NATURE OF MIND
Tending the ox
THE THREE POISONS
In the language of citta bhavana, or mind development, we speak of impurities, defilements, hindrances, taints or negative energies, etc. These should be understood in the proper context, not as value judgments about the rightness or wrongness of particular aspects of consciousness, but as elements of consciousness that interfere with the development we seek. Thus, if my goal is to cultivate a greater degree of compassion, anger, whether arising through physical or emotional trauma, as a defense mechanism, unmet desire, or grounded in some misconception of reality, must in some way be sublimated or extinguished. All these impurities of mind about which Buddhism speaks are said to derive from the three poisons. These are attachment, aversion and ignorance. Both attachment and aversion are said to result from ignorance which is also translated as delusion.
Delusion or ignorance as used here refers to mind’s self-perplexity. This could be defined as a fundamental lack of comprehension regarding the manifestation of one’s occurrence as a function of cognitive processes. More simply stated it is a lack of self-knowledge and sometimes referred to as bewilderment. This leads to attachment and aversion arising in response to impermanent elements occurring within the mind’s field of perception. Mind is alternately attracted and repelled, euphoric and depressed by what it perceives. The mind in this state cannot maintain detachment and serene equanimity. Overcoming this basic ignorance is the primary purpose of practice since it is this ignorance that leads to unnecessary self-created mental anguish.
Mind is at least the totality of its perceptive field. With equanimity strongly developed the mind is no longer swayed by the various elements of its perceptive field, nor by any feelings of pleasantness or unpleasantness that might accompany those sensory elements. This allows the mind to delight in its pure and total presence, the totality of its perceptive field. The term “greed,” has a particular meaning in English, this makes it not really an adequate translation for what Buddhists mean by moha, desire or attachment. We are here referring to the energy in the mind that manifests as mind’s movement towards an object within its sensory field whereupon there arises pleasantness with regard to that object (be it visual, auditory, etc.) and the resultant attachment or desire to cling to the pleasant experience. This is basically a habit of mind developed through repetitive conditioning. As a conditioned habit, it can be deconditioned. This does not mean we lose the ability to enjoy the elements of our sensory field. We are creating a new relationship to that field so that we are not unnecessarily disturbed by ever-changing circumstances. We practice contemplation of feelings by noting pleasant, unpleasant and neutral feelings as they arise in awareness upon perceiving some sensory object.
Aversion is the opposite of attachment but is basically the same energy. Mind moves away rather than towards elements of perception. Anger is viewed as intense aversion and that is why the poison of aversion is often translated into English as anger or hatred. With detachment, the mind neither clings nor flees the objects of its perception. These three, attachment, aversion and bewilderment are the root causes for the five hindrances (nivarana) to meditation and the root causes of suffering and the absence of enlightened perception.
The aggregates are those components that, when taken together as a group, comprise what is termed a person. The analogy often used is that of a chariot. It is comprised of a number of parts which, when viewed in isolation are not a chariot; but are wheels, spokes, a harness, reins, etc. Only when brought together in a functional way do these items come to be called a chariot. In a similar fashion, no person is said to exist unless all five aggregates are present and functioning. Although it is stated that these aggregates comprise a person, this does not imply an independent self. It is used to illuminate the psychological aspects that lie behind our perceived experience without reference to a self to which experiences occur. The term person is used only for the purpose of communication. Do not get too stuck on this point. Your practice of meditation will bring an intuitive understanding of what is meant by nonself or anatta. While the aggregates are often linked with speculations on what Buddhists mean by anatta, it is more helpful to understand them as fields or aspects of cognition which are scrutinized through introspection because of their roles in the dynamic process that culminates in the perception of awareness, self, suffering and conceptualized reality.
THE BODY – Rupa
The body, prey to illness and pain, is of course, something we all have in common. When it does not accord with our wishes we have grief and sorrow. Intellectually we may know we will grow old and die but few people accept this as “just so.” This body is the occasion for much suffering. The bodies of others as well as our own may attract or repel us. Both create suffering through attachment and aversion. The body also represents contact, that is sense contact, when the physical sense-base, the organ of sense, the eye or tongue, etc., comes in contact with the mind that causes the sense perception of light or flavour, etc. This begins a process of awareness that will continue through the other aggregates.
Upon sense contact, there is the feeling of pleasantness, neutrality or unpleasantness. Identifying with these feelings prevents clear comprehension with attachment and aversion as the result.
MEMORIES AND PERCEPTIONS – Sanna
This is the inspection and interpretation of sense contact. At this point we may no longer be dealing directly with the present sense experience but may instead be viewing our memory or interpretation of the object. Present sense experience is compared with past memories and impressions.
VOLITION AND OTHER ELEMENTS OF MIND – Sankhara
Bundles of different states arise. If these states are liked, desire arises; if disliked, aversion, the desire to avoid arises. Because we do not view these states as impermanent, inherently unsatisfactory and as not-self: not me or mine, we cling to them becoming enmeshed in the emotions they give rise to.
CONSCIOUSNESS – Vinnana
We grasp that which knows the other aggregates. We think, “I know,” “I am,” “I feel.” Because there is wrong understanding regarding these ideas we continue to engage in unwholesome thought, speech and behaviour perpetuating our delusions and consequent suffering. All these elements come and go according to their nature. They will not stop but when we learn their true nature we can learn to let them go; not grasping and clinging to their arising. Simply watch them, let them linger awhile and observe them pass away. Viewing the mind without reference to a self or person allows clear comprehension of mental processes to arise.
Train your endurance and courage. Develop the Middle Path. When attachment, aversion and bewilderment arise do not give in to them. Do not be discouraged. Time and proper practice will bring visible results. Be mindful and resolved. We must investigate both joy and suffering with equal patience. Do not remain addicted to pleasure thinking you can cheat out suffering. Do not just deal with suffering, put an end to it. Where it is that suffering arises, there too is where it can be ended. No place, no refuge, no teacher, can give you this freedom. It must be self-realized.
See impermanence, inherent dissatisfaction and selflessness in all mental and physical states. Enlightenment is not a mental or physical state in conventional terms. Mental and physical states are mundane; enlightenment is said to be supra-mundane. Begin practice by opposing the defilements, not feeding old habits. Where friction and difficulty arise, that is the place to work. You must know the dangers of this Path. People who think they have no problems continually feed their defilements. Do not be surprised or alarmed at the difficulties encountered when the defilements are not given in to. They are strong and firmly entrenched through having been well fed for so long.
For detectable progress to be made there has to be a change in habitual ways of thinking and feeling. As awareness deepens, one can begin to see those activities which, habitually engaged in, disturb the mind and cause it to be restless, agitated, or which leave a guilty feeling, etc. These habits may be let go of when they are recognized and understood. Habits that calm the mind, that make it light and pliable can be reinforced. Develop wholesome thought, speech and actions and unwholesome tendencies will diminish from lack of energy. If confronted directly, they can often go underground into the unconscious where they may remain unseen but will continue to have an influence upon the mind. They may even grow stronger as a result.
DEPENDENT ORIGINATION – Paticcasamuppada
This is a very important teaching in Buddhism. It is the process that the mind goes through each time it creates suffering. What follows is a basic outline to introduce the subject. The chain of dependent origination begins with ignorance. With ignorance as an existing condition there begins a process of cognitive events which culminate in dukkha, suffering. It is the suffering that arises because of wrong understanding of the relation between awareness and the senses. Mindfulness needs to be present when the senses make contact with an object in order to control feelings and not allow attachment and craving to arise. Buddhist teaching divides into two truths: relative and absolute. The teaching of morality is relative because it varies with culture; the teaching of dependent origination is absolute because it is a psychological process inherent to our nature.
Dependent origination does not teach how to become happy. It shows instead the way leading to the cessation of suffering which in relative terms could be called happiness since it is an absence of suffering. There is no need to postulate a self or other abiding entity. Events arise momentarily and condition the arising of subsequent events. The consciousness involved is that of the six sense bases, the five senses and the mind. In this teaching, karma is not viewed as good or evil. Karma is a process that we judge good, evil or neutral. Dependent origination is a process that does not rely on an existing self or entity to operate. Extinction of dissatisfaction can occur when attachment to karma perceived as good, bad and neutral is discontinued.
This teaching need not be explained as covering three lives, which is often the way it is taught. Buddhism is concerned with the here and now, the present state. All truth in Buddhism is found within, in this body, in this moment. The entire process of dependent origination can last only a moment and occurs many times each clay. “Birth” refers to a single revolution of the chain of events known as dependent origination and this occurs in the daily life of ordinary people. When mindful attention is not directed towards sense contact, attachment, craving and dissatisfaction are able to arise.
When desire, aversion or delusion arise in the mind, a “self’ is created and this “self’ experiences one “lifetime.” This is the momentary existence of an illusionary self. It is grounded in thoughts of “I,” “me” and “mine.” It is these thoughts which are the birth of ego. Dependent origination is not or should not be merely philosophy. It is the establishment of attentive awareness upon the six sense gates that preclude the arising of ignorance, desire for pleasurable sense contact, desire to avoid what is unpleasant and desire for existence or non-existence. Once a defilement (attachment, aversion or bewilderment) arises in the mind there is one “turning of the wheel” of dependent origination.
The description of dependent origination is a detailed view of the manner in which suffering arises. It shows the interdependence of causative factors in the arising of dissatisfaction. It demonstrates factors in a state of flux that occur without postulating an independent, discreet self. The self is shown to be a conditioned, transitory event; its arising dependent on other conditioned events. As a conditioned event, it is not independent, self-existing or eternal, but dependent for its arising on a series of other conditioned events and exists momentarily in accordance with the law of causation: because there is this, that arises. Analysis of the mental events illustrates the process that leads to the experience of suffering. Understanding of, and mindful attention to this process can enable the practitioner to interrupt the sequence of mental events to prevent the arising of suffering.
FROM IGNORANCE TO SUFFERING
Because there is ignorance, volitional formations arise.
Volitional formations lead to mentality-materiality.
Mentality-materiality leads to the six sense bases, the organs of sense.
The six sense bases allow for sense contact to occur.
Contact creates feeling; the pleasurable or not pleasurable categorizing of sense perception. Feeling which is seen as good or bad causes desire or aversion; craving to have or to avoid. Craving leads to attachment.
Attachment to becoming. Becoming to birth.
Birth to old age and illness.
This ends in suffering and death.
If the arising of craving is noted, it may allow one to detach from the desire and thus, prevent the full arising of dissatisfaction through the extinction of craving. By noting the process and by becoming skillful<