Propelling the continuity of mindfulness

Some methods that may work:

Observe its:

1. Pleasure - What pleasure does it give
2. Consequence - What is the consequence of it
3. Resolution - What is the resolution for them

Observe its constituency (sankhatha):

1. Observe its construction
2. Observe its change within the environment it exists
3. Observe its destruction

Observe its relation to five aggregates and your relation to it:

1. What of it is rupa - am I it, am I made of it, am I within it, am I outside it
2. What of it is vedana - am I it, am I made of it, am I within it, am I outside it
3. What of it is sanna - am I it, am I made of it, am I within it, am I outside it
4. What of it is sankhara - am I it, am I made of it, am I within it, am I outside it
5. What of it is vinnana - am I it, am I made of it, am I within it, am I outside it

Observe its place in paticca samuppada. Usually it can be observed as upadana or jara / marana...

If you want to win mindfulness & alertness then you should develop that particular development of samadhi;

"And what is the development of concentration that, when developed & pursued, leads to mindfulness & alertness? There is the case where feelings are known to the monk as they arise, known as they persist, known as they subside. Perceptions are known to him as they arise, known as they persist, known as they subside. Thoughts are known to him as they arise, known as they persist, known as they subside. This is the development of concentration that, when developed & pursued, leads to mindfulness & alertness.

If you do this you might or might not be rewarded with mindfulness & alertness and or a pleasant abiding, it will depending on how skillful you are in taking note of your mind and adjusting [directing] which will depend on learning.

"Now suppose that there is a wise, experienced, skillful cook who has presented a king or a king's minister with various kinds of curry: mainly sour, mainly bitter, mainly peppery, mainly sweet, alkaline or non-alkaline, salty or non-salty. He takes note of his master, thinking, 'Today my master likes this curry, or he reaches out for that curry, or he takes a lot of this curry or he praises that curry. Today my master likes mainly sour curry... Today my master likes mainly bitter curry... mainly peppery curry... mainly sweet curry... alkaline curry... non-alkaline curry... salty curry... Today my master likes non-salty curry, or he reaches out for non-salty curry, or he takes a lot of non-salty curry, or he praises non-salty curry.' As a result, he is rewarded with clothing, wages, & gifts. Why is that? Because the wise, experienced, skillful cook picks up on the theme of his own master.

"In the same way, there are cases where a wise, experienced, skillful monk remains focused on the body in & of itself... feelings in & of themselves... the mind in & of itself... mental qualities in & of themselves — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world. As he remains thus focused on mental qualities in & of themselves, his mind becomes concentrated, his defilements are abandoned. He takes note of that fact. As a result, he is rewarded with a pleasant abiding here & now, together with mindfulness & alertness. Why is that? Because the wise, experienced, skillful monk picks up on the theme of his own mind."

Read chapter 8 of Shantideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life. Warning: it is not for the faint of heart. It may give you quite the kick in the pants and provide motivation to develop calm abiding. It also instructs in practicing the “exchanging self with others” meditation.

As meditators, our job is to be aware or knowing as much as we can through out our daily life. And like it or not, we can't live our lives without fabricating. Right now, as you read this, your cognitive mind is fabricating. Otherwise, you can't understand these words.

However, I understand how fabrication can lead to a lot of problems. So what can we do?

Be aware of the fabricating when the mind fabricates. In that way, we're not involved in the fabrication, and so not get lost in it. In that way, we also get to understand fabrication as fabrication, whether a certain fabrication is necessary or not, and how various fabrications work, etc.