How much do you have to note in your daily life?
When you take a cup, you can note taking, but you can also note more like stretching, taking, bringing.
So how much do you have to note?
You don't have to note anything, but every time that you note, you create clarity in your mind.
You're creating a habit of clarity, a habit of mindfulness in the mind.
Every time that you do it, you're adjusting your mind.
Your mind is becoming clearer.
If you do it correctly, if you really become skillful at it, the mind becomes altered.
The mind becomes clearer, simpler.
That mind state becomes straight and clear.
So the more you can do it, the better.
Reaching, grasping, lifting.
We used to do, there's one place they taught us very specifically, first before you even take your food, seeing, if you smell the food, smelling, wanting to take, wanting to take, moving.
scooping, raising, closing your eyes, closing, opening your mouth, opening, placing on the tongue, placing, closing the mouth, closing, lowering, touching, chewing, chewing, chewing, chewing, until it becomes liquefied, then swallowing, and then again chewing, chewing, and again and again.
That's great if you can do it.
It gets to be too much when you're looking for things to be mindful of.
Or when your concentration is not strong enough and you're forcing yourself to do it.
Because it should come naturally.
Not by itself, but it should be something that you can coax the mind to do.
Bring the mind to do again and again.
And when the mind gets off, bring it back and try again.
So in general, for most of us, the more you can do, the better.
And the more you're able to do, the better it will be for you until a certain point.
But what you wouldn't want is to feel bad when you're not mindful, because that's more anger.
Or feel guilty that you're not mindful enough.
You should think of it as a good thing, and something special you can give to yourself.
And the more you can do it, the more special you can give to yourself.
And that's, I think, the most wholesome.
That encourages you, makes you want to do it more.