user12118: I have read some of the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh about mindfullness and anchoring oneself in the present by focussing on in-breath and out-breath.
I am curious what teaching there may be about imagination, because imagination seems to take oneself away from the "here and now".
How can mindfullness and imagination be reconciled? Is there any place for imagination? Thanks

user7090: To progress along the path, to realise what the Buddha did, we need a vehicle. If the vehicle uses imagination as a method, then imagination becomes the path. Imagination is not mindfulness, but is used to train mindfulness.

user295: Imagination is a form of fabrication (verbal fabrications). One objective of the practice is to reduce it. [Samma Ditthi Sutta] So by using imagination you are introducing a barrier to Vipassana or Insight. 
In case of Samatha practice the focus of attention is a mind made object but the objective of this is different from mindfulness meditation. Samatha can be used as stepping stone to Vipassana. 

12118: <p>I have read some of the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh about mindfullness and anchoring oneself in the present by focussing on in-breath and out-breath.</p>

<p>I am curious what teaching there may be about imagination, because imagination seems to take oneself away from the "here and now".</p>

<p>How can mindfullness and imagination be reconciled? Is there any place for imagination? Thanks</p>
 7090: <p>To progress along the path, to realise what the Buddha did, we need a vehicle. If the vehicle uses imagination as a method, then imagination becomes the path. Imagination is not mindfulness, but is used to train mindfulness.</p>
 295: <p>Imagination is a form of fabrication (verbal fabrications). One objective of the practice is to reduce it. [<a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/11.14-Samma-Ditthi-S-m9-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Samma Ditthi Sutta</a>] So by using imagination you are introducing a barrier to Vipassana or Insight. </p>

<p>In case of Samatha practice the focus of attention is a mind made object but the objective of this is different from mindfulness meditation. Samatha can be used as stepping stone to Vipassana. </p>
