Do I Mind? | Tricycle: "Even a semi-awakened mind, however, has a harder time kidding itself. I can tell immediately that I'm off when I fudge the truth, don't pay bills on time, or poison the world with my ratty mood. When I slip up, I know enough to learn the lesson or make amends. There's a saying in Alcoholics Anonymous: AA ruins your drinking. In like fashion, mindfulness ruins a thousand nasty habits, from 'justifiable' anger and schadenfreude to laziness and overspending. Mindless behavior has less kick when you've been practicing for a while.
The Buddha's teachings on mindfulness point to one end—realization and release from suffering. Still, there are rewards along the way—greater compassion and a clear conscience, for two. And even, dare I say it, happiness. We all want to be happy, but as the monk Matthieu Ricard has pointed out, 'there's a big difference between aspiration and achievement.' The quick fixes and immediate gratification I think will make me happy never do in the long run, leaving me empty-hearted. Mindfulness digs the truth out from under the excuses and confusion, lighting the way to true satisfaction. Now if I would just pay attention . . ."
