Unexpected Freedom

Unexpected Freedompain out of compassion for our long-term well-being. We arenot diminished by the experience of that pain.AlienationSometimes people mistake the teaching on mindfulness,confusing it with a psychological state of being out of touchor being split off from experience. A reason for making thismistake could be that there was a lack of predictability inearly-life experience. Given the mobility of families thesedays and the various other forms of instability, children oftenfail to learn a healthy, trusting way of relating to their peers.If this disposition remains unaddressed such children growinto adults whose underlying response to life is one ofmistrust. Such individuals don’t know how to fullysurrender themselves into experiences of any kind. It’s as ifthey’re standing back and looking at themselves living life.‘This is me doing this, this is me doing that.’ Spontaneousself-surrender is not a possibility; there’s always thatstanding back and watching oneself.This is not an uncommon perspective to have. Manypeople grow up with such a sense of limitation, desperatelywanting to be able to engage fully with life but having aparalysing self-consciousness. Hence many Westernersapproach the Buddha’s teachings from the perspective offeeling once-removed from life. And unfortunately they readthe teachings of mindfulness as endorsing this alienation.They try to turn this dysfunctional aspect of their mind’swatching itself into a spiritual practice. But certainly this isnot what is being advocated. Right mindfulness does notmean that we split off from our experience; it means that weexperience it more fully and accurately – without anyobstruction. Feelings of pleasure we really feel as pleasure.34