[Buddha-l] Prapanca

[Curt Steinmetz]

Richard Hayes wrote:
> On Thu, 2008-02-14 at 12:06 -0500, Jackhat1 at aol.com wrote:
>
>   
>> In a daily meditation practice (dare I bring that up on this list?), one  
>> very easily notices when our mindfulness falls away and we go off on some  mental 
>> trip.
>>     
>
> I'll take your word for it. Suffice it to say that that has not been my
> experience in my own meditation practice. Perhaps not everyone is the
> same.
>
>   

There is an inescapable logical paradox in saying that the falling away 
of mindfulness is easily noticed. But this is more than just wordplay - 
for at least two reasons. First of all, becoming aware of unmindfulness 
is the very process of "waking up". Second of all, as Mumon once 
observed, "To always be alert and clear is to wear chains and an iron yoke."
Curt Steinmetz