Mindfulness & Ego

[Gareth]

What do you think of this article?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-col ... 70177.html

I found it fascinating. In all the work I do around mindfulness, I'm still surprised at how much ego I see.

[JonW]

Thanks for sharing that, Gareth. A truly great piece.

[BioSattva]

Beyond John Kabat-Zinn and Mark Williams, and some of the Zen people, I haven't seen a lot of heart in teachers, personally. With time, however, I'm sure new trees will grow with strong roots.

I think eventually the practice itself will push the less dedicated fashionistas and marketers more to the boundaries, but as with anything new and fresh, it going to get brandished and marketed and sold as much as possible.

I think with mindfulness brandishing ones mindfulness ego is more obvious than in other areas, and so those who want true teachings and practice will know when to steer clear.

[JonW]

Hey Bio.
Great to see you back.
Always enjoy your posts.
I was discussing this very subject with Gareth over the blower a few days ago.
I was extremely fortunate in finding a teacher, Nick Diggins (see interview on main site) who completely embodies mindfulness.
In terms of Everyday Mindfulness, I believe we have a forum unlike anything in the known world, that completely embodies mindfulness in the same way.
We are all of us part of something truly special here.
Jon

[BioSattva]

Yes, I was thinking about this after waking up this morning - I wanted to come back here and say that a true heart in mindfulness brings people together in charity and common aims like this site does, but I thought it would be a bit excessive to do so.

Hehe, so I'm glad you said that. I find the general absence of qualified MBSR teachers from this site, for example, somewhat strange. I'm sure they don't want to 'do their job' for free on the internet, so thats understandable, and yet a bit more support here and there would be nice. Are you still intending to become a teacher? I would very much like to do that too. There is now even an MBSR teacher here in Beijing - he was translator for Jon Kabat-Zinn during his recent visit here to do a retreat for industry professionals. We will be meeting the teacher here soon it seems.

I have been building enthusiasm elsewhere these days, so apologies for the absence - we still have a regular group that meets on Sunday evenings and I'm pursuing traditional Chinese mindful discilpines in depth still - tea drinking in the Far East is a lot deeper and profound than I had expected, for example.

I'm still waiting for Gareth to get back to me on installing this chat function by the way - I'm all ready to go. These days I'm more about action than words, hehe .

[Gareth]

Sorry Tristan , I've had a really hectic weekend. My next job today is to go through your email though.

I find the lack of teachers that have been attracted to this site a little strange too. I really don't think that we are taking up any of their share of the market here. We are simply here to give support to anybody who is giving this a go for themselves, also to act as a hub for more experienced practitioners to get together and help further the cause of mindfulness.

Still, we are really young as a forum, and these things will come with time I'm sure. Too much future, as I say to myself about a million times each day. I am looking to do the teacher training as well either this year or next. With you and Jon doing it too, we're going to have more teachers round here than you can shake a stick at.

[BioSattva]

Too much future,

A great one - no doubt I'll be adopting it. Did you get that from any teacher or resource in particular?