Monk'in Around in Coursera Journal

Write a short reflection about which of the stereotypes discussed in this module means most to you? Which is most similar to your own opinions, which furthest away? Do you recognise yourself in any of them? Are you a mindfulness ninja? Do you fear becoming a zombie? Do you have a view on whether such stereotypes have use or value? Are they useful for you? Write 250-500 words.

Although I can identify with parts of each stereotype, I feel most kindred to that of the monk. This is perhaps because my research in to mindfulness has most often led me to the stereotype of the monk. I have read John Kabat-Zinn and Thich Nhat Hahn and have listened to Sharon Salzberg, etc. And they tend to lean towards the zen-like/buddhist approach to mindfulness, to me. So, I’ve always considered mindfulness to be closely related to monks and monestaries and people sitting on high mountaintops. I also have a deep affinity for nature, and the teachings of TNH and Kabat-Zinn tend to steer one towards appreciating the living world around you, among other things.

However, although I most closely associate mindfulness with the monk, I can also see how I ascribe to the other stereotypes as well. I have held the belief that mindfulness does require a certain amount of ninja-like discipline in order to maintain a sense of balance. At the same time, I like the scientific approach as a way to experiment with mindfulness to lead a more stress-free life. And there’s a little bit of the hippie in me, as well, wanting to break free of society’s constraints and live life on my own terms.

The only stereotype I hadn’t considered, and don’t necessarily feel is applicable to me, is that of the zombie. I have never feared becoming mindless by practicing mindfulness, only more aware of my surroundings and my inner workings. While I had never considered some of these stereotypes, I do believe they hold value in their consideration. As with any theory, it behooves us to consider all of the possibilities in order to come to the most complete conclusion. Considering these stereotypes has been useful to me because they brought up different views that I hadn’t necessarily considered before, and therefore enlarged my knowledge base in terms of what mindfulness is and is not, to me.

In conclusion, I can see how several of these stereotypes have come about and how they can be applied to the myself and the concept of mindfulness. I am excited to learn more about each of these archetypes and to discover how they weave around one another to make a more complete picture of mindfulness. As the last quiz suggested, people are complex! and I can see several aspects of each of these stereotypes in myself in terms of mindfulness.

Reader Responses:

What I liked about your answer was …

Well-written, well-developed.

I think yours was the best answer I read so far, it was really thoughtful and showed that you really engaged with the material.

I liked how you went beyond the subject and captured the reader’s curiosity with additional information. I hope to we can further converse about the monks and their teachings you had mentioned in your answer. I also enjoyed the playful caption.

I think your answer could have been improved by …

Well done :-)

No need for improvements!
Photo of learner Sriram Sankar

Keep Monk’in around.