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Mindfulness is that quality of conscious awareness of whatever arises in our present experience in which there is an attitude of engaged-presence.

Mindfulness is both very simple and very profound, and to really benefit from its remarkable powers you have to approach the subject with a complete openness of mind and heart – but, of course, that is what mindfulness, or sati in the Pali Sanskrit dialect in which the Buddha’s teachings were first recorded over 2000 years ago, is all about. Indeed, this gives us an insight into one of the many dimensions of mindfulness: the quality of openness that goes beyond our usual attitude of tolerance to a level of intense interest and delight in whatever arises in our field of experience. That is openness of mind: the motivation to investigate and to penetrate below the superficial appearance of things to reveal the rich inner dimension of experience in all its sensory and experiential detail. Everyone has experience of the profound pleasure that comes from delving into a hobby or project and becoming intimately connected with the subtlety and detailed workings of that project. Contrast this to the indifference, apathy and negativity of those individuals who have no interest or are prevented from developing intimacy with their world. It is a simple truth that lack of intimacy is unsatisfying and painful, whereas complete intimacy and connection with life experiences is profoundly nourishing and brings great happiness.