Audrey Simply put, mindfulness is one of the most commonly used core training techniques of meditation. It is also a state of awareness that can be separated from formal practice and integrated into daily life. Meditation is a general term that covers all formal practices that consciously adjust attention and train the mind, including mindfulness.
If you have signed up for a mainstream meditation experience class, the first class will most likely teach you to count your breaths: sit up straight, close your eyes, and focus on the breath touch on the tip of your nose or chest. If your mind wanders, gently pull it back without blaming yourself for being distracted again. This whole process of sitting and practicing is meditation, and the ability to "anchor attention on the current goal without judgment" is mindfulness. On the other hand, you don’t have to sit down and close your eyes to use mindfulness. A while ago, I worked on a plan for three days in a row. When I was picking up takeout, I stood downstairs when the wind blew. Instead of rushing upstairs, I stood there and smelled the scent of sweet-scented osmanthus on the roadside. I felt the touch of the cool breeze on my face. In just ten seconds, my tense shoulders relaxed. I was not doing meditation exercises at that time, but I was in a state of mindfulness.
However, there is actually no completely unified view on the boundary between the two in the circle. Several masters who practice Southern Vipassana I know will say that mindfulness is originally an independent practice path in the Eightfold Path. On the contrary, the popular secular meditation extracts the core of mindfulness and simplifies it. Classifying the latter as a subordinate of the former is actually reversed the priority.； There are also many popular psychology bloggers who directly equate mindfulness and meditation. In fact, this is because the type of meditation that ordinary people are most exposed to now is mindfulness meditation. After a long time, it will naturally be confused with each other. These two statements are actually tenable in their respective contexts, and there is no need to argue whether they are right or wrong.
Returning to the context of daily practice, the two actually support each other. Whether you practice mindfulness meditation, compassion meditation or traditional Zen meditation, as long as you practice it effectively, you cannot bypass the awareness of mindfulness - if you sit for twenty minutes and your thoughts are all about what to eat at night and the report to be submitted next week, it is not a serious meditation practice at all. On the other hand, if you consciously maintain mindfulness for a few more seconds when eating, walking, or waiting in line, the next time you sit down for formal meditation, you won't feel uncomfortable after sitting for three to five minutes. To put it bluntly, it is a bit like the relationship between cooking and knife skills. Meditation is the entire cooking process, whether you are cooking Sichuan or Western food. Mindfulness is the most basic knife skills. You must use it when cooking. The knife proficiency you develop by cutting fruit or driving express delivery will in turn make you more comfortable when cooking.
