The relationship between mindful awareness and the mind

[PDee]

I am reading Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness For Beginners at the moment. On p24 he says some meditation practices, "serve to stablilize and calibrate the mind so that it can do the deep work of seeing into the actuality of what is being observed."

I am aware that mindfulness is the awareness which arises when we pay attention on purpose, in the present moment non-judgmentally.

But what is the relationship between mindfulnes and what we think of as 'mind'? I have previously thought that the two concepts are distinct and that mindfulness includes awareness OF the mind - indeed, teachers speak of holding the 'monkey mind' in mindful awareness, as much as we can.

But in the passage quoted above it seems that mindfulness is PART OF the mind because we stabilise the mind in order to use mindfulness to see the 'actuality'.

Which of these is correct?

[JonW]

'I am reading Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness For Beginners at the moment. On p24 he says some meditation practices, "serve to stablilize and calibrate the mind so that it can do the deep work of seeing into the actuality of what is being observed".'

My interpretation of that passage is that mindfulness enables us to see more clearly that which is, with the overlay of judgment etc. removed. The result is a more direct experience in the moment.
Fro me, the question of the relationship between mindfulness and what we think of as 'mind' is academic here. The important thing is the simply noticing of experience as it arises, moment to moment.
Jon

[PDee]

Thanks, Jon.

So in essence, it might be better to see 'mind' just as a concept which is used to explain how to be mindfule, rather than a definite, distinct entity of whetever form and content?

[JonW]

As a teacher, I'd advise that such philosophical questions are put to one side until one has a reasonably firm grounding in mindfulness practice.
Mindfulness is not conceptual, it is experiential. Though it is important that the basic concepts underpinning the practice are grasped, the focus ought to be on the experience of the practice which is very simple: it is about being aware of our present moment experience. It is not about wrestling with concepts such as the ultimate nature of mind. Just notice what is happening. And keep practicing.
All best,
Jon