In the blog category “Mindfulness Concepts”, I will elaborate on the many ideas, concepts and insights that form the basis of the amazing practice of mindfulness meditation.
Last year, I was asked a question on the goal of mindfulness practice. The person who asked me that question was familiar with the classic practices of mindfulness of breath, body scan, etc. and was also familiar with the health benefits that accrued from them. I did give him some answers but after our conversation ended, I realized that they were not complete. That incident has prompted me to blog about “The 10 Perfections”. These are the qualities of the heart that are eventually developed with this practice. They provide the context, support and expression of the growth that happens in us as we engage in this practice. In other words, they are the manifestations of the power of mindfulness practice in our lives.
An amazing aspect of ‘10 Perfections’ is that as they grow within us, they manifest and give an expression of our practice. However, they also end up becoming a foundation and support for our practice. In other words, these qualities strengthen our practice that in turn, strengthen these qualities. So, this becomes a strong cycle of growth and manifestation that leads us to even deeper experiences of these practices when we perform them on our meditation cushions. In fact, if we get stuck in our practice, it may make sense for us to stop it for some time and instead consciously engage in developing these perfections by taking skillful actions in our lives outside of our cushions. When we eventually come back to our cushions, these qualities will give us strength and inspiration for the work that happens on it.
The qualities of the heart that comprise ’10 Perfections’ are as listed below:
Generosity
Virtue
Renunciation
Wisdom
Energy (or Strength)
Patience
Truth
Determination
Loving Kindness
Equanimity
One of my new year resolutions for 2019 is to consciously develop these qualities, one by one. As part of this effort; I will blog about them, my feeble but conscious efforts to develop them and the results that get generated. I hope this series of posts will inspire you to engage in similar pursuits in your lives in your unique and ingenious ways.
If you would like to share your experience, ask questions or provide helpful suggestions on this or any other blog post, then please fill out the contact form below. In a blog category entitled “Website content feedback” I will publish my answers to your questions as well as your suggestions and experiences wherever appropriate after receiving your permission to do so. Thank you!!!
