Question asked by lorraine
Hi Pastors, i have a question,
According to my understanding, Buddhism teach mindfulness. and therefore we should be grateful with all that we have, in terms of where we are, what we eat, what we acquire, where we live and etc.
if so, shouldn't we just be mindful with our current state now? as in being mindful and live a happy life in Samsara.
so why should humans strive for Enlightment?
Dear Lorraine,
There is actually a difference between mindfulness and being grateful. Mindfulness is a meditation technique of being completely aware of oneself and surrounding, whereas being grateful is a mindset that can allow us to interact with the world in a more beneficial manner than we currently do.
Mindfulness is a meditation technique that allows us to be in the present moment, aware of how one is physically and mentally in the present. It is a cultivated sense of heightened awareness of your interaction with the physical world and others as well. used on its own it can bring tremendous benefits such as allowing your mind to become calmer and allowing yourself to live in the present moment rather than constantly worrying about the future or over analysing the past. In fact it can form the basis of being able to gain deeper insights from high forms of meditation.
Gratefulness on the other hand is a mindset that one should remember constantly. it is the mindset of being content with what you have received in life, and being thankful for it. It allows one to counter desire for more. Moreover, it should inspire us to be more compassionate towards others, as no matter our circumstances, there will always be someone worse off than us. We should strive to alleviate their suffering and the ultimate way of doing this would be to become enlightened.
We should therefore 100% be mindful of our current state, which is the present moment, while also being grateful in our daily life. We should do this as a method of meditation and inspiration along our spiritual path to enlightenment. Although we may be grateful for what we have, we will always suffer due to our negative karma arising, and on a higher level we progress to be able to help others overcome their suffering as well.