Mushin and Mindfulness

[Seph]

Are Zen's Mushin and Mindfulness compatible?

Mushin would seem to share (only certain) traits with Mindlessness. (The primary difference that I can see is one of deliberation. Mindlessness is incidental. It isn't chosen. It may very well be a sort of default, whereas Mushin is deliberate - or at least attempted).

Edited March 7, 2014 by Seph

[Marblehead]

Mindlessness is incidental. It isn't chosen.

The same can be said for mindfulness.

[Seph]

The same can be said for mindfulness.

...true...

[Age Sage]

Mindfulness is intentional awareness without any mental clutter (verbal thinking) to obstruct the clear path of intent to action. Mushin ("no mind") is likewise intentional awareness - the opposite of "mindlessness." Japanese warriors trained themselves for mushin, as do contemporary martial artists.

Edited March 8, 2014 by Age Sage

[Seph]

Mindfulness is intentional awareness without any mental clutter (verbal thinking) to obstruct the clear path of intent to action. Mushin ("no mind") is likewise intentional awareness - the opposite of "mindlessness." Japanese warriors trained themselves for mushin, as do contemporary martial artists.

Yes, I get that. Clearly, mindlessness is the opposite of both Mindfulness and Mushin.

However, how do (or even do) Mindfulness and Mushin interrelate?

[Age Sage]

In my experience, mindfulness is focused intent, in the moment. It encompasses conscious awareness of your surroundings and the situation as it is, without the distraction of thoughts of the past and future. Being in that state allows you to perceive change and to change with that change as needed.

 

Mushin may translate directly as "no mind," but it is essentially focused intent, being fully present in the moment.

 

So, the interrelationship is that they're the same thing, just different terminology.

[C T]

Mindfulness, from what i understand, envelopes both the process of bringing awareness to body, speech, mind and at the same time feeding a wakeful attention to when external conditions sometimes impede this awareness, pushing and pulling at it, usually at the base where emotional reactions start to surface. With mindfulness comes an alertness to such stirrings, which allows one space to mull over how certain responses tend to extinguish potential stress while some other reactive habits tend to proliferate stress.

 

Again, from what i have learnt, 'nO mind' is the manifest state where mindfulness has taken root, when a keen sense of awareness is habituated, both in waking and dreaming states. Its like the saying, 'sleep when tired; eat when hungry' -- there is no requirement to bring self, mind and thoughts to these ordinary yet very necessary processes, so the masters want students to learn about spontaneity in awareness from such examples. This sort of spontaneity can be successfully gained thru the practice of mindfulness. With enough practice, old habits are washed away to reveal a natural state of beingness.

[zanshin]

Mushin no shin

 

Mind of no mind, from Japanese samurai teaching like Musashi. Zen Buddhist etymology. Highly automatic fighting state where action becomes intuitive. Mind and body merge and flow. Flow like water, alluded to by Bruce Lee too, flow like water, become the cup. Related to terminology state of flow in psychology,so not just martial arts. Highly trained musician playing a piece same state of mind, jazz musicians improvising together good example too, if they just play probably good if someone stops to think a lot might fizzle.

 

Mindfulness I think of more being in the moment and non wandering mind. It might be a precursor to mushin no shin, but not the same.

[gatito]

^^^

 

Very, very, very good!