Unexpected Freedom

Unexpected Freedomspiritual significance. Other spiritual faculties – faith, energy,concentration and understanding – are taught in various greatreligions of the world; but the Buddha was unique in making itclear that the practice of mindfulness was essential to ourliberation. In the scriptures there are many images given as anaid for us to grasp the essence of this aspect of the teaching.We are encouraged, for example, to cultivate a quality ofattention in the present moment as though we were walkingaround with a barrel of boiling tar on our heads. It is necessaryto be awake and alert, with the faculty of awareness fullyactivated, so that we are not waylaid or confused by anythoughts and feelings that we may experience while goingabout our daily business.Being mindful, we are aware of the world just the way it is.This sensitive organism encounters its world through thevarious impressions it receives through the eyes, ears, tongue,nose, body and mind, and all of this we remain aware of. Weare also taught to maintain an awareness of the nature of thissensory existence, being subject as it is to constant change.The Buddha wanted us to understand that if there is the rightkind of mindfulness, or right quality of attention, then wedon’t mistake these impressions for being more than they are.It is because we mistake these impressions for being more thanthey are that we suffer. If we don’t want to suffer, if we don’twant to be confused and unhappy, then what we need to do iscorrect the way we understand our lives.With various metaphors and words of encouragement theBuddha taught how to cultivate a particular quality ofattention that can be applied in every moment. He advised usto apply this attention while sitting or standing, walking orlying down, in short, in whatever posture we find ourselves.We might think that spiritual practice is something that we doin a special place, like a Dhamma hall or retreat centre, or that30