According to Buddhism, mindfulness is the path to awakening. What are we awakening to or from?

There are many ways of defining and describing the term “awakening,” but one could say that we’re awakening by removing the mental suffering associated with greed, delusion, and hatred.

The awakening of love, compassion, and wisdom can be described in this way.

Awakening is a practice.

As a result, we are forced to start over and over again in every moment. To avoid the common trap of self-judgment and doubt, it is important to embrace the ups and the downs as they are.

It is important to remember that the best learning opportunities are often when we fall off the path. You must also know that you have not failed if you end up in a rut of suffering.

We have a rare opportunity to grow and evolve on the path of awakening if we approach this time with an open mind.

How Mindfulness Can Help

The mindfulness approach teaches that curiosity leads to understanding. It teaches that curiosity allows us to experience an inner spaciousness, which leads to deep insights.

When things aren’t going our way, we should be curious and not malicious. Mindfulness helps us identify the exact emotion that is “negative,” and it also teaches how to relate to it.

We are not practicing mindfulness if we react to unpleasant feelings with aversion. We are not fully present with our difficulties. This acceptance is what frees us and allows difficult emotions to pass.

How can we tell if we are on the path of awakening?

1. We become more aware of the impermanence of things and how they change.
2. We are more equanimous.
3. We are less and less judgemental.
4. We are more accepting and open-minded.
5. Our lives are more peaceful.
6. Our relationships are more compassionate.
7. We are more cautious in how we communicate with others.

It’s not just about sitting on a meditation cushion. In our daily lives, we practice mindfulness in everything. When we speak, it’s a great place to practice mindfulness.

When practicing mindful communication, we may ask ourselves: “Are my words coming out of a place where I am good-willed?”

Incorporate Mindful Realizations into Daily Life

We also experience profound insights on the path to awakening. These insights are meant to be integrated into our everyday lives. It’s fine to have a sudden AHA moment, but what’s important is the cultivation of these AHA moments in our daily lives.

It’s hard to resist the urge to hold on to these moments of peak experience. As with all things, these experiences are also subject to change.

It’s not bad that these awakenings or changes pass, but it is bad to hold onto them. We let go, let go, let go again and again.

Non-clinging is the key. In this context, mindfulness is best understood. Here is the place where true mental freedom begins.