow purposes of reducing stress, enhancing The frst secularized versions of mindfulness • Mindful Social and Emotonal Learning (SEL): our world. atenton, or boostng performance, a host of training emerged simultaneously on both coasts With an ever increasing wealth of afrming data, potent potentals intrinsic to the more traditonal, of the U.S. in 1978. On the East Coast, Jon Kabat- robust programs are integratng mindfulness with holistc, and spiritually signifcant practces are Zinn, a molecular scientst with a deep interest ofen discarded. Among the most potent contextual in yoga and , developed Mindfulness-Based elements of mindfulness teachings that are Stress Reducton (MBSR) at the University of most usually disregarded or “snipped of” in the Massachusets Medical Center. The same year, on Mindfulness Based Initatves are: the West Coast, Joel Levey, a psychologist, professor, and mindfulness practtoner with about 10 years of • Creatng a cognitve frame of reference, study and practce, introduced a Mindfulness and or reverence, that regards mindfulness as a Mind-Fitness-Based Stress Mastery Program into profoundly “relatonal” and ennobling practce, graduate programs in Holistc Health Studies and connectng one’s life, practce, and quality of Consciousness Studies at Antoch University, and being to a wider sphere of meaningful infuences to patents and staf at Group Health Cooperatve and interrelatonships. This includes traditonal Medical Center, a large HMO in the Seatle area. practces of refuge, dedicaton, and explicitly Both Kabat Zinn’s and Levey’s programs proved to altruistc motvaton in one’s mindfulness be clinically efcacious and culturally accessible, and practce. Such a relatonally meaningful sense of were readily adopted by students, clinical patents, dedicaton and purpose for one’s practce expands and staf within the medical centers, universites, the signifcance of mindfulness from a self- organizatons, and communites that they served. development practce—dedicated to reducing one’s Inspired by the success of these early, own personal distress, enhancing one’s atenton, innovatve, mainstreamed mindfulness programs, a or boostng productvity—to encompass a wider, wide range of MBIs (mindfulness based initatves) more altruistc expanse. This expanded approach and new “brands” of mindfulness training began to to mindfulness practce actvely encourages emerge. These MBIs include: developing a foundaton for practce based on • Mindfulness Based Cognitve Therapy (MBCT) ethics, humankindness, cultvaton of curiosity, from John Teasdale lovingkindness (meta), compassion (and self- • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) from compassion), generosity, altruistc motvaton, and Hayes, Zetle, et al. dedicaton. • Wheel of Awareness from Daniel Siegel, UCLA

32 Subtle Energies Magazine, Volume 28, Issue 3 Subtle Energies Magazine, Volume 28, Issue 3 33 selfessness that arises through the recog- • The traditonal holistc systems view of “wise niton of “wise view” revealing all things mindfulness” within the integral liberatve context to be interdependent, interwoven, and of the Noble Eightold Path taught by the Buddha. multdimensional; In this comprehensive approach, “wise mindful- 3. The recogniton that any tendencies to ness” is intmately related to “wise view” regard- reify or hold on to any feetng experience ing the actual nature of reality. When a “wise will surely lead to frustraton and sufer- view” congruent with reality is established, then ing; “wise intenton” emerges; with “wise intenton” 4. The heartelt valuing of naturally emerg- in place, “wise speech” arises; with “wise speech”, ing compassion regarding the sufering of helpful “wise actons” fow; with “wise acton”, confused and vulnerable beings; and wise and non-harming modes of livelihood come 5. A deep sense of wonderment regarding into being; with “wise livelihood” established, the nature of reality. “wise efort” arises which nourishes, deepens, and sustains “wise mindfulness.” While many of the secular adaptatons of To ignore or compromise any of these mindfulness include some of the elements listed noble factors diminishes the wisdom and libera- above, they ofen fail to encourage and value tve power of all of them. To extract mindfulness the vital inclusion of these factors as an intrinsic from this framework of enlightening wisdom part of the practce. While we can certainly carry that frees us from fallacious views of reality, and on with whatever form of mindfulness practce aligns us with the actual nature of reality, with a or MBI that we are involved with, it is helpful to motvaton that is in harmony with, and discern- expand our understanding of these important ingly optmizes the circumstances of our lives and The mystcal Kabbalistc teachings of consideratons as we partcipate in the expansion relatonships, rather than creatng stress or harm the Jewish traditon regarding the indwelling of the “mindfulverse” of our modern tmes. Source Traditions to ourselves, others, or our world, is to sadly miss (feminine) presence of God -- the Shechina—

the vital potency and extra-ordinary potental of of Mindfulness encourage practtoners to align and atune with understanding and practcing “wise mindfulness.” Certifcation of the experience of this living universal Presence Mindfulness Teachers: “What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is to be aware within them. Serious practtoners within this • Cultvatng mindful discernment of those of everything you do every day. Mindfulness is a traditon devote a whole day of each week, the qualites of being and actons that are “wise” and kind of light that shines upon all your thoughts, all Sabbath, to cultvatng and abiding in this sacred As traditonal mindfulness practces to be encouraged and developed, as well as being your feelings, all your actons, and all your words. presence. contnue to be adapted for mainstream, secular vigilant for the arising of “unwise” sub-optmizing Mindfulness is the Buddha. In mystcal Christanity, mindfulness is use, there is an ongoing debate regarding how to tendencies that are not to be encouraged or Mindfulness is the equivalent of the Holy Spirit, related to “practcing the presence of God.” As establish wise quality standards and qualifcatons fed into. This ethically discerning approach to the energy of God. Sister Bernedete Roberts so eloquently observed, for mindfulness teachers. One movement to mindfulness provides a much broader context and Doing everything in our daily lives in the presence “Emptness is two things at once: the absence of maintain the integrity and quality of teachings meaning for mindfulness practce than a more of God is mindfulness.” self and the presence of the Divine. Thus as self has been for various universites or agencies to narrow approach limited to a non-discerning, Thich Nhat Hanh decreases, the Divine increases.” certfy the qualifcaton of instructors. While in “anything goes” quality of open awareness. As mindfulness is making its way into theory this seems a wise strategy for preventng While the early roots of mindfulness are Arabic culture, one translaton for mindfulness well-meaning, though misguided, novice • The recogniton of the following vital indicators most clearly artculated within the Theravadan that has emerged is, Alyagadha althehneya, which practtoners from promotng themselves as of progress in mindfulness practce: traditon of Buddhist inner science, the universal can be translated as, “Your mind being present.” qualifed mindfulness teachers, such certfcaton nature of mindfulness as a natural resource, is According to Faraz Rabbani, “Mindulness (taqwa) is ofen based on expensive university 1. Becoming ever more aware of change not limited to Buddhist, Asian, or modern secular is to shield oneself from all that displeases Allah. certfcaton programs that emphasize the secular, and at subtler and subtler variants, but has fourished and been honored The mindfulness of faith (iman) is to shield therapeutc, and scientfc aspects of mindfulness levels of experience; throughout the ages by many of the world’s great oneself from eternal punishment through faith. with less focus on understanding or practcing 2. A profound sense of vibrant, aware, wisdom traditons. The mindfulness of submission (islam) is to traditonal mindfulness teachings.

34 Subtle Energies Magazine, Volume 28, Issue 3 Subtle Energies Magazine, Volume 28, Issue 3 35 regarding this efortless approach to mindfulness, or profound, illuminatng or destructve, can be saying that, “What do we recognize? Awareness: the held in awareness, and thus looked at, known, ever-present knowing quality of mind, from which and understood in a multplicity of ways which we are never separated for an instant. Even though may provide new degrees of insight and fresh normally we do not recognize awareness, we can perspectves for dealing with old problems and no more live without it than we can live without emergent challenges, whether individual, societal, breathing….Discovering our own awareness allows or global… us to access the natural steadiness and clarity of the Awareness in its purest form, or mindfulness, mind, which exist independent of (ever-changing) thus has the potental to add value and new conditons and circumstances, and independent of degrees of freedom to living life fully and wisely our emotons and moods.” (Mingyur, Y. , and, thus, to making wiser and healthier, more and Tworkov, H. 2014) compassionate and altruistc choices – in the This ancient wisdom is echoed by Jon Kabat- only moment that any of us ever has for tapping Zinn in his lucid foreword for the Mindful Naton UK our deep interior resources for imaginaton and Report, when he explains that, “Basically, when we creatvity, for learning, growing, and healing, and are talking about mindfulness, we are talking about in the end, for transformaton, going beyond the awareness – pure awareness. It is an innate human limitatons of our presently understood models of capacity that is diferent from thinking but wholly who we are as human beings and individual citzens, complementary to it. It is also ‘bigger’ than thinking, as communites and societes, as natons, and as a because any thought, no mater how momentous species.” (The Mindfulness Initatve: Mindful Naton UK Report. 2015)

To appreciate the deep value and relevance of mindfulness, pause for a moment and imagine holding in shield oneself from sin through obedience. The mind. Yet underlying this ever-changing creatve one hand all the moments of your life when you were fully present, mindful, and vividly awake to what was going mindfulness of spiritual excellence is to shield display of mental actvity is our true nature, or on within and around you. In these moments of mindful presence you were able to recognize optons and discern oneself from heedlessness and distracton through home, of natural mindfulness, an elusive though wiser choices. If someone were talking to you, you were listening and atuned to the people in the conversaton. If complete turning to Allah Most High.” “Foremost accessible quality of efortless, abiding, natural you were eatng, you were aware of the tastes and textures of the food. If you were walking, you were mindful of of the mindful (mutaqin)” refers to being the awareness () that is the ever-present movements, sensatons, and atuned to your surroundings. If you were thinking, you were aware of the nature of most virtuous, honored, and beloved of Allah’s dimension of awake awareness within each of your thoughts. servants–those of the greatest mindfulness us in every moment of our lives. The Dalai In your other hand, envision holding all the moments of your life when you were mindlessly going through (taqwa).” acknowledges that this experience of natural the moves, letng habits of mindless inatenton rule. In these moments of mindlessness, you relinquished the (htp://halaqah-online.com/v3/images/stories/ mindfulness, or rigpa, “is beyond words, thoughts, power of discernment and choice, and unconscious mindless habits dominated your life. Envision all the precious jalanku.jpg) and expression and is difcult to communicate.” moments that passed by unnotced, un-lived, never to be fully known. The deep nature of mindfulness is made Echoing the ’s wisdom, Anam Pause for a moment now to compare the relatve balance and proporton of the moments of your precious explicitly clear in the teachings on the nature Thubten, a wise and popular contemporary life that you hold in each of your two hands. What thoughts, feelings or aspiratons are you mindful of? of mind found within the Tibetan Buddhist Tibetan teacher, ofers the insight that, “Pure Having done this exercise with thousands of people around the globe, when people are honest with traditon. Some years ago in London the Dalai consciousness is present in each of us right now themselves, on average, most admit they are mindful only fve to ten percent of the tme. By extrapolaton, this means that if you live to be one hundred years old you will have only been mindfully present for fve or ten years Lama explained that “... there are two kinds of and we can be aware of it, but we cannot practce of your entre life. If you have a child that is ten years old, you would have missed as much as nine years of the it or atain it. We can’t atain it because it is mindfulness: contrived and natural.” While we precious moments of the life you share. Is this good enough – or do you aspire to shif this balance? With practce, can “practce” contrived mindfulness through already present within us and it’s not the efect this is certainly possible! efort and intenton, “natural mindfulness” is of a cause. It is not the result of our spiritual While such refectons are humbling, when taken to heart, this kind of deep refecton helps to illuminate engaged simply by remaining “naturally and practce because it is already present in each of the profound and vital importance of mindfulness and the promise that mindfulness practce holds for reclaiming gently in the essence of awareness itself.” He us. Therefore, the only thing we can do is practce your life from the habit-demons of mindless inatenton. explained that as soon as the mind is disturbed by being aware of it in the moment.” (Thubten, A. Mindfulness, or mindlessness, which will you choose, moment-to-moment, in the precious moments of ordinary notons and reifcatons, we become lost The Magic of Awareness. 2014) your life to come? in identfying with the contents of the contrived Mingyur Rinpoche ofers further insight

36 Subtle Energies Magazine, Volume 28, Issue 3 Subtle Energies Magazine, Volume 28, Issue 3 37 As this artcle comes to a close, we invite Symposiums. htps://www.mindandlife.org/internatonal- you to pause for a moment to mindfully refect Bibliography symposium-for-contemplatve-research/ on how it has touched, inspired, or spoken to you. Notce the ideas or beliefs that have American Mindfulness Research Associaton, htp:// The Mindfulness Initatve: Mindful Naton UK Report. been clarifed, confrmed, or challenged. Be GoAMRA.org 2015. htp://www.themindfulnessinitatve.org.uk/ mindful of the feelings and emotonal tone of publicatons/mindful-naton-uk-report and htp://www. your experience, as well as any curiosites and Bhikkhu, T. 2012. Right Mindfulness. themindfulnessinitatve.org.uk questons that may be present for you. Are there htp://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/ Mingyur, Y. Rinpoche, and Tworkov, H. 2014. Turning any intentons or aspiratons that you are aware of rightmindfulness.pdf Confusion into Clarity: A Guide to the Foundaton as you come to the end of this artcle? Braum, A. 2016. Kindfulness. Wisdom Publicatons. Practces of (Boston: Snow Lion, 2014). If we have lef you with a deeper appreciaton of the relevance of mindfulness, Braun, E., Spring 2014. “Meditaton En Masse: How Natonal Business Group on Health and Fidelity, July a glimpse of its more profound dimensions, or Colonialism Sparked the Global ” 14, 2016. Corporate Mindfulness Programs Grow in deeper insight regarding the complex issues of Tricyle. htp://www.tricycle.com/feature/meditaton-en- Popularity. how mindfulness is expressed in our tmes, then masse we have succeeded in fulflling our intentons. Pinsker, J. March 10, 2015. Corporatons’ Newest And if you are motvated to begin or Clarke T. C., et al. 2015. “Trends in the Use of Productvity Hack: Meditaton. Atlantc. deepen your personal practce, or to explore the Complementary Health Approaches Among Adults: deeper waters and true nature of mindfulness, United States, 2002–2012,” Natonal Health Purser, R., Milillo, J. 12 May 2014. Mindfulness Statstcs, No. 79, Hyatsville, MD, Natonal Center Revisited: A Buddhist Based Conceptualizaton. Journal then our hearts are especially warmed and for Health Statstcs, 2015; “Uses of Complementary of Management Inquiry. htps://www.academia. delighted. Health Approaches in the U.S.,” Natonal Center for edu/8102895/Mindfulness_Revisited_A_Buddhist-Based_ Dr. Joel and Michelle Levey are founders of Wisdom Through the interfusion of our minds in Complementary and Integratve Health. Conceptualizaton at Work, faculty for University of Minnesota Medical the interdependence of our writng this artcle School, founding members of ISSSEEM, and early and you reading it, may ripples of inspiraton and Consortum of Academic Health Centers for Integratve pioneers in the felds of mindfulness, contemplatve beneft extend to all beings that they too may Medicine. htps://www.imconsortum.org Thubten, A. 2012. The Magic of Aware- science, and collectve wisdom. Their seminal work has awaken more fully to the precious moments of ness. htps://books.google.com/ inspired leaders in hundreds of leading organizatons around the globe including: NASA, Google, World Bank, their lives and live with ever deepening wisdom Gyatso, T. the Dalai Lama. 2001. : The Heart books?id=tJofqSlqmsYC&printsec=frontcov- Intel, Britsh Parliament, M.D. Anderson Cancer Research and compassion. Essence of the Great Perfecton. Snow Lion Publicatons. er&dq=Anam+Thubten+Thubten+magic+of+aware- ness&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjpl5bixJHWAhVD1W- Center, and the World Government Summit. They have Kotler, S. and Wheal, J,. 2016. Stealing Fire: How Silicon MKHb7EAYwQ6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q=Anam%20 been fortunate to study with many of the world’s most Valley, the Navy SEALs, and Maverick Scientsts Are Thubten%20Thubten%20magic%20of%20aware- respected teachers in various mindfulness lineages and Revolutonizing the Way We Live and Work (p. 175). ness&f=false other traditons of meditaton, and were encouraged HarperCollins. by many of them to teach. The Leveys’ published works Wieczner, J. March 12, 2016. Meditaton Has Become a include: Living in Balance: A Mindful Guide for Thriving Levey, J. and Levey, M. 2015. Living in Balance: A Mindful Billion-Dollar Business. Fortune. in a Complex World; Mindfulness, Meditaton, and Mind Guide for Thriving in a Complex World. Divine Arts. Fitness; and The Fine Arts of Relaxaton, Concentraton, htps://divineartsmedia.com/products/living-in-balance- Wisdom 2.0, htp://wisdom2conference.com/About and Meditaton: Ancient Skills for Modern Minds. To a-mindful-guide-for-thriving-in-a-complex-world learn more, please visit:

Levey, J. and Levey, M. 2008. Mind Treasure. Intuiton at Work. Sterling Stone Publishers. http://WisdomatWork.com/ mindfulnesspioneers/ Mind and Life Insttute ACEL (Academy for Contemplatve and Ethical Leadership). 2015. htps://www.mindandlife. org/legacy-programs/acel/

Mind and Life Insttute—Contemplatve Science

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