Mindful Doesn’t Mean Neutral
Accepting Present Reality & Working for Change
“We must be willing to encounter darkness and despair when they come up and face them, over and over again, if need be, without running away or numbing ourselves in the thousands of ways we conjure up to avoid the unavoidable.”
- Jon Kabat-Zinn
Mindfulness meditation allows the mind to rest. As thoughts or feelings inevitably arise, they are observed without judging, reacting, or attempting to control them. Living in mindfulness means living with awareness and acceptance of the present moment. The practice has its roots in Buddhism and has expanded into the areas of philosophy, neuroscience, and psychology.
The mind judges every experience, thought, or feeling as good, bad, or neutral. It is normal to try to run from the bad and cling to the good. This constant judging and evaluating of every thought and experience is overwhelming and extremely stressful. Mindfulness teaches us to pay attention to the present moment without the automatic judgment.
Practicing mindfulness meditation and learning to cultivate mindfulness in all aspects of daily life can bring an enormous relief and create space for peace in our lives. Through the practice of mindfulness meditation, we learn to observe our breathing, thoughts, emotions, and feelings without reacting to them. By cultivating this practice, you learn to watch your mind, emotions, and reactions, without judgment.
Accepting the present moment doesn’t mean accepting the current state of the world or even our own lives. Understanding and accepting the present moment doesn’t mean you shouldn’t attempt to make plans, pursue a goal, or live your purpose. Awareness is the first step, but we shouldn’t get stuck there. On a personal level, accepting your current job or financial situation for what it is should not stop you from working for something better. On a global scale, it is possible to practice mindfulness and advocate for social change.
Mindfully Advocating for Radical Change
Practicing mindfulness does not mean having a neutral attitude toward politics, important political and social justice issues, or advocacy. It doesn’t mean having a neutral attitude about police brutality and killings, the humanitarian crisis at the southern border, climate change, and any of the other critical issues of our time.
Mindfulness can be useful for acknowledging that you have a position on a specific issue. The feelings and thoughts that arise during meditation, or in living mindfully in daily life, can point you in the direction of mindful action. What thoughts are arising in your mind? Do you fear for the future in a warming climate? Is the brutality of a system that would willingly sacrifice so much human life for an economy that leaves so many behind what keeps you up at night? These are messages pointing you in the direction of where you can contribute to meaningful change.
From a neutral observation of seeing what is happening in our world and our feelings about current events, we can see clearly. Clarity of mind is needed to make important decisions regarding everything from who to vote for in the upcoming election to how to advocate effectively for change. Practicing mindfulness can be extremely useful in the area of activism, as it can help you keep from becoming overwhelmed and despondent.
The world is burning. We are dealing with extreme political division, racism, police brutality, gun violence, a climate crisis, and unprecedented income inequality. Staying in the moment to the point of not forming an opinion, speaking up, or advocating for change is not the path forward. Starting from a place of mindful awareness, each person can look for ways to take mindful action in their daily lives to bring about higher consciousness and equanimity.
