In Pragmatic Buddhism, our primary tool for generating a deeper understanding of our world is the practice of awareness cultivation, or mindfulness meditation (zazen; “just sitting”). This is a method that has been used since the time of the historical Buddha — Siddhartha Gautama — some 2400 years ago. Mindfulness practice is an intentional, non-judgmental embracement of our own personal contingency and the experiences we have of our world.
It is the moving away from a state of average everydayness, where we are largely unaware of our motivations and habits of bodymind. In mindfulness, we engage our world directly and, becoming aware of it, accept it for what it is: a world of causal relationships made possible through an interconnected, interdependent reality.
After accepting this holistic and causal reality, we can determine the best possible actions to take based on an ethic that seeks to maintain local and global harmony for all sentient beings. Another vital element of awareness cultivation is the social component — the locus of agreements necessary to build a meaningful understanding of the world around us. CPB has established resources to help you begin building your own personal practice.