{"id":1864,"date":"2020-02-26T13:16:23","date_gmt":"2020-02-26T03:16:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dying-and-death-reflections.com\/?page_id=1864"},"modified":"2020-03-03T11:23:09","modified_gmt":"2020-03-03T01:23:09","slug":"understand-your-mind","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dying-and-death-reflections.com\/index.php\/understand-your-mind\/","title":{"rendered":"The Nature of Mind"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A critical task, more so as we near the end of life, is to\nunderstand the nature of our own mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding the Nature of the Mind<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen the mind looks at itself, what can it learn about its\nown nature? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first thing that becomes apparent is that countless\nthoughts prompted by our feelings, our memories, and our imagination constantly\nrush through our mind, almost without our knowledge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But is there not also a basic consciousness, always present\nbehind this movement, even in the absence of thoughts, a presence that could be\ncalled the fundamental ability of the mind to know or to be conscious? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As thoughts arise, if we look at them closely, can we pin\ndown any characteristic, or attribute, any real existence to them? Where are\nthey located? Do they have a color or a shape? However hard you look, you will\nnot find anything else in the end but the bare faculty of knowing that we have\njust mentioned. You will find nothing intrinsically real. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is in this sense that Buddhism says that the mind is\n\u201cempty of independent existence.\u201d How can we make use of this notion of the\n\u201cemptiness\u201d of thoughts? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When a thought or an emotion such as anger arises in our\nmind, what usually happens? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We let ourselves be overwhelmed by it. The thoughts grow and\ngive rise to many other thoughts that disturb us, blind us, and encourage us to\nsay and do certain things, which may be violent, which may hurt others, and\nwhich we will probably come to regret. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now it is possible to examine the thoughts before they\nproliferate, instead of letting this chain reaction occur. Then we will realize\nthat those thoughts and emotions do not have the solid reality that we had\nimagined, and it will be possible to break free from their grip. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we can see that thoughts arise from pure awareness<\/strong>, the nature of mind<\/strong>, then dissolve back into it, like waves rising from and falling back into the ocean, it will be a big step toward inner peace because thoughts will have lost much of their power to harm.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: Ricard, Matthieu. On the Path to Enlightenment: Heart Advice from the Great Tibetan Masters<\/em> (pp. 159-160). Shambhala. Kindle Edition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continuity of Consciousness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There is a \u201cfundamental continuity of mind<\/strong> through\nall states of existence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From this perspective, what we call \u201clife\u201d and \u201cdeath\u201d are\nsimply concepts\u2014relative designations that are attributed to a continuous state\nof being, an indestructible awareness that is birthless and deathless<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While impermanence\u2014the constant ebb and flow of appearance\nand dissolution\u2014characterizes all phenomena that we can see, hear, taste,\ntouch, or mentally conceive, this pure, primordial mind endures all transitions\nand transcends all boundaries created by dualistic thought. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although we may cling to this life and fear its end, beyond\ndeath there is mind<\/strong>; and where there is mind, there is uninterrupted\ndisplay: spacious, radiant, and continually manifesting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, whether this understanding remains merely a\ncomforting idea or becomes a key to accessing deeper levels of knowledge and\nultimate freedom depends on us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relatively speaking, we are not free, so long as we do not\nrecognize the true nature of our mind. That nature is empty, luminous wisdom;\nit is primordially pure awareness; it is the state of wakefulness that\ntranscends duality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although we are never separate from this nature, we do not\nsee it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, we see who we think we are, who we believe\nourselves to be. We see a self that is fabricated by thought and thus we see a\nfabricated world, similar to the state of dream. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, through the practice of methods that cultivate mindfulness and awareness, we develop insight, or prajna<\/em>, that directly sees this nature of mind.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: Ponlop, Dzogchen. Mind Beyond Death<\/em>. Shambhala Publications. Kindle Edition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advice on Recognizing the Nature of Mind<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

“What we call mind is that which thinks endlessly of everything under the sun. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When investigating its essence to determine the true nature,\nwe examine each momentary thought that originates<\/em>, remains<\/em> and departs<\/em>.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We inquire where the arising might be and look into the\nplace or source of origination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We investigate the place of remaining and nature of what\nremains, and, for the departure, the nature of what ceases and its place of\ncessation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each time we ask what these are like in essence. And through\nthis, we realize that they lack even so much as an atom\u2019s worth of true\nreality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet in spite of this unreality, there is still something\nwhich knows, or is aware of, good and bad, and which is present unceasingly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By allowing this to settle by itself, without altering it or fabricating it in any way through inviting or following thoughts, we can naturally experience a state that is beyond all expression and is the inseparability of clarity<\/strong>, awareness<\/strong> and emptiness<\/strong>. To sustain the continuity of this is what we call looking into the essence of mind.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: Jamyang Khyentse Ch\u00f6kyi Lodr\u00f6. \u201cAdvice on Recognizing the Nature of Mind\u201d. Translated by Adam Pearcey, 2020. https:\/\/www.lotsawahouse.org\/tibetan-masters\/jamyang-khyentse-chokyi-lodro\/recognizing-nature-of-mind<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Understand

Reflection: “The teachings say that everything is mind. Now the time has come at last to realize whether this is true or not. You must do the work. No one else can do it for you. You are exploring the nature of your own mind. It is you who must resolve this matter.”
(Patrul Rinpoche, The Nature of Mind<\/em>)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"reddit\"<\/a>\"pinterest\"<\/a>\"linkedin\"<\/a>\"mail\"<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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