Was asked to circulate an event about mindfulness via the www.TheDailyEnlightenment.com newsletter.
S: Hmmm… TDE publicises only Buddhism-related events. Mindfulness events are good, but if they don’t connect clearly to the bigger message of the Buddha, they’re unfortunately often just another somewhat worldly self-improvement exercise.
T: On hindsight, it might not be a good idea to have it on TDE as it is rooted in Buddhist teachings, but meant to appear secular, so your turning down this is actually a blessing in disguise for non-Buddhists who sign up.
I’m all for mindfulness events, but if a Buddhist newsletter advertises them when they are not connected to the Buddhism, newbie Buddhists might think mindfulness is just for worldly usage, instead of liberation. Non-Buddhists might think so too. That said, Buddhists should openly teach more about mindfulness and link it clearly to the cause of liberation. Currently, am teaching quite a bit about it in this course: http://thedailyenlightenment.com/2011/05/course-the-magic-of-zen-origins-stories-essence