The "Mindfulness" Game

"Mindfulness is a mental state, characterized by concentrated awareness of one's thoughts, actions or motivations." (Wiki)

This concept of "mindfulness" is very precarious for me. I understand the use of the concept. But I think it points to the dualism that we are fixated on, or the mind/body dilemma. In that respect, attaching the concept of 'mind' to that which is exclusively a bodily function seems to be a conventional idea that we all are comfortable with, since it reduces our guilt and limits responsibility. This egoic comfort merely reduces 'mind' to a platitude.

The function/act of sexual bodily liaisons has existed from the 'beginning' and it does NOT seem to have attained the capacity to enhance world peace, or domestic tranquility.

It seems the ego desires that certain aspects of reality be negated, while other aspects are glorified and made sacred. Thus, we make a distinction between 'sins' of the body and of the mind, whereas, the mind is incapable of perpetuating sinful acts without the use of the body. We then compromise with illusional reality by investing physical acts of the body with 'mind.'

In fact, I wonder, could we go to war "mindfully"? Or how 'bout my favorite - "mindful capitalism" (could use a little of that now, eh?) Not doubt we will soon seek to engage in "mindful wars" (and I wonder can one have a bowel movement mindfully or can I mindfully rob a bank?).

MINDFUL SEXUALITY

My point is not that we should assume some ascetic spiritual celibacy, but that our socially conditioned requirement of bodily enclaves of exclusive partnerships based on sexual compatibility (or any other kind) does not seem amenable to the Oneness we all seem to speak volumes on. However, I too am committed to one such enclave and have engaged in sex (still do, in fact, Shhhhhhh...)

However, I do not seek for a greater unifying bond with my wife through infusing our sexual activity with some mindful, sacred-tantric, specialness. Nevertheless, I do seek deeper union through intimate mind-to-mind relating (sex or no sex) in the recognition that ONLY MINDS CAN JOIN and through that distinction, sexuality JUST IS and recedes to the background with its sacredness whittled away (as such, you can enjoy the sex game without guilt).

Ego loves the 'sacred' and so it seeks to sacralize as much of the "illusion" as possible in order to better aggrandize itself through its actions and behaviors. To sacralize a function is to make it very special and therefore, not subject to conventional fears. Now we act with impunity, yet the mind sooner or later must realize it's all a charade.

Our glorification of sex requires we seek out and pair up with other agreeable bodies for which to maintain our fixation on the function of sex as an instinctual need based on primordial impulses. This required religious sanction making these enclaves separate little sovereign-unions under God and thus we have become obsessed with the socially manufactured need to become little exclusive islands of sexual activity... blessed by God.

Seems to me this results in more suffering then any other institution and can be just as violent as all out war. Alas, it seems institutionalized love and war, in ever corner of reality, must be our fate.

Note we team up with other bodies in the declaration of war as well and that game is as sacred as sex. It requires two or more bodies engaged in sacred destruction (are not all wars initiated under sacred principles declared from the start?). Therefore, destroying bodies is as sacred as creating more (just look at the Gaza).

This merging of body into mind into spirit seems 'integral' yet, although my past sensory learning attests to the truth of such an evolutionary perspective, it is entirely too formulaic for my mind and seems to deny permanent leaps of consciousness (not evolutionary), which may have always been available to us at anytime, if and when we so choose. Right now, in fact!

Look at all that is done in worship of the body and the body's need to teach the mind through sensory impressions. If the body is an object of consciousness and nothing more, look at the 'world' that has emerged in support of that one object. Stunning!

Notice how our existence completely conforms to the dictates of the body and what the body teaches IT demands. Look at how we strive to conform the mind to 'reality,' as opposed to conforming reality to the mind. Actually, it would seem , even though the ego is certainly well known and persistently studied, the mind still has yet to be discovered.

I 'fantasize' that when we finally sink deeply 'within' and plumb the depths of the Deep Spirit of our own separate mind/consciousness we will all meet outside space/time and learn that we have always known each other through ONE Consciousness (theoretically speaking).

But this is certainly not so for the "awakening" crowd. Not only will they reject the body unless it participates in sacred acts, but they demand thought be annihilated and replaced with "No-Mind." Through "mindfulness" one is deeply concentrated and engaged with mind for the distinct purpose of annihilating thought. Maybe we should tap the conceptual genius of the mind first, before we seek to understand the non-conceptuality of mind.

Of course, I have no certainty of anything (thank God, since that would end the game), which demands everything be persistently questioned. I enjoy the seemingly infinite discourse because I believe it can take us very far. Indeed, maybe even all the way...


PS: why is it that every post I write about the concept of sex gets more hits than any other post?