In Buddhism, you're supposed to understand the mind; what's the right way to understand it?

Question

Cosmic Drifter: You're a Star. :-)

You're all so wonderful.

Serendipity. :-)

shrill alarmist, I'm sure: Welcome back!

Buddhamonkeyboy: Great Answer; need to get to grips with the Heart Sutra...

Anatta: You've already helped, more than you could possibly know. :-)

Gaz: I'm very impressed.

Answer 1

To understand *big mind* little mind must be forgotten. To forget little mind we study the self," to study the self is to forget the self and be enlightened by all things". {Dogen} ~*~

Answer 2

The mind is the king (or queen) and the senses are his (or her) court. The mind can be trained to be in control of the report of the senses in the same way a driver operates a car. The luminous and clear quality of the mind is obstructed by afflictions and obscurations that can be cleared away through the union of method and wisdom. Our minds are like a cloth that can be washed of the dirt of afflictions, purified. As for the thoughts that arise in the mind, they come and go; that is the experience of mind. As for the right way to understand it, the right way is through personal experience of it - but in reliance upon correct signs. Once the (need) for analyzation has ceased, a single-pointed concentration can be attained - and calm-abiding and special insight relative to the true nature of reality will be attained. All of this will lead to valid cognition based on inference, which can lead to a direct, unmitigated experience of it. All of this explanation is terrible, though, compared to a real Dharma talk by a qualified Lama. So, you have heard this explanation of the path by the housekeeper! Please see the "Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment" by the great master Lama Tsong Khapa for a much more complete explanation of these stages and find a Mahayana spiritual friend for genuine help! Best wishes!

Answer 3

Through Insight Meditation: there is a free book offered, which you can also download
for free called "Mindfulness Meditation in Plain English" by a Theravadan Buddhist Monk:

http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma4/mpe.html

Peace: also Gaz, Anger Eating Demon, and Vinslave always provide great answers.

Hope this helps some- Goodfella

Answer 4

The mind is a physical structure of neurons, systematically arranged into sections which control all autonomic and nomic functions.
The mind is simply a computer for which the soul operates in order to express itself through the body in the material world.

The mind connects to the sense organs, which themselves are connected to the sense objects. Ergo, the interface between matter and the soul is the mind.

Without the soul, the mind wouldn't operate.
Because of maya (the Lords illusiory energy), the sense objects stimulate the senses, which stimulates the mind, which in turn allow's the soul to percieve its material environment. The mind only detects the material environment and so the forgetful soul is illusioned into thinking that the material world is all that there is.

This in turn causes the soul to believe that its body is in fact its self, and that serving the body is serving itself. Therefore, the illusioned soul goes about trying to satisfy the senses of the body in an effort to find happiness.

Scripture helps us see what our senses can't detect and help re align our understanding of self, and therefore our understanding of God.

Answer 5

You want to be careful not to turn it into a method for mind to use mechanically. Remember that it's mind trying to understand mind, which is an illusion arising within the Consciousness that You are, and so the idea is to observe the functioning of mind/ego from the perspective of Consciousness so that you might notice something that is not already in the patterned thinking of mind. Contemplation, intuition, direct perception, always, always seeking the truth/Truth no matter what. Accept nothing else.

Question absolutely everything from a place of child-like wonder and curiosity. What you find is not You and does not need to be fixed, merely seen for what it is. (illusion)

Answer 6

you look The most pity for being human is that we as human never understand our mind. This means we never understand ourselves. People try to think our mind is like this or that but in fact, they do not know it. In Buddhism to understand your mind is to access to the truth. The Lord of Buddha teaches meditation for people who want to gain the truth of mind. You cannot just read only teaching but have to do it. The meditation consists of two kinds. First Samatha meditation is a type to make your mind calm down and peaceful. Second Vipassana (insight meditation) is a kind of meditation which exist only in Buddhism. It is the tool that the Lord has discovered. Insignt meditation is not to make you happy or peaceful but cause you suffered at the beginning. Why is like that ? Because people have a lot of attachment according to their phenomenon of mind such as angry, depression or pain. Thus, this meditation will encourage these things for u to understand that they are not true; they just occur, exist and disappear. Finally you will let them as they are and your life will discover what is the ultimalte truth of your mind.,

Answer 7

Lots of nice answers here! Yeah Cosmic! Neil...I am not sure but it is a great image. Beautiful and in fact I do get it. Nice.

Oh just keep at it Good Fellow! You are on the right track!
In Nicheren Buddhism we say; Faith, Study and Practice. It's good advice!

I think physics is the science that will ultimatly become one with Buddhism. It is extrodinary!


Peace and may your journey and everyones journey here lead them to enlightenment and joy!

In art we talk abvout process verses product. Buddhism hads similar issues. In fact it is a great analogy all round! LOL! May your journies be rich...mine is!

I love that saying I see around here..."Blessed be". I concur! Blessed be.

Jamie

Answer 8

The best way to understand the mind is to understand that the concept of the mind is an illusion.

Edit:

I defer to vinslave above, she's way smarter than me, and an actual Buddhist, where I am only a student of Buddhist writings (a vastly different, and inherently more shallow understanding).

Answer 9

The Mind and the many Consciousnesses are seperate, there is one Mind and there are many Consciousnesses.

When we die, the Mind, often called the Unconscious Life Stream in Pali...Bhavanga Sota...an energy stream... is Reborn under the prescribed conditions of Samsara as a result of Ignorance present therein and the effects of Karmic energy known as Karma Vega...another energy. The Consciousness does not survive death, it is a Khandha, whereas the Mind is not. Without the Mind, we are but meat on bones as it were. The difference between an alive person and a dead person is the Mind...the Bhavanga Sota energy.

With the methods of the Eightfold Path, we develop the Consciousness, a Khandha...one of many Consciousnesses which are in control of out thoughts at any one time. By training the Consciousness, we rid it...this Khandha... of any arising of "Self" within it. We do this training, by releasing the Mind from within this prison of variation and "self" allowing it to control the Khandha....Consciousness....in order to allow the Bhavanga Sota full operational control of our thoughts. We must do it this way because otherwise the Mind as an energy..Bhavanga Sota...cannot have any influence....and the Consciousness Khandha is too absorbed in its "self"ish control to allow the Mind any influence at all. By remaining Detached from "Self" we allow this to occur, allowing the Peace..the Nibbana to radiate throughout the Consciousness, completely swamping out any "self" within it. This Peace, Nibbana is joyous, it is where we derive our own joy in all experiences, it is the happiness we so longingly and fruitlessly seek, it is the Mind completely in control of our Consciousness Khandha with absolutely no influence at all from "self" and the consequences of "self".

In order to recognise and know that the Mind is released and to understand what this feels like when there is nothing but Mind in control of the Consciousness, we meditate, but the relaxation we feel when we do this is not the entire story, it does not teach us or instruct us on the reality of Nibbana.

In order to fully understand Nibbana and therefore to fully understand how it is when the Mind is fully in control, we must attain Jhana. Only then, in full Jhana will we finally come to know the Mind and to understand what it means to attain Nibbana.

This is the Mind, it is Nibbana, it is Peace incarnate, it is our happiness incarnate and it is the reason why happiness and the search for selfishness and selfish happiness is so Ignorant and fruitless. Why search for something so anticlimatic as selfishness, when Nibbana is within. Become the Observer and Detach from any search or attachment to happiness or sadness, do this...become the Observer and be detached from these temporary feelings and find real joy, real bliss in Jhana. Begin at the first Jhana because all of them are within each. Then you will know Mind and what it really means.

Peace to all in your journey towards Jhana. When you can reach the first, the fourth is inside it, this is the meaning of the Lotus Flower Symbol, you must focus within there, focus until the brightness of the Nimmita is beyond reckoning. Focus on the center and you will find true Peace....

You will all find it there...

I conclude this part with the words of the Lord Buddha:

Natthi Jhanam Apannassa

There is no Jhana without wisdom

Panna Natthi Ajhayato

There is no wisdom without Jhana

Yamhi Jhanan Ca Panna ca

But for one with both Jhana and wisdom

Sa Ve Nibbana Santike

They are in the presence of Nibbana

(Dhp 372)

I bow three times in utmost respect and honour for the Lord Buddha's wisdom, may we all learn from these words....

A Buddhist....

Answer 10

And even the concept of concept is a delusion, it is empty of inherent existence.

Agree with others here. Generally, practice samata meditation to achieve a tranquil state of mind, then vipassana meditation to achieve insight into mind itself. Spend lots and lots of time with the Heart Sutra.

Understanding emptiness is the key. And it is hard enough to catch mere glimpses, let alone achieve calm abiding and full understanding. Bless you on your journey. Metta, mudita, karuna, uppekkha. May you have happiness and all its causes.

Answer 11

The right way to understand it is to use science, not supernatural woo woo baloney.

I am pretty sure the Dali Lama has said that religion has to yield to science, so at least DL-style Buddhism accepts science's input (unlike say Pat Robertson style Christianity).