In our last letter, we talked about how mindfulness isn’t just about stress reduction. So what is it about, then?
"Mindfulness is about reaching nirvana," might sound a little... woo woo. So let's beak it down.
What Even Is Nirvana?
Nirvana is a Pali word (the language at the time of the Buddha) that literally means “going out”, like a flame being extinguished. So when we talk about nirvana, we’re talking about the extinguishing of something.
I hear you: What exactly is getting extinguished, Maria?
✨ Great question. So glad you asked. ✨
And the answer is, what we want to extinguish is..
Craving.
That constant grasping, wanting, pushing away, pulling toward, that sh*tty cycle of always needing things to be different.
The Buddha even described nirvana as the “ending of craving.”
But why do we want to extinguish craving?
In Buddhist tradition, craving (aka wanting the impossible) is seen as the source of all suffering.
Stress is what happens when you’re here and craving to be somewhere else.
It matches the experience with suffering I have had so far.
That difficult relationship with a colleague? Chances are that the real source of suffering is not the colleague; it is the wish that they were different.
Too much work, too little work, or just painfully boring work? You name it. The problem is not the work itself, the suffering comes from wishing it were another way.
Relatable?
This smoooothly brings us to the final session of our Intro to Mindfulness Meditation Course: Mindfulness of Dharmas
This is the fourth foundation of mindfulness, the big-picture stuff.
Mindfulness of Dharmas is all about contemplating the universal laws that shape our experience of suffering and, perhaps interesting for some of you, how we can free ourselves from it.
It’s deep. It’s fascinating. And it’s going to be our LAST SESSION!
It’s not too late to join us!
📅 Final Session: Friday at 4 PM GMT 📺 Recordings Available 💰 FREE for the principle of Dana.
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