Source Text

is. As mentioned earlier, mindfulness is the translation of the Pali word sati, a word profoundly rich in meaning and application. Sati is derived from the root meaning “to remember,” but its meaning goes far beyond our usual notion of memory.

The first application of mindfulness is the quality of not forgetting, not losing what is before the mind in the present moment.

When the momentum of mindfulness is well developed, it works like a boomerang; even if we want to distract ourselves, the mind naturally rebounds to a state of awareness.

The second aspect of mindfulness is its quality of standing near the mind, which manifests as being face-to-face with whatever is arising, rather than

giving it only sidelong glances.

Here, mindfulness calls to mind, or remembers, what is skillful and what is not, what is inferior and what is refined, what is beneficial and what is harmful. It is

In Pali, they are called hiri and ottappa, often respectively translated as “moral shame” and “fear of wrongdoing,” or sometimes as “self-respect” and “conscience.”

“No deed is good that one regrets having done.”

A counterintuitive but very helpful teaching is that it is better to do an unwholesome deed knowing it is unwholesome than to do it without that knowing. If we don’t even know that something is unwholesome, then

there is no motivation to change. But in knowing that something is unwholesome, even as we might be doing it, then the seeds of wisdom and future restraint are there.

AI Summary

7 Treasures of Awakening by Joseph Goldstein presents key insights from the contemplative tradition. The 10 passages above capture the essential teachings.

Core Themes:

• [To be expanded]

Key Passages: Highlights 1, 3, and 10 are particularly representative.

This entry was generated from Readwise highlights. Expand with additional context as appropriate.