What is Mindfulness?

'The mindful ones exert themselves.They are not attached to any home;like swans that abandon the lake,they leave home after home behind.'- Dhammapada Verse 91---'Katamañca bhikkhave, satindriyaṃ:idha bhikkhave, ariyasāvako satimā hoti paramena satinepakkena sannāgato cirakatampi cirabhāsitampi saritā anussaritā.So kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ.Vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ.Citte cittānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ.Dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ.Idaṃ vuccati bhikkhave, satindriyaṃ.''.. "And what is the faculty of mindfulness?There is the case where a monk, a disciple of the noble ones, is mindful, highly meticulous, remembering & able to call to mind even things that were done & said long ago.He remains focused on the body in & of itself — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world.He remains focused on feelings in & of themselves... the mind in & of itself... mental qualities in & of themselves — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world.This is called the faculty of mindfulness. ..'- Indriya-vibhaṅga Sutta SN 48.10- Sourcewww.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn48/sn48.010.than.html---Mindfulness Definedby Ṭhānissaro BhikkhuRead in full here ...www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/mindfulnessdefined.html---'Tatiradaṃ bhikkhave,nandassa satisampajaññasmiṃ hoti:idha bhikkhave, nandassa viditā vedanā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṃ gacchanti,viditā saññā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhāhanti, viditā abbhatthaṃ gacchanti.Viditā vitakkā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṃ gacchanti,idaṃ kho bhikkhave, nandassa satisampajaññasmiṃ hoti.''.. "This is Nanda's being in mindfulness & alertness:There is the case where feelings are known to Nanda as they arise, known as they persist, known as they subside. Perceptions are known as they arise, known as they persist, known as they subside.Thoughts are known as they arise, known as they persist, known as they subside.This is Nanda's being in mindfulness & alertness.'- Nanda Sutta AN 8.9- Source :www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an08/an08.009.than.html---'Seyyathāpi bhikkhave,rañño paccantime nagare dovāriko hoti paṇḍito viyatto medhāvī aññātānaṃ nivaretā ñātānaṃ pavesetā abbhantarānaṃ guttiyā bāhirānaṃ paṭighātāya, evameva kho bhikkhave, ariyasāvako satimā hoti paramena satinepakkena samannāgato cirakatampi cirabhāsitampi saritā anussaritā.Sati dovāriko bhikkhave, ariyasāvako akusalaṃ pajahati, kusalaṃbhāveti, sāvajjaṃ pajahati, anavajjaṃ bhāveti, suddhaṃ attānaṃ pariharati.Iminā chaṭṭhena saddhammena samannāgato hoti. ''.. "Just as the royal frontier fortress has a gate-keeper — wise, experienced, intelligent — to keep out those he doesn't know and to let in those he does, for the protection of those within and to ward off those without; in the same way a disciple of the noble ones is mindful, highly meticulous, remembering & able to call to mind even things that were done & said long ago. With mindfulness as his gate-keeper, the disciple of the ones abandons what is unskillful, develops what is skillful, abandons what is blameworthy, develops what is blameless, and looks after himself with purity. With this sixth true quality is he endowed...'- Nagarūpama Sutta AN 7.63- Source : www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an07/an07.063.than.html---'.. The Seven Factors for Awakening"And how are the four frames of reference developed & pursued so as to bring the seven factors for awakening to their culmination?"On whatever occasion the monk remains focused on the body in & of itself — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world, on that occasion his mindfulness is steady & without lapse. When his mindfulness is steady & without lapse, then mindfulness as a factor for awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development. ...'- Ānāpānasati Sutta MN 118- Source : www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.118.than.html---'.. "There is the case where a monk remains focused on the body in & of itself — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world.He remains focused on feelings... mind... mental qualities in & of themselves — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world. ..'- Mahā-Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta DN 22- Source : www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.22.0.than.html---Supplementary sources :1 - 'The Karma of Mindfullness'by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhuhere ... www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/Writings/KarmaofMindfulness151207.pdf2 - 'Head & Heart Together'by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhuhere ... www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/Writings/HeadHeartTogether160711.pdf- Inspiration for this post by Ven. Dhammavuddho Mahā Thero- Posted by CFFong