I am early on my path to MBSR certification and teaching a one hour 6 session class on mindfulness. One of the participants asked if mindlessness was the opposite of mindfulness. How would others respond? In what ways are they opposites? In what ways is this perspective limiting?
What an interesting question, Janet. I look forward to hearing various
perspectives on this from the community. And here are a few thoughts that
spring to mind right away:
Seeing distraction, or mindlessness, as the opposite of mindfulness has
some usefulness, perhaps especially for beginners, but also as a simple,
general reference point. If we define mindfulness as non-judgmental,
moment-to-moment awareness, then it makes sense that distraction is at the
other end of that spectrum of possbility, so to speak. To me, mindlessness
also implies a certain carelessness or lack of care, while mindfulness
implies a caring attention.
One aspect of my own practice that might be of interest and of use here:
lately I have been noticing the presence of distraction (which I see as
synonymous with your student’s word, mindlessness), bringing the practice
of mindfulness to bear in becoming aware of mindlessness (which then
naturally disappears in the light of that noticing). From this point of
view, mindfulness strikes me as rather more than simply the opposite of
mindlessness. It is richer, has more potential, than a simply paying
attention. This is where, as you put it, the perspective of opposites could
indeed place a limit on the potency of ones’ seeing.