The Mindful Bodhisattva

At the beginning of the Mindfulness Sutra the Buddha makes a strong claim: mindfulness, he says, is the only way to purify the mind, overcome suffering and pain, attain the way, and realize nirvana, perfect peace. But what exactly is mindfulness? The sutra does not offer a definition, but we think we know: mindfulness is awareness, consciousness. To be mindful of something is to be conscious of it.