What is the difference between mindfulness and self-consciousness?

Question

I would say it's looking at oneself through objective eyes and others' eyes respectively.

If "God is watching", then is the awareness of this both mindfulness and self-consciousness at the same time? Is self-consciousness then a good thing?

All thoughts welcome!

Answer 1

"Mindfulness" generally connotes less evaluation, a non-judgmental present awareness.
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Answer 2

This is too big of a question to really answer. There are many schools of Buddhism and many religions, philosophies, and traditions with Hinduism. There are Buddhists whose primary practice is devotional chanting (Pure Land and Nichiren) and those whose primary practice is meditation (Zen), there are those who have a pluralistic view of what makes up life (the dharma theories of Abhidharma Buddhism), and those who are non-dual (the Yogacara), and those who teach the dialectics of emptiness and the Middle Way (Madhyamika). Likewise within Hinduism you will find devotional chanting (an essential part of bhakti-yoga), those who practice meditation (dhyana or raja-yoga), those who are non-dualists (Advaita Vedanta), and also qualified non-dualists and outright dualists. Those who taught non-dualism were even accused of being crypto-Buddhists. Then there are the tantras which are common to both some forms of Hinduism and some forms of Buddhism and which seem to have mutually influenced one another in India. I think that the main difference between the two traditions generally is that Buddhism is committed to a process view based on interdependence, whereas Hinduism tends to posit some kind of eternal spirit (Brahman) or essence. The differences however between the non-dualism of Hinduism and the non-dualism of Buddhism seem to be a matter of semantics and rhetoric however in my view. Both are aimed at realizing the unconditioned true nature of reality and not being deluded by conditioned samsaric existence. However, you really need to specify which exist traditions within these two religions you want to compare: the Hare Krishnas contrasted to Zen, Pure Land contrasted to Advaita Vedanta, Shingon compared to Kashmir Shaivism? Depending on what you are comparing the answers might be very different. Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, Ryuei

Answer 3

Mindfulness is intense focus on the here and now, and does not require 'self'.

Answer 4

courtesy and sentience...