MINDFULNESS is the buzzword of today, replacing YOGA, MANAGEMENT, KARATE, FENG-SHUI, WASABI, ZEN-SUSHI, ZEN-SPAs and other attractors like these.
And, to drive all of us nuts, MINDFULNESS had a pretty noble origin and a very serious intention.
The intention of no one else but Mr. Buddha, many years back, was to structure and format a prescriptive WAY for those who like him, were searching for the Impossible, but lacked the good luck! A WAY to let all of us, hit by the thunderbolt of the Enlightenment, transgress somehow the world of Dualism, of the Subject - Object epistemological dilemma, and finally come to terms with ourselves realising that Impermanence is nothing but Impermanence and this is not too bad at all, as it is what it is.
To do that requires some sort of discipline and codes, lots of codes of prescriptive moral and ethical demeanour, the resources (internal and external) for dealing with RIGHT and WRONG. And of course the discipline NOT to LAUGH as in the end both right and wrong stop making sense or anything else.
All started with the commentaries and the texts interpreting the Divine Revelation of the Vedas and the Dharma. In these texts there was a MUST: always remember the Dharma. But how?
Well, Buddha pointed out to the Suffering as the source of all evils. The source of the Suffering was the Ignorance and Buddha passed the Mandate to control it and a Path to defy it: the Eight folded Path. Among the eight Commands - The Correct Attention, (Samma Sati), at the end of and endless train of translations and interpretations known today as MINDFULNESS.
The whole point is that the Path must be complete. Practicing MINDFULNESS alone, whatever resolution the meaning of the word brings to people's MIND, is a NO STARTER. It is like starting to build the house with the roof. But the today's community of SPA owners, HEALING aficionados, shrink gurus and management consultants have a different opinion.
The Spectre of the Palliative is here with us to stay. There is, a placebo effect. People do benefit sometimes from the effects of applied MINDFULNESS. This perhaps because there are also clever psychologists. In the end, a side effect: there is money to be made and people to be brainwashed happy.
Buddhism, Zen and Chadō are among those paradigms who provide a healthy space for the true practice of the eight folded path. Not only them. But they all point out to discipline and effort. A quick fix - the MUST of today, is not on their list.
The endlessly curious and eager to disseminate culture staff at the Calea Victoriei Foundation decided that an open discussion on this matter may a profitable humanistic and spiritual experience for their public.
And it was. On April 14, on a splendid spring day, our Urasenke Tankokai Romania - Luminis Association presented a conference on the TEA CEREMONY, ZEN and MINDFULNESS followed by the ceremonial serving of a cup of tea for the public. An interactive, intense and enriching experience.
Our sincere thanks to the Calea Victoriei Foundation for their amazing role in maintaining Culture on the pedestal on which it was always meant to stay.
Here are some photos from the event.
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| A bright room that makes you feel at home ready for its guests |
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| The discussion warms up |
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| The public, focused, gets involved in the conversation |
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| Cristina, the Event Manager, makes sure ALL happens as it should: the right time, the right place, the right message |
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| The discussions unveil a public eager to know, to ask, to challenge, to smile, to critique, to exist. When we all conclude that MINDFULNESS is of great support when correctly understood and applied as a part of a whole and not as a separate quick fix, it is time to prove it: a good cup of tea will do it! |
Many thanks to Alina, Cristina, Elena and Miha for their elegant presence and professional serving of the tea.
