mindfulness

Mindfulness is the way of immortality -
Heedlessness is the way of death.
The mindful will not die -
The heedless are perpetually dead.
Nagarjuna

from Yoga Gems, A Treasury of Practical and Spiritual Wisdom from Ancient and Modern Masters
Edited by Georg Feurestein

Yoga is a path of mindfulness, not simply a physical exercise system which is practiced like aerobics, running, or weightlifting one or a few times per week. Yoga is also not a religion, but it is a spiritual discipline grounded in the traditions of India and so it is often confused with the rituals of Hinduism but Buddhists and Muslims as well as Christians and secular masters have practiced the path of Yoga.

Yoga is the process of becoming mindful, and thus can be applied to any task, however mundane. The Chinese masters would say, "chop wood, carry water". Those who would study at the Shaolin Temples to become monks were first assigned the everyday tasks of service - sweeping the paths, carrying water, doing anything assigned to them before learning the martial arts methods the Shaolin were famous for. This taught patience and surrender. Those who could not cultivate contentment with the simple life of service were asked to leave.

Ashram life is the same, but without the martial arts; in Vedic India, the culture was such that wars were fought only between warriors and civilians were left untouched (not so in China, hence the monks needed to learn self-defense techniques but were never to use them offensively). It was considered a great gift to the giver to provide for others' needs. Even today, Sadhus (holy ascetics) wander the country with nothing but the clothing they have on (and sometimes not even that!) and their begging bowl. God provides all that they need when they need it. If S/He does not, perhaps a lesson is being taught that day.

We can all learn from these wise ones who crave nothing but communion with the Divine; too many of us crave temporary things like bigger houses, bigger cars, too much food, the wrong kinds of food without regard to the consequences for the rest of the planet or to humanity or to other species much less to ourselves. We then wonder, too late, why we are so fat, so sick, so unpopular, why our air and water is so dirty, why our roads are so crowded, why so many rare and beautiful animals are dying out in the wild. By slowing down and contemplating our past actions and their effects, we can then resolve to be more mindful of our future actions.

For as long as space endures
and the world exists,
may my own existence bring about
the end of all suffering in the world.
Shantideva
ibid