[sshekhar]

The word mindfulness itself is a poor translation of the Pali word 'Sati'. The Pali word actually means 'remembering to be aware of the objects that your mind is attending to'. There is no word in western languages to capture that phrase and hence word 'mindfulness' was used to convey in a confusing manner what 'Sati' means.

I have been meditating for 1 hour to 1.5 hour every day for several years and I finally got into a stage called 1st Jhana, where your mind becomes temporarily free of all 'wants' and is completely at peace. In that state the awareness becomes super sharp, breathing becomes very shallow (less than 5 breaths per minute) and experience of time distorts. Your awareness can clearly watch thoughts coming up like 'lava bubbles' from your subconsciousness into your consciousness. It is at that point you get a glimpse into 'anatta' (non-self). The idea that there is no controller (or soul or self) that is creating ideas. It is an automatic process that is happening due to your past Karma (conditioning due to repeated practice).

It takes a lifetime to develop the wisdom and compassion that Buddha talked about. It cannot be understood purely using logic. You have to get the experience of a calm unbiased mind.

Even though people like her are well-intentioned but they should stop to think of the possibility that they may not understand what they are talking about as well as they think they do.

[caser]

I think it’s also possible that some people aren’t looking for altered states from their mindfulness practices.

[mping]

It's not altered, it's clearer. If you practice mindfulness and don't expect to have a clearer mind it's a waste of time in my opinion.

[fsloth]

I think I got to that stage by pure luck for a brief moment two decades ago when I kept looking at a dot above my bed very intentionally.

Never could reach that feeling ever again. But, it was transforming in the way that I humbly accepted that there are mystical cognitive states that are not produced by drugs.

[dsego]

Man, I don't need mindfulness to feel depersonalization and derealization, it comes naturally to me due to my mental state. And it's making me miserable.

[raincom]

Whats the Sanskrit equivalent of 'Sati'?

[urubu]

स्मृति smṛti = remembrance, reminiscence, memory

[rick22]

The op asked about Sati not smrti.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sati_(practice)

[sshekhar]

Smriti is correct Sanskrit of Pali 'Sati'. The 'Sati' you are talking about is a different thing. This 'Sati' is related to mindfulness.

[rick22]

It is a Hindu religious practice of taking the life of a Hindu widow after her Husband dies( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sati_(practice) ). The central idea is to prevent remarriage with other caste men and preserve the purity of caste system.

[mping]

Congratulations on reaching 1st jhana, or dhyana in Sanskrit. Are you studying under a teacher? A good teacher can guide you much faster. I have witnessed people reaching 1st dhyana in two weeks ( in a retreat) without prior meditation practice, and even faster.

[sshekhar]

My practice took off after reading Dr John Yates (Culadasa) "The Mind Illuminated". He is well versed in Pali texts and I believe he was a professor of neuroscience at Univ of Arizona.

I wish I could read the original Suttas in Pali but my language command is almost non-existent. So I have to rely on English translations by monks like Bhikku Bodhi and Bhikku Analayo.

[edejong]

Accepting her change is accepting ourselves.

[spraak]

Thank you for sharing your experience.