This is one of those “no-nonsense” and essential aspects of mindfulness practice that often gets overlooked or downplayed in a world that favours the pursuit of pleasure or sensory gratification.
Mindfulness itself has at times been simplified to a method of relaxation or being equivalent with self-awareness, when it really is also a practice of intention, proactiveness, wise effort, and self-discipline.
Guarding our six sense doors doesn’t mean that we shut off our senses. In fact, it means that we practice being awake to all the data that comes through our sense faculties - the eyes (sight), ears (sound), nose (smell), mouth (taste), skin (touch), and mind (thought).
When a sensory input comes in contact with any of our sense faculties and results in a sensory experience, we are aware of any reactivity that arises within us and practice not getting lost in the experience.
For example, when a bottle of wine comes in contact with my sense of sight, and the scent of wine wafts through my nose, I observe craving for a drink arising within me, practice non-judgemental awareness towards the experience, and actively exercise restraint towards indulgence that may lead to behaviours I may regret later on.
Or when a thought about a work conflict comes in contact with my mind, I notice unwholesome mental states such as fear or resentment arising, and recognise how these mental states may influence my actions or decisions. I then practice changing my relationship with those thoughts and mental states to minimise unfavourable outcomes for my wellbeing and growth.
The whole process of sense restraint, of holding back this way, is gentle and compassionate - the purpose of guarding is really to protect ourselves from self-harm and from the conditions that may give rise to more unhappiness and suffering.
In this Take A Pause session recorded on 29 September 2024, the TAP community practiced awareness of our sense doors and noticing any reactivity that arises in each moment of experience; we then rested in open awareness and learned to observe thoughts and mental states non-judgementally.
We closed the session by listening to a excerpt from The State of Mind Called Beautiful by Sayadaw Pandita.
Meditation begins: 12:32
Reading begins: 31:30
Meditation duration: 19 minutes
More Take A Pause Episodes For You:
A Few Articles for Your Reading:
Share this post