Patrick Zeis Few contemporary Buddhist teachers have done more to make the practice of mindfulness accessible to modern readers than Bhante Henepola Gunaratana. Born in Sri Lanka in 1927 and ordained as a Buddhist monk at the age of twelve, Bhante Gunaratana devoted his life to the study, practice, and teachings of the Buddha. After arriving in the United States in 1968, he became one of the most influential voices in the early Western mindfulness movement, helping introduce generations of students to Buddhist meditation through retreats, university teaching, and decades of compassionate guidance.
While deeply grounded in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, Bhante Gunaratana became especially admired for his rare ability to explain profound spiritual teachings with extraordinary clarity, warmth, and practicality. His landmark 1991 book, Mindfulness in Plain English, remains one of the most widely read introductions to mindfulness meditation ever written, valued for its directness, humility, and emphasis on lived experience over abstract philosophy. Throughout his teachings, Bhante Gunaratana consistently returned to a central insight: true mindfulness is not merely a meditation technique, but a way of meeting life with wisdom, balance, compassion, and clear awareness.
The following collection of 50 Bhante Gunaratana quotes offers a profound exploration of mindfulness, impermanence, suffering, equanimity, and the transformation of the human mind. Drawn largely from his teachings on meditation and insight practice, these quotes reveal why his work continues to resonate so deeply with both beginning meditators and longtime practitioners seeking greater peace, clarity, and freedom.
Mindfulness is a function that disarms distractions, in the same way that a munitions expert might defuse a bomb. Weak distractions are disarmed by a single glance. Shine the light of awareness on them and they evaporate instantly, never to return. Deep-seated, habitual thought patterns require constant mindfulness repeatedly applied over whatever time period it takes to break their hold. Distractions are really paper tigers. They have no power of their own. They need to be fed constantly, or else they die. If you refuse to feed them by your own fear, anger, and greed, they fade.
Mindfulness is the most important aspect of meditation. It is the primary thing that you are trying to cultivate. So there is really no need at all to struggle against distractions. The crucial thing is to be mindful of what is occurring, not to control what is occurring. Remember, concentration is a tool. It is secondary to bare attention. From the point of view of mindfulness, there is really no such thing as a distraction. Whatever arises in the mind is viewed as just one more opportunity to cultivate mindfulness.
The purpose of meditation is not to concentrate on the breath, without interruption, forever. That by itself would be a useless goal. The purpose of meditation is not to achieve a perfectly still and serene mind. Although a lovely state, it doesn’t lead to liberation by itself. The purpose of meditation is to achieve uninterrupted mindfulness. Mindfulness, and only mindfulness, produces Enlightenment.
When you first become aware of something, there is a fleeting instant of pure awareness just before you conceptualize the thing, before you identify it. That is a stage of Mindfulness. Ordinarily, this stage is very short. It is that flashing split second just as you focus your eyes on the thing, just as you focus your mind on the thing, just before you objectify it, clamp down on it mentally and segregate it from the rest of existence. It takes place just before you start thinking about it–before your mind says, “Oh, it’s a dog.” That flowing, soft-focused moment of pure awareness is Mindfulness.
Mindfulness is mirror-thought. It reflects only what is presently happening and in exactly the way it is happening. There are no biases.
Mindfulness is non-judgmental observation. It is that ability of the mind to observe without criticism. With this ability, one sees things without condemnation or judgment. One is surprised by nothing. One simply takes a balanced interest in things exactly as they are in their natural states.
It is psychologically impossible for us to objectively observe what is going on within us if we do not at the same time accept the occurrence of our various states of mind. This is especially true with unpleasant states of mind. In order to observe our own fear, we must accept the fact that we are afraid. We can’t examine our own depression without accepting it fully. The same is true for irritation and agitation, frustration and all those other uncomfortable emotional states. You can’t examine something fully if you are busy reflecting its existence. Whatever experience we may be having, Mindfulness just accepts it. It is simply another of life’s occurrences, just another thing to be aware of. No pride, no shame, nothing personal at stake—what is there, is there.
Mindfulness is an impartial watchfulness. It does not take sides. It does not get hung up in what is perceived. It just perceives. Mindfulness does not get infatuated with the good mental states. It does not try to sidestep the bad mental states. There is no clinging to the pleasant, no fleeing from the unpleasant. Mindfulness sees all experiences as equal, all thoughts as equal, all feelings as equal. Nothing is suppressed. Nothing is repressed. Mindfulness does not play favorites.
Mindfulness is nonconceptual awareness. Another English term for Sati is ‘bare attention’. It is not thinking. It does not get involved with thought or concepts. It does not get hung up on ideas or opinions or memories. It just looks. Mindfulness registers experiences, but it does not compare them. It does not label them or categorize them. It just observes everything as if it was occurring for the first time. It is not analysis which is based on reflection and memory. It is, rather, the direct and immediate experiencing of whatever is happening, without the medium of thought. It comes before thought in the perceptual process.
Mindfulness is present time awareness. It takes place in the here and now. It is the observance of what is happening right now, in the present moment. It stays forever in the present, surging perpetually on the crest of the ongoing wave of passing time. If you are remembering your second-grade teacher, that is memory. When you then become aware that you are remembering your second-grade teacher, that is mindfulness. If you then conceptualize the process and say to yourself, “Oh, I am remembering”, that is thinking.
Mindfulness is non-egoistic alertness. It takes place without reference to self. With Mindfulness one sees all phenomena without references to concepts like ‘me’, ‘my’ or ‘mine’. For example, suppose there is pain in your left leg. Ordinary consciousness would say, “I have a pain.” Using Mindfulness, one would simply note the sensation as a sensation. One would not tack on that extra concept ‘I.’
Mindfulness is goal-less awareness. In Mindfulness, one does not strain for results. One does not try to accomplish anything. When one is mindful, one experiences reality in the present moment in whatever form it takes. There is nothing to be achieved. There is only observation.
Mindfulness is awareness of change. It is observing the passing flow of experience. It is watching things as they are changing. it is seeing the birth, growth, and maturity of all phenomena. It is watching phenomena decay and die. Mindfulness is watching things moment by moment, continuously. It is observing all phenomena–physical, mental or emotional–whatever is presently taking place in the mind. One just sits back and watches the show. Mindfulness is the observance of the basic nature of each passing phenomenon.
Mindfulness is participatory observation. The meditator is both participant and observer at one and the same time. If one watches one’s emotions or physical sensations, one is feeling them at that very same moment. Mindfulness is not an intellectual awareness. It is just awareness.
There are three fundamental activities of Mindfulness. We can use these activities as functional definitions of the term: (a) Mindfulness reminds us of what we are supposed to be doing; (b) it sees things as they really are; and (c) it sees the deep nature of all phenomena.
In meditation, you put your attention on one item. When your mind wanders from this focus, it is Mindfulness that reminds you that your mind is wandering and what you are supposed to be doing. It is Mindfulness that brings your mind back to the object of meditation. All of this occurs instantaneously and without internal dialogue. Mindfulness is not thinking.
Mindfulness creates its own distinct feeling in consciousness. It has a flavor–a light, clear, energetic flavor. Conscious thought is heavy by comparison, ponderous and picky. But here again, these are just words. Your own practice will show you the difference. Then you will probably come up with your own words and the words used here will become superfluous. Remember, practice is the thing.
Mindfulness adds nothing to perception and it subtracts nothing. It distorts nothing. It is bare attention and just looks at whatever comes up. Conscious thought pastes things over our experience, loads us down with concepts and ideas, immerses us in a churning vortex of plans and worries, fears and fantasies. When mindful, you don’t play that game. You just notice exactly what arises in the mind, then you notice the next thing. “Ah, this…and this…and now this.” It is really very simple.
Mindfulness works like an electron microscope. That is, it operates on so fine a level that one can actually see directly those realities which are at best theoretical constructs to the conscious thought process. Mindfulness actually sees the impermanent character of every perception. It sees the transitory and passing nature of everything that is perceived. It also sees the inherently unsatisfactory nature of all conditioned things.
Fully developed Mindfulness is a state of total non-attachment and utter absence of clinging to anything in the world. If we can maintain this state, no other means or device is needed to keep ourselves free of obstructions, to achieve liberation from our human weaknesses. Mindfulness is non-superficial awareness. It sees things deeply, down below the level of concepts and opinions. This sort of deep observation leads to total certainty, and complete absence of confusion. It manifests itself primarily as a constant and unwavering attention which never flags and never turns away.
We can train ourselves to become aware of the things we do consciously with the body, such as walking, standing, talking, eating, drinking, writing, reading, playing, and other physical activities. We can also develop moment-to-moment awareness of our emotions, sensations, thoughts, and other mental activities. Mindfulness trains us to do everything we do with full awareness.
The Buddha is very clear that the primary aim of all his teachings is “the end of suffering.” Mindfulness helps us to recognize that beneficial actions bring peace of mind and happiness to our everyday lives.
Mindfulness acts as a buffer against anger, resentment, lust, jealousy, fear, tension, and other unwholesome thoughts and emotions.
With the instrument of mindfulness and clear comprehension, we investigate body, feelings, perceptions, thoughts, and consciousness with the aims of morality, spiritual development and deep insight.
In every activity—whether we are sitting, standing, walking, lying down, talking, eating, or meditating—mindfulness and clear comprehension work together to help us see whatever we are experiencing is temporary and thus can never bring lasting satisfaction.
When sad emotions arise, we use mindfulness to look for the reason. We often find our unhappiness is rooted in attachment to some person, position, place, or thing. Then we ask, “Why am I attached?” When reinvestigate carefully, we discover “I am attached because I have forgotten that everything is impermanent. Foolishly, I think that the object of my attachment will bring me lasting happiness, pleasure, or security.”
Strive to engage in all activities with mindfulness and clear comprehension. We use clear comprehension to guard against attachment to these necessities, and to avoid greed, hatred, delusion, competition, jealousy, and pride.
Mindfulness motivates us to work harder and to strive for the ultimate goal of ending our suffering once and for all.
We cultivate mindfulness of death and impermanence so that we can accept this reality as it is. Accepting the inevitability of death is healthier emotionally and spiritually than living in delusion.
Using meditation to develop mindfulness of the impermanence of all things, including your body, feelings, thoughts, perceptions, and consciousness, helps you to think realistically about death. Mindfulness of death arouses feelings of spiritual urgency and is the best way to prepare for a peaceful death.
Through training in mindfulness of feelings, we can train our minds to use life’s inevitable pains, such as illness and aging, as objects of meditation.
The first step in developing mindfulness of feelings is distinguishing among the various types—pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral. There’s no category for ‘mixed feelings’. We experience one emotion or sensation at a time.
The unpleasant feeling of pain is likely the most difficult for us to manage. As long as we have a body and consciousness, we’ll have pain. Even enlightened beings have pain, which they use mindfulness to endure. Unenlightened beings on the other hand often become anxious, angry, or depressed.
When meditating on mindfulness of feelings, keep in mind feelings arise dependent upon contact. As contact changes, feelings also change. When we experience a pleasant feeling, we think “This is a pleasant feeling. It has arisen depending on these factors. When these factors disappear, this pleasant feeling will also disappear.” We do the same for unpleasant and neutral feelings. We don’t do anything to control our feelings or make them change. We only notice that our feelings are changing. Each feeling arises due to causes and conditions and then slip away. The mind cannot hold on to what we are experiencing and naturally lets it go.
Becoming aware of our tendencies toward anger and attachment and using mindfulness to subdue these habits give us the opportunity to experience ‘spiritual’ feelings, such as letting go, spiritual urgency, and the special joy we experience meditating.
We believe there must be something real and permanent called I or me that is experiencing this feeling. When we look for this eternal self, it seems to be identical with the five aggregates or within the five aggregates. Only wise and diligent mindfulness can root out this harmful misconception.
Anger grows when we remember past events, dwell on present situations, and imagine what might happen in the future. Instead of allowing this habitual tendency to run on auto-pilot, we use what we have learned about mindfulness to put out the fire. We think, “Anger is an unpleasant feeling. It has arisen in dependence on causes and conditions. Everything is impermanent. When these factors disappear, this unpleasant feeling also disappears.”
Mindfulness teaches us that whenever we experience a pleasant feeling, we wish to hold onto it. If someone suggests that clinging is a problem, we get upset and try to justify it: “How can I live without clinging to my family, house, country?” The truth is that we don’t really want to be free from desire or admit that clinging to pleasures of the senses—the taste of delicious food; the sound of music, gossip, or a joke; the touch of a sexual embrace—ends unavoidably in disappointment and suffering. We don’t have to deny that pleasant feelings are pleasurable. But we must remember that like every other feeling, pleasure is impermanent. Wishing to keep any person, place, possession, or experience with us forever is hopeless.
We use mindfulness to penetrate the superficiality of our desire and reflect: “If I cling to this object, I will end up in pain. I can’t hold on to it forever; I have no way of controlling it. If I get involved in it, I’ll lose my mindfulness. I have enjoyed many things in life—where are they now? Why should I sacrifice this precious moment for the sake of a superficial satisfaction? Let me not think of it.”
The beneficial feeling we hope to cultivate through mindfulness practice is equanimity. When resting in equanimity, our feelings are in perfect balance. We neither push away unpleasant feelings nor grasp at pleasant ones. We’re not confused by ignorance and see everything very clearly. Since we don’t identify our self with feelings, they pass quietly away, leaving us at peace. As as feeling, equanimity is both neutral and spiritual. It is neither pleasant/unpleasant, but it is not indifferent. We are aware and alert and can continue our observation of our body, feelings, thoughts, and other experiences without being pushed and pulled by desire or aversion.
We can use mindfulness to train ourselves to avoid thoughts, words, and deeds motivated by sensual desire, anger, cruelty, and other causes of bad karma. While at the same time cultivating beneficial actions motivated by renunciation, compassion, loving-friendliness, and other causes of good karma.
Practicing mindfulness of mind consists of cleansing the mind so that the harmful tendencies towards desire, aversion, and ignorance do not have the opportunity to manifest as actions. When they arise, we make the effort to too overcome them before making the effort to replace them with beneficial states of mind.
Mindfulness training teaches us to pause and look at the mind. First, we practice while sitting on the cushion. As thoughts come and go, we watch them arise, peak, and pass away. Since we are not engaging in immediate action based on our impulses, we are able to assess our mental states calmly.
The goal of mindfulness training is to becoming aware of our mental states so that we can take steps to short-circuit our impulsive actions. We apply the discipline of mindfulness in a practical way to change our behavior.
Though negative states of mind are more troublesome and thus require strong measures to overcome them, we should also use mindfulness to encourage states that are wholesome and beneficial. For instance, when thoughts of generosity, loving-friendliness, appreciation, and equanimity arise, we should ask ourselves, “Is my mindfulness strong enough to maintain them? If not, what else can I do?” For instance, we can make changes to our lifestyle, such as living in a suitable place, keeping the house clean, getting together with like-minded friends, reading inspiring books, and developing a diligent daily mindfulness practice.
With mindfulness and effort, we can develop wonderful states of mind, including confidence, patience, concentration, attention, thoughts of service, thoughts of simplicity, determination to good things, thoughts of contentment, and thoughts of wisdom.
Mindfulness practice helps us grow the attributes of enlightenment.
No one can do this hard work for us. We have to manage our own body, mind and actions every moment of walking life. We must be the one to walk the path. We use mindfulness and intelligent investigation to check whether what we are doing is holding us back or helping us progress towards our spiritual goals.
When mindfulness combines with the enlightenment factor of energy, we are increasingly able to use skillful effort to keep from getting caught in greed, hatred, and delusion.
Working together as a team, concentration and mindfulness purify the mind and help keep the hindrances suppressed.
