10 Quotes about Mindfulness from Jon Kabat-Zinn

10 Quotes about Mindfulness from Jon Kabat-Zinn 

Jon Kabat-Zinn is one of the most influential lay Buddhists leaders in America. His presence is keenly felt in the American mindfulness movement.

As a Professor of Medicine Emeritus in University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS), he is the creator of 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme which is widely offered by hospitals and medical centers. He is also a founder of Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at UMMS.

Born as a Jew, Jon is now a Buddhist who advocates the science of mindfulness. He learnt the wisdom of mindfulness from Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and Korean Zen Master Seung Sahn (Founder of Kwan Um School of Zen). These mindfulness teachings inspire him to integrate the science of the brain with the art of mindfulness to help people cope with stress, anxiety, pain, and illness.

Jon has published several books. One of the national bestsellers is “Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life”. Here are the 10 quotes about mindfulness as extracted from the book:

Quote #1

“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.”  ― Jon Kabat-Zinn

Quote #2

“Concentration is a cornerstone of mindfulness practice. Your mindfulness will only be as robust as the capacity of your mind to be calm and stable. Without calmness, the mirror of mindfulness will have an agitated and choppy surface and will not be able to reflect things with any accuracy.”  ― Jon Kabat-Zinn

Quote #3

“Practice sharing the fullness of your being, your best self, your enthusiasm, your vitality, your spirit, your trust, your openness, above all, your presence. Share it with yourself, with your family, with the world.”  ― Jon Kabat-Zinn

Quote #4

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”  ― Jon Kabat-Zinn

Quote #5

“You might be tempted to avoid the messiness of daily living for the tranquillity of stillness and peacefulness. This of course would be an attachment to stillness, and like any strong attachment, it leads to delusion. It arrests development and short-circuits the cultivation of wisdom.” ― Jon Kabat-Zinn

Quote #6

“Perhaps the most “spiritual” thing any of us can do is simply to look through our own eyes, see with eyes of wholeness, and act with integrity and kindness.”  ― Jon Kabat-Zinn

Quote #7

“Mindfulness practice means that we commit fully in each moment to be present; inviting ourselves to interface with this moment in full awareness, with the intention to embody as best we can an orientation of calmness, mindfulness, and equanimity right here and right now.”  ― Jon Kabat-Zinn

Quote #8

“From the perspective of meditation, every state is a special state, every moment a special moment.” ― Jon Kabat-Zinn

Quote #9

“When we commit ourselves to paying attention in an open way, without falling prey to our own likes and dislikes, opinions and prejudices, projections and expectations, new possibilities open up and we have a chance to free ourselves from the straitjacket of unconsciousness.” ― Jon Kabat-Zinn

Quote #10

“When we can be centered in ourselves, even for brief periods of time in the face of the pull of the outer world, not having to look elsewhere for something to fill us up or make us happy, we can be at home wherever we find ourselves, at peace with things as they are, moment by moment.”  ― Jon Kabat-Zinn