Is mindfullness awareness? On some level yes, but I also think awareness encompasses a bit more than just presence.
The awareness we are speaking of when we are using the term “mindfulness” also encompasses the motivations for our actions, for example, the ways we are driven by self-aggrandizement or greed. In the financial crisis of 2008-2012, we’ve seen the effects of greed played out on a massive scale in the banks and insurance companies. Healing that disease wasn’t just a matter of bailouts, stimulus packages, and magically creating greater confidence in the economy.
We needed to create a different kind of confidence and a new kind of economics, one that’s not about mindless spending but is more about marshalling resources for the greater good, for one’s own being, for society, and for the planet. Awareness can help open the door to that by helping us go beyond approaches that are based on conceptual thought alone.
Presence can present us opportunities of awareness in which we can go beyond just being in the moment and shape our moments for a greater good and greater sense of fellowship, sharing and opportunities to come together and be a moving force in the grander scheme of life.
Peace and Love, Jim
