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We are like trees, with our roots grounding us in mindfulness. We are nourished, we grow, we develop personality, all by being and continuing to keep our roots in the ground of mindfulness. Mindfulness as a root is one of the Five Roots which is covered by Great Master Dogen. We investigate in detail what’s said about Mindfulness as a Root, and overview the roots.
We ourselves who are groping for the mark are mindfulness. There is mindfulness that exists in moments of owning one’s body, and there is mindfulness that exists in moments of having no mind. There is conscious mindfulness, and there is mindfulness in which there is no body. The very life-root of all the people on Earth is mindfulness as a root. The very life-root of all the buddhas in the ten directions is mindfulness as a root. There can be many people in one state of mindfulness and many states of mindfulness in one person. At the same time, there are people who have mindfulness and there are people who do not have mindfulness. People do not always have mindfulness, and mindfulness is not necessarily connected with people. Even so, through the skillful maintenance of this mindfulness as a root, the virtue of perfect realization exists.
Refreshing Mindfulness
This is a refreshing take on mindfulness. So often we are told we have to be this or that. That mindfulness is something or nothing, or it only exists in certain states of mind. Here we are exposed to the true depth of mindfulness. That mindfulness exists in many different states, some with no mind and body, others with conscious mindfulness. That our life-root, for all people on earth is mindfulness.
The Five Root-forces
The first is belief as a root, the second is diligence as a root, the third is mindfulness as a root, the fourth is balance as a root, and the fifth is wisdom as a root.
If you are interested in finding out any more about these other roots, please leave a comment and I will make it the focus of a future post. (photo)
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Hi Wade,
My first learning of mindfulness was from the
book, The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh.
I would love to read any future posts you make about
this subject.
In this hurry up world, there is no better gift we can give ourselves than mindfulness. Being a parent, I also feel
that it’s a necessary teaching to my children.
A few of them are adults, (NOT that adults can’t learn – lol), but I feel it’s a needed lesson for my 11 year old.
Imagine having mindfulness being a part of your childhood.
So… YES, please Write on
xo xo
Deb
I can really relate to the tree analogy as I’m a big tree and plant person. I really feel close to all things green.
Mindfulness is so beneficial in all areas of our lives and I really try to find ways to practice it in everyday events and places. Even when I go shopping.
Hi Wade,
Dogen is one writer I love.
I’m not sure about a mindfulness without a body though. Do you have any idea what he meant by this (ghosts etc?)
This idea leads to problems with how the disembodied communicates with the embodied and so forth.
If you have any thoughts on this I’d like to hear.
I guess I think ‘belief’ is a problem as the first root. I’d prefer to say ‘perception’ but maybe this is a translation problem.
Thank you for this. I would like to hear about the other roots. – Dennis
Thanks Wade for the the thoughtful words.
I was just getting all in a fuss over the politics of this country (USA)and leaving my own peace behind.
I keep thinking that if I am mindful enough, it I walk is peace wherever I go, if I help people wake up, then I can make a positive difference. I must me mindful of the need for patience.
I write a daily blog abour living consciously, purposefully and peacefully at http://www.ExploreLifeBlog.com and have a small peace org. with a big mission at http://www.Peace-Together.com
Inner peace to you,
Joseph
Hi Wade,
great post. I look forward to exploring more about the five roots on your blog here.
Would the root of belief be synonymous with faith here? I.E, having trust in the dharma through our own life experience? Could you point me to the location of Dogen’s discusion on this in the Shobogenzo?
@Deb, Thanks for your comments and inspiration to write on. It’s wonderful that you are teaching your children the joy of mindfulness. It’s a very beautiful and life long gift you are giving.
@James, Glad you enjoyed the simile, and thanks for the moving mindfulness through life, including shopping
@Evan, Dogen is amazing isn’t he. I have to thank Greg(http://uponthepath.wordpress.com) for first pointing him out to me a year or so ago. The way I read mindfulness without a body is when in meditation and the body is still, there is no sensation or feeling of the body. Thus there is mindfulness but there is no body as such. I’m not sure I understand you on ‘belief’ vs ‘perception’ please feel free to write more on this.
@Dennis, Thank you. I will write about some of the other roots soon.
@Joseph, It appears to be a very intense and emotional time in the US. I’m finding a lot of talk about it finding it’s way down here, I can only imagine what it must be like over there now. It’s great that you’ve been able to tap back into the underlying reality, the peace that is always again. Also thanks for linking to your blogs, I’ll be over there soon to surf about. Hope to see you back here again.
@Greg, Thanks, if you’d like to tackle a root yourself to guest post or cross post with me, I’d be happy to work through them with you….Just a thought. I know you like studying Dogen from time to time. Belief and Faith, synonymous….Hmmm…I guess it depends how you see the two words. Belief to me is the ‘stronger’ of the two, as in unflinching knowning-ness. Faith to me is a bit more open. Checking in the dictionary, faith does not rest on logic or proof, but is a synonym of belief. Belief is seen as truth. To answer your question, regardless of the word we use, yes, that’s what it means. Trusting in the Dharma. The Shobogenzo we bought from Shasta Abbey doesn’t contain this chapter. It comes from http://www.windbell.com/Shobo4.html, Nishijima and Cross’ translation. I have found a different copy of this chapter, sanjushichi-bon-bodai-bunpo, online. The translations’ a little weaker, but may give you the background you’re after. If it doesn’t let me know and I’ll type up this edition for you.
May all beings be happy.
Gassho,
Wade
..and now the link to the free Shobogenzo, for all who want it. Again, it seems to be lacking a little bit of Dogen’s depth, but still gets the messages across. I think the purpose of this translation is to make Dogen accessible and enjoyable moreso than cryptic as he is in many translations.
http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma12/shobo.html
Gassho,
Wade
Hi Wade,
Thanks for the clarification on ‘bodiless’.
Sometimes belief is used as opposed to current reality. If belief is equate with knowing I have no problems.
Thanks,
Evan
Hi Wade,
What an interesting way of looking at life and mindfulness. In some ways I am new to this mindfulness thing but I also realize that I have always had it and never known it until recently. I remember as a teenager becoming aware of my thoughts in a way that seemed most amazing. Somewhere between 18 and 30 I lost it by becoming absorbed in material things. Then it came back like a flood in my 30s. I had and then I didn’t…so there you go…I am living proof that some people have it and some don’t. But isn’t the real truth that we are both?
I would love to hear more about the roots. Thanks for the post.
Thanks Wade,
I happen to have a copy of Nishijima’s entire Shobogenzo collection, so no need for you to type it up. Thank you so much for the offer.
I’ll read, “sanjushichi-bon-bodai-bunpo” and get back to you about writing something on it.
take care,
Greg
@Deb – Having young children myself, I am very curious to learn about how you go about and what you found useful for teaching mindfulness to children? Imagine a generation of children growing up with mindfulness and compassion as fundamental to their learning as math and science. In a way, its almost the best gift that one can give to the world!
For example – just yesterday, we started something called the “compassion notebook” in our family. Mom, Dad and both our lil kids got identical looking notebooks where at the end of the day, each of us will write about one thing we did that showed compassion and kindness (I had to set the rules that it cant be for the benefit of something for ourselves). If we find that we didnt do anything on any day, we will look back at the day and write about one thing that we ‘could have’ done (e.g “I saw that guy with a broken down vehicle on the side of the road, I should’ve stopped and asked if needed help”). Lets see how that goes…
I am trying to think of similar simple ideas for mindfulness – which can be trickier for little ones.
Jay
Hello Jay,
My older children are 26 and almost 24. I don’t know the exact year I ordered this tape for them, ‘Self Image for Children’. It was before the days of CD’s. I would guess maybe 20 years ago. I found the same thing on CD several years back for my 3rd child. I would play this for them
at night and they would fall asleep with it playing.
Bob Griswold is the speaker. He refers to himself as
Mr G. He then takes the child ‘on a magical adventure’.
Self Image for Children
http://www.efflearn.com/product_info.php/cPath/56/products_id/108
The info on the site says for children up to age 8. I know my own listened to it beyond the age of 8.
I had suggested the CD to a teller at my local bank.
We had struck up a conversation and she said that her 2 daughters were having difficulty due to a divorce that she and her husband were going through. She was amazed at the calming effect the CD had on her girls. The older of the 2 was over 10 and still benefited.
So much of a child’s world is out of their control.
Take a child learning how to write. Put a pencil in your non-dominate hand and try to write and you will feel their frustration. I do a breathing exercise with my children.
Not just at the moments of frustration, but many times
just stopping them to do this.
It’s best to have them sit still for just a quick minute.
I tell them to take a breath and relax. Take another breath and feel your shoulders drop down. I then say…..
“Ohhhhmmmm” putting my index fingers to my thumbs.
They also see me do this when I am having a moment where I need to re-group. One day a few weeks ago, my 11 year old was having a stress filled morning getting ready for school.
He could not find some paper or book. I stopped him, got his attention and did my fingers to my thumbs saying…
“Ohhhmmmm” He stopped, took a breath and calmed down to continue looking for the book.
Children need consistent repetition. This is something I have been doing with my son since he was quite young, but I am certain that any child could benefit from this.
If you would like to email me Jay, please do and
we can continue talking. AFMomDeb@aol.com
xo xo
Deb
A blog that I’ve only been reading a short while
had this message on meditation for children.
The message was posted March 25.
http://parentingsquad.com/simple-steps-to-teach-meditation-to-children
@Deb/Jay great to see you guys connecting. I’ll keep this handy if I ever get kids
May all beings be happy.
Gassho,
Wade
Excellent article.
I certainly agree that mindfulness comes in gradations. And that it is very elusive. I think it is one of these topics you can only study by doing.
Olivier.