Categories: Maintaining Mindfulness
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!
Today, through our spiritual teachings, I wish to explore a profound topic. The title of our reflection is about how maintaining mindfulness leads to a powerful, deep-seated memory. When you first see this, you might think of ordinary memory, the kind we use for studying, for exams, or for remembering daily tasks in our worldly lives.
I use the word ‘memory’ several times to highlight this distinction, but the memory we will discuss is far more vital.
This isn’t about improving your recall for worldly success, although this practice can certainly help there too. Instead, I want to show you a path to understanding a fundamental truth about our existence. The ‘memory’ I am pointing to is an experiential insight that arises from the practice of mindful awareness.
The Practice of Watching the Mind (and Our Imperfections)
We begin by training ourselves to maintain mindfulness, or what in the Pali language is called Sati. This is the practice of observing our own thoughts as they arise, without immediate judgment. You learn to identify and categorize the constant stream of thoughts flowing through your mind: thoughts of desire and lust; thoughts of anger and ill-will; thoughts of jealousy, envy, and pettiness. You also notice the wholesome thoughts: thoughts of kindness, the wish to help another, the resolution to let go of jealousy.
By consistently turning your attention inward, you begin to witness this inner world directly. You experience it for yourself. This is the core task. As we engage in this practice, it’s natural that we still make mistakes. Faults and unskillful actions will continue to occur. It’s easy to become discouraged, thinking, ‘I’m still making these same mistakes! I still get angry so easily. I still feel overcome by lust.‘
This can become a source of inner conflict. You might feel that you are failing at the practice. But I want to ask you: is there any rule that says you must stop these things immediately just because you’ve started practicing mindful awareness? Is there a law that dictates these habits must vanish overnight? No, there isn’t.
The idea that we must be perfect, that we must never break the five precepts, not telling a lie, not harming a living being, not even a mosquito, can become a heavy burden when we inevitably falter. You might think, ‘I’m meditating, I’m practicing mindfulness, yet I still do these things.‘ This internal questioning is a common part of the journey.
Sometimes, others might even criticize you: ‘You talk so much about meditation, but you still act that way!‘ Please understand, this is a normal, expected part of the process and not something to be overly troubled by.
The Long Game of Mindfulness: A Case Study in Desire
Let’s take a practical example that many people struggle with: sensual desire, or rāga. Imagine there’s a certain time of day, say 8 PM every evening, when you habitually engage in some form of sensual indulgence, either alone or with a partner. As you practice mindful awareness, you will start to notice the pattern.
You’ll see the thought of desire stirring in your mind as that time approaches. You’ll feel the physical agitation, the stimulation that arises in the body. You are observing the mind and how it affects the bodycam practice some might call Kāyānupassanā, or contemplation of the body, but let’s not get caught up in heavy terms. The point is you see it happening.
Then, the mind will send a powerful message: ‘Do it now. Engage now.‘ The instruction here is to simply watch that urge. Stay with it. See it for what it is. Sometimes, the urge may fade after a while. However, a common problem is that you may still act on it. You may find yourself engaging in the act, perhaps with a sliver of awareness that you are doing it. This is not a failure.
I am not saying you should mindfully engage in lust, please read to the end so you understand this point clearly, but that when the urge is overwhelming and you act, the practice doesn’t have to stop.
You engage in the act. Afterwards, a new thought inevitably arises: ‘Shame. I made a mistake again. I indulged and enjoyed it.‘ This feeling of guilt is also just a thought. The practice is to watch this thought, too. Acknowledge it without judgment, thinking, ‘Okay, that happened. It’s alright.‘
As you continue this process, maybe for months, maybe for years, I cannot say how long, something remarkable happens. A profound, unshakable memory begins to form. This is the crucial result. One day, perhaps after a few years of this continuous, gentle observation, the 8 PM urge will arise again. But this time, your mindful awareness brings forth a complete memory of the entire sequence.
You remember: ‘Ah, this is how it starts. These are the thoughts that come. This is the physical feeling. This is how long it lasts. This is the brief pleasure, the saved or gratification. And this is the feeling afterwards, the emptiness.‘
Your own mind will tell you, ‘This whole affair is so fleeting. It’s just a few moments of sensation. Is this what I’ve been chasing?‘ You see the beginning, the middle, and the end with total clarity.
The illusion shatters because you have experienced its hollow nature directly, time and time again. This deep, cellular memory is what liberates you. It’s not a rule imposed from the outside, but an insight that grows from within.
The Snake and The Senses: Applying the Practice to All of Life
This is not just about lust. The same principle of developing a deep, experiential memory applies to all of our attachments and aversions. Take the example of a snake. If you had never seen a snake before, you might not know it’s dangerous. You might try to touch it like any other animal. But once it bites you, the pain and fear create an instant, powerful memory. You will never try to pet that snake again. The moment you see one, your mind instantly recalls the danger. Mindful awareness builds this same kind of protective memory about our unwholesome habits.
Apply this to all areas of life:
- Anger (Dvesha): When anger arises, watch it. Watch the thoughts, the urge to shout, the heat in your body, the headache that follows. Even if you end up yelling at someone, keep observing. Midway through your rant, you might even have a moment of clarity: ‘Ah, I am angry now. I am shouting because of this feeling.‘ Over time, your mind will remember the entire painful process, the cause, the suffering it brings to you and others, and its ultimate futility. Eventually, when a trigger appears, your mind will recall the lesson, and you will remain unshaken, or upekkhā (equanimous).
- Food & Drink: Apply mindful awareness to your eating. Mindfully enjoy the most delicious five-star meals and the simplest food from a humble shack. Mindfully drink the most expensive beverages. Experience the beginning (the craving), the middle (the taste), and the end (the satisfaction fading). You will come to see the nature of this pleasure as well.
- Alcohol & Drugs: This is a delicate point, and it’s directed only at those who feel they cannot stop. I am not endorsing this behavior. But if you find yourself drinking, do it with mindful awareness. Observe the moment you open the bottle, the first sip, the feeling of intoxication, the suffering of the hangover. Over years, the memory of the entire unpleasant cycle will build up until your mind itself rejects it, saying, ‘This is not worth it. The pleasure is brief, and the pain is long.‘
- Gossip, social media & Entertainment: Are you addicted to gossiping, or endlessly scrolling through social media? Are you always seeking the next party or concert? Apply the same method. Do it but do it with awareness. Watch the urge, the brief distraction, and the feeling of emptiness that follows. Observe how long the fun really lasts. Over time, your mind will remember the transient and unsatisfying nature of it all.
A Crucial Clarification: Who Is This Practice For?
It is crucial to understand who this teaching is for. This is a practice for those of us who are still struggling with defilements (kilesa). If you are someone who has already given up alcohol, smoking, or other harmful habits, please do not start again just to ‘practice‘ this! That is a grave misunderstanding.
You have already moved past that stage. Instead, you can apply this same principle of mindful awareness to more subtle attachments or aversions you may still have.
This method is for the person who wants to stop but finds the force of habit too strong. They meditate and practice, but the old patterns re-emerge. It is for them I say: do not despair. Do not fight it with force. Instead, use the experience itself as your teacher. I must repeat this because it can be easily misunderstood this is not an encouragement to indulge in unwholesome acts. It is a pragmatic strategy to build wisdom from within the struggle when you feel you cannot escape it.
Some people, through the power of their past good actions (pāramitā), can stop a bad habit instantly. These are the kinds of people we read about in the scriptures, the Tipitaka, who attain enlightenment (become an Arahant) at a young age. Their minds already have a deep-seated memory of the futility of these actions.
For the rest of us, the journey may be more gradual. We build that memory, moment by moment, through patient and persistent mindful awareness.
Living in the World with Wisdom: Beyond ‘Negative’ Thinking
A common criticism is that Buddhism is negative, that this kind of practice will make you lose interest in life. You might worry, ‘If I see the truth of things, will I stop wanting to earn money? Will my family life fall apart?‘ People may accuse these teachings of being pessimistic. This is a misunderstanding of the path.
When you see reality clearly, you don’t abandon your responsibilities,you fulfill them more beautifully and with less suffering.
You continue to work hard, perhaps even more effectively, because your mind is free from the poisons of jealousy and envy. You see the true nature of wealth, but you still provide for your family. You fulfill your duties to your parents, your spouse, your children, your friends, and your community. The difference is that you are no longer clinging. You are playing your part in the conventional world with full awareness of the ultimate truth.
When you feel love for your child, your partner, or your parents, see that with mindful awareness too. The attachment might lessen, but this doesn’t mean you become cold or uncaring. It means your love becomes purer, less selfish. You perform your duties perfectly, but you are not fooled by the illusion. It is like acting in a play.
You perform your role with conviction, but you never forget that you are an actor on a stage. You love, but you love with wisdom. You live, but you live with freedom.
Your Path to Freedom: A Practical and Profound Journey
So, this is the practice. This is how cultivating mindful awareness leads to a deep, transformative memory. It’s a memory not of facts, but of the true nature of experience, its beginning, its middle, and its end.
It is a memory of its gratification (āsvāda) and its danger (ādīnava). This insight, born from your own direct experience, is what ultimately sets you free. Even if you don’t reach the final goal in this lifetime, this practice ensures you are walking on the path.
The understanding you build will be carried forward, and in a future time, perhaps in this very Gautama Buddha’s dispensation, or the next one of Maitreyan Buddha, you will have the conditions to realize freedom swiftly.
The Buddha’s teaching, the Dhamma, is a practical path. It is not a philosophy to be merely believed, but a practice to be lived. I encourage you to apply this. If this teaching did not make complete sense the first time, please reflect on it again. Put it into practice and see for yourself. If you have experiences with this practice, consider sharing them to help inspire others.
May you all gain the strength and clarity to understand these words, to apply them in your life, and to realize for yourselves the profound truth taught by the Buddha.
We invite you to walk this path with us. Read our teachings, and most importantly, apply them practically in your own life. as you practice, questions will naturally arise. Please feel free to share your experiences and questions in the comments below, via email or contact form. I will do my best to offer guidance in future talks based on your progress. For now, begin this practice with an open heart and a mind free from expectation. Cultivate it correctly, and may you find the clarity and peace you seek.
Thank you for joining us. We hope this blog will be of great benefit to your spiritual journey.
May you all be well and happy.
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!
