Why So Many Spiritual Seekers Get Mindfulness Wrong
In the early 1900s. George Gurdjieff, a Sufi sage, taught the missing piece
It is estimated that 200 to 500 million people meditate worldwide.¹ Increasingly, companies teach mindfulness practices in the workplace. Even some elementary schools are teaching students mindfulness to decrease stress and anxiety.²
Most people use meditation for general wellness, increasing energy, and aiding memory and focus.³ At this point in history, meditation and mindfulness’s well-being and health benefits are self-evident.
But what happened to the original spiritual purpose of mindfulness — Enlightenment?
Is there something missing in the way mindfulness is practiced in the West?
Lost in translation
The word mindfulness as a spiritual practice was first translated into English in the early 1900s by Buddhist scholar T. W. Rhys Davids. He coined the term mindfulness as the translation for the Buddhist word sati. Sati comes from the Hindu word smrti. Sati / smrti means intentness of mind, wakefulness of mind, and self-consciousness. And it also has the meaning of remembrance.
The Sufis have a similar practice called Dhikr. Dhikr is a practice similar to mindfulness that guides seekers to the original remembrance, enabling them to become continuously and spontaneously aware of the Divine Presence in life’s physical, mental, and emotional aspects.
Note the word remembrance also appears in the Sufi practice as it does in the original Hindu and Buddhist practice of mindfulness.
The Fourth Way
George Gurdjieff was a Sufi sage who taught an advanced spiritual evolution system called The Fourth Way. A core practice of The Fourth Way is Self-Remembering.
“To remember oneself means to be aware of one’s Self, ‘I Am.’” — P D Ouspensky
What is Self-Remembering?
Self-Remembering requires you to be aware that ‘I’ exist; to sense the presence of Self in every moment. Being Self-present propels the practice of mindfulness, and being in the now, to a new level of consciousness. You come to recognize your eternal, infinite nature through extended periods of Self-Remembering. You tap into the bigger Self you are and become present in that Self.
“Mindfulness alone, as beautiful a practice as it is, can still be limited, confined to a concept of self separate from the Source of Being.” — Kabir Helminski
Kabir Helminski, the founder of the Threshold Society, which teaches the Sufi way of life and practice, says that we need a ‘conscious and intentional relationship with the Source of Being, a field of infinite intelligence, nurturance, generosity, and love.’ Gurdjieff taught Self-Remembering as a practice to nurture this relationship.
At first, Self-Remembering can be challenging to grasp. To Self-Remember is to be Self-present, to be aware of the infinite, eternal Self that we are as opposed to what Sufis call the false self.
The false self
The false self is the conditioned, personality self. It is false because our minds create it. It is the ego, the limited sense of self. The ego begins as a survival mechanism. It is the mask we wear to protect ourselves. As we grow up, we add more to the ego to compensate for our insecurities. Before long, our Divine Self, what Gurdjieff calls our Essential Self, is covered up and lost to our awareness.
The more we Self-Remember, the more we restore our awareness of our Divine nature, our true Self. The biggest challenge to Self-Remembering is to remember to be Self-present in every moment, to remember our Divine nature, and to feel Its presence. It is easy to forget. Something grabs our attention, and we lose awareness of Self.
Taking mindfulness to the next level
Through the practice of mindfulness, we increase our awareness. While being mindful, remembering in the moment to expand our awareness of the infinite Self that we are (Self-Remembering), we raise our consciousness exponentially.
Read more about Self-Remembering here: What Happens If God Knocks On Your Door And There Is No One There To Answer?
1. Mindworks (2019). How Many People Meditate? [Online]. Available from: https://mindworks.org/meditation-knowledge/how-many-people-meditate/
2. US News June 9 2018. Schools Use Yoga, Meditation to Boost Learning, Ease Stress. Available from: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/pennsylvania/articles/2018-06-09/schools-use-yoga-meditation-to-boost-learning-ease-stress
3. Nature.com (2016). Prevalence, patterns, and predictors of meditation use among US adults: A nationally representative survey. Available from: https://www.nature.com/articles/srep36760Subscribe and be one of the first to receive the soon-to-be-released Handbook for Planet Earth — Where I explore actionable hacks to integrate personal growth, mindfulness, and spirituality into daily life.