Dentistry is a sublimely meditative experience. A few years of practice and 80 percent of all procedures can be performed in auto mode. A large part of the clinical work constitute constant repetitive tasks that leave the mind free to wander down interesting paths some trodden and some not so trodden. The deer like mind could chose to constantly flit from thought to thought. Frivolous inane musings such as: Time money, children. Staff, travel or random stray images could flood the mind space. The silent moment to be experienced could be frittered away in a futile thought. Mindfulness an essential tenet of the Buddhas’ eight fold path is the most infrequently used pathway of the mind. The art of watching the mind as it jumps from thought to thought. The experience of reining in the mind into the moment and exalting in the job at hand.
Mindfulness would reveal a better way of doing things. Mindfulness would unveil an extra curve in the root canal. Mindfulness would create a sense of wonder at the sophistication of Prakritis (natures) wonderful creation that is the oral ecosystem.
As Buddha lay dying, his final teaching to Ananda his favoured disciple was, “Be lamps unto yourselves.” His teachings were profoundly self empowering. The lessons learned from self experience were a by product of the practice of mindfulness. Self experience is the dentists essential pathway to self improvement and excellence. The essential Dental Nirvana!
