Kenneth Folk

Pragmatic dharma teacher Kenneth Folk and host Michael W. Taft discuss what it means to be mindful, various definitions of being mindful in the moment, the trouble with remaining mindful during an entire sit, and more.Kenneth Folk is an instructor of meditation who has received worldwide acknowledgement for his innovative approach to secular Buddhist meditation. Learn more about him and his work at Kenneth Folk Dharma.Show Notes0:48 Introduction and overview 4:00 Deconstructing “mindfulness” 11:47 Kenneth’s new mindfulness practice 15:02 Mindfulness vs. checking the box; auditor vs. meditator 23:58 Is mindfulness enlightening? 30:03 Defining engagement and the problem with prescriptions 31:52 Sense doors and applying mindfulness to thoughts 36:06 Alternatives to meditation for experiencing mindfulness and awakening 42:37 Is there a “right” way to experience awakening? 47:25 Getting to a 100 percent attention 52:45 Liberating working memory from the feeling of being the observer 55:06 Concentration hacking: making experiences sufficiently interesting 59:27 Flow and how it relates to mindfulness 1:06:23 How important is the ability to concentrate? 1:12:04 Do you need clarity, concentration, or both?You can help to create future episodes of this podcast by contributing through Patreon.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pragmatic dharma teacher Kenneth Folk and host Michael W. Taft discuss what it means to be mindful, various definitions of being mindful in the moment, the trouble with remaining mindful during an entire sit, and more.Kenneth Folk is an instructor of meditation who has received worldwide acknowledgement for his innovative approach to secular Buddhist meditation. Learn more about him and his work at Kenneth Folk Dharma.Show Notes0:48 Introduction and overview4:00 Deconstructing “mindfulness”11:47 Kenneth’s new mindfulness practice15:02 Mindfulness vs. checking the box; auditor vs. meditator23:58 Is mindfulness enlightening?30:03 Defining engagement and the problem with prescriptions31:52 Sense doors and applying mindfulness to thoughts36:06 Alternatives to meditation for experiencing mindfulness and awakening42:37 Is there a “right” way to experience awakening?47:25 Getting to a 100 percent attention52:45 Liberating working memory from the feeling of being the observer55:06 Concentration hacking: making experiences sufficiently interesting59:27 Flow and how it relates to mindfulness1:06:23 How important is the ability to concentrate?1:12:04 Do you need clarity, concentration, or both?You can help to create future episodes of this podcast by contributing through Patreon.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pragmatic Dharma teacher Kenneth Folk shares his understanding of the Vimalakīrti Sūtra, a Mahayana Buddhist text exploring enlightenment. Topics include the concept of the ten directions, qualities of profoundly developed individuals, the Bodhisattva's wisdom and compassionate healing, exploring transcendental powers, mythical beings and perception of purity, and attaining enlightenment through perceiving problems.