Now, I do not want to suggest that showing up at a Buddhist monastery for three days taught me everything I need to know about Buddhism or mindfulness. And what better way to do that than spending time at an actual monastery? That means doing my own research and having my own experience with Buddhism. My mom died 14 years ago and I can't ask her, so I have to figure it out for myself. I wanted to understand what that could look like. Like a lot of Americans, she didn't see Buddhism and Christianity as contrary to one another - they could be complements. She had books by the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh on her bedside table. But I also have clear memories of her sitting on her black meditation pillow in front of the window in her bedroom, eyes shut, breathing deep and audibly. My mom was a lifelong Presbyterian who served as a church deacon, and hung artisan-made crosses around her house. In all this spiritual seeking I'm doing these days, it was time to go deep on Buddhism. I wanted to understand how, by training your mind, you could actually create some kind of divine connection to yourself, to other people in your life, or even to a higher power. I wanted to understand the theology that birthed the modern mindfulness movement. However, I do think there's something off-putting about the "mindfulness industrial complex" - the expensive getaways and self-proclaimed gurus, who make promises about personal transformation they can't necessarily keep.Īnd I've been looking for something different. On the whole, I think mindfulness showing up in our culture in new ways is a good thing. Before my weekly yoga class starts, the teacher says a bunch of stuff about mindfulness, and setting intentions for our downward dogs and plank poses. My kids learn mindfulness and meditation techniques in their public elementary school. Entire sections of libraries and bookstores are devoted to the subject. There are mindfulness retreats that will set you back thousands of dollars. Ayyā Somā (left) and Bhante Suddhāso (right), the co-founders of Empty Cloud Monastery.
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