Nature of Mind

[mccoist]

Hello Godlighters
I have opened up a new post on this aspect of ourselves
I would love to hear peoples views ideas on mind
what it is how it works
and what its nature is
i have no great understanding
but in buddhist teaching the mind is always grasping alert moving
and through this action create suffering
It is interesting in meditation to notice my thoughts as they rise fall come and go or move ,
take note of my emotions
to keep my mind or thoughts peaceful in meditation recently
I have let my mind rest on or in my sensory feelings in the body.
it is interesting to consider that through our mind we form the world
and in our thoughts we are for ourselves the center of our existence.
which is good for me as this allows me to become very still spacious peaceful

[jash]

The most important thing to note about the mind is that when we become aware of it, it shifts and changes, because the mind is the tool through which we make observations. The mind's observation on itself affects it. When I think about the contents of my mind, I'm thinking about thinking about the mind, and so on. There are deeper layers of mental awareness that go on ad infinitum.

To become aware of a thought is to lose it, because we are thinking about the thought rather than thinking the thought. We cannot be completely aware of what we are thinking about because this would include awareness of the awareness. Meditation for me is becoming as aware as possible of the self beyond thoughts, and so losing those thoughts. This ever greater awareness, being fully present, is the goal and the act of meditation.

Observation of the changing nature of the mind tells me that I am not my mind. I am free to control my mind, by focusing my awareness on those thoughts which are inappropriate, so that I lose them, and focusing my awareness on myself and the world, to foster correct and appropriate thoughts.

In summary:

-I am not my mind.
-Through focusing awareness on my mind, I change my mind. By focusing awareness directly on my true self or on the world, I control my mind.

[jerboa]

I change often from time to time, usually through my opinion of myself or opinions others give me of myself. The things that seem to effect me most have been occassional trauma's and arguments with friends of the most silly of things. After those I'm often left with either a rational or logic which they'd argued tooth and nail until I either give up and go yeah, that must be who I am, you made such a clear spoken point. So I usually try remain undecided on things, and enjoy the times when everything drifts away and I'm free of the attitudes of a few who sometimes bring me down.

On the spiritual side of things, well I try create a positive image for myself and most often keep it to myself now. Its been costly to share things with people, and has cost more then just that image in itself. As I found my mind to be a reflection of others opinions, stored along side my own (when I share with people) and the only balance I have found is through meditation and trying too, sometimes succeeding in reaching the state of mind Jash pointed out. The self is made by the self and is the temple I meditate within, to keep clear, tidy and happy, likely soon after I've managed to strengthen myself I'll again return to trying to understand others perspective and make changes in myself to allow for them though until I've found a way of making sure they can't disturb my peace of mind by forcing their 'wrong' opinions on me of who I am.

Still they have had good points, but thats the nature of minds, I would prefer a life without one often enough. Or a life without the need to rebuild the opinions of others after they beat one into me. I guess I'm set in my ways though and I've know some nut cases or come across some crazy things in my time, its good to know though that my natural state will be to return to calm and be a bit wiser of who I listen to and who I don't.

[mccoist]

I have been considering the nature of mind for several weeks now.
This seems to be changing my understanding of life thoughts emotions.
The first area of change is how present i seem to become
I can let everything drop thoughts emotions and stand back
and take stock notice of myself or non-self
to explain this I adopt in my mind a balance centered place
which is between thought, non-thought,like sitting and watching life go by.
from this position of balance centered,ness
I just notice myself examining things from a body mind spiritual place.
I must add here that I have been practicing meditating for a couple of years now.
recently always daily and listening to intense dharma talks
I feel I have a lot more to add to this post but for now I must go about my daily tasks.

[mccoist]

Hello Godlighters
I am still finding myself interested in the nature of mind.
I would have thought this subject would have attracted more attention
For myself this morning is most interesting
I woke up to a mind which did not want to release its dreams
or the feeling that came with those dreams.
I also noticed in the background the nagging worry of having to deal with a difficult
chat i have to have about work and finances
Even though I am quiet calm collected about such things,
this is what i have noticed about myself
How I deal with these problems.
The dreams were of no consequence, it was just like i was subconsciously
hiding in the dreams lol.
I suppose most people find my posts very practical,
But this is where i notice my mind and thoughts
the contents I find are important but how they move and affect me
seems to be where i place my interest
I seem to be using this post like a diary
but would well come responses
especially on how others feel or just notice mind or the movement of mind

[sparklekaz]

Hi Mcc,

I've been reading a lot of material recently in connection to the nature of mind. I would like to share with you, something I read in The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Soygal Rinpoche, that really resonated with me. I hope it does with you too.

"What we call our basic character is only a 'mindstream,' nothing more. Today we feel good because things are going well; tomorrow we feel the opposite. Where did that good feeling go? New influences took us over as circumstances changed: We are impermanent, the influences are impermanent, and there is nothing solid or lasting anywhere that we can point to.

What could be more unpredictable than our thoughts and emotions; do you have any idea what you are going to think or feel next? Our mind, in fact, is as empty, as impermanent, and as transient as a dream. Look at a thought: It comes, it stays and it goes. The past is past, the future not yet risen, and even the present thought, as we experience it, becomes the past. 'The only time we really have is nowness, is now.

Sometimes when I teach these things, a person will come up to me afterward and say: "All this seems obvious!I've always known it. Tell me something new". I say to him or her. "Have you actually understood, and realized, the truth of impermanence? Have you so integrated it with your every thought, breath, and movement that your life has been transformed? Ask yourself these two questions: Do I remember at every moment that I am dying, and everyone and everything else is, and so treat all beings at all times with compassion? Has my understanding of death and impermanence become so keen and so urgent that I am devoting every second to the pursuit of enlightenment? If you can answer 'yes' to both of these, then you have really understood impermanence".

Love and light
Kaz

[mccoist]

Thank you for reply sparkles
These words and ideas so inciteful,
To even consider we our personality is only a mind stream
is just out there for me anyway
It just seems so obvious to me
and to give yourself that space to consider our impermanance
Besides this and bearing nature of mind being considered
I am struck by how this morning this mind of mine is so active
IE getting online to post,I just cannot seem to settle
The beauty of this that I am viewing this condition as impermanent.
Considering Nature of mind allows you to view your heartfelt self or non,self
The grasping ,The desire,these habit conditions mindsets even notice or consider how karma
comes to affect our lives
Some thing which would be wonderful for everyone to consider
lol
I seem to be wandering,or my thoughts are being random
take care good people

[elemental1]

The nature of mind needs drama to know its existence that drama may be positive or negative drama, it doesn't matter as long as it can relate to some situation. The nature of self is existence self does not need drama, positive or negative to know its self as self is already in the now and now is existence. When self can observe the mind with out the mind leading self on its creations and justifications of how and what the past present and future should be, the mind will become aware of self this awareness threatens minds perceived existence so will create more drama to remove awareness from self
In quiet moments when sitting practice observing the mind some say this is meditation to me it is quiet observation, observe thoughts with out any judgement see how one thought leads to another, then look to see the space between the thoughts this is the quiet space of self. The mind may throw out many thoughts at a rapid rate but regardless of how rapid there is always a space between each thought find and sense that space that is your seat the seat of self. The nature of mind is to hide that seat from you for that seat is where your true nature sits.
      

[mccoist]

Thank you for you reply element 1
this reply is more of a personal reply
I have indeed over many months enjoyed good practice
easy practice to be more precise.
But for me life got tough when now as i observe mind
i find myself over the last few weeks
as a particular set of circumstances arose
I was unable to not grasp cling demand .
I became aware of how mind indeed takes over
the karma habits conditions of the drama
which i was experiencing.
this reply refers back to sparkles reply
We do not know from moment to moment what thoughts will arise
As I read this reply back I realise good bits ,
I am fortunate enough to have insight into the drama
This indeed is to know from experience mind
take care good people
mccoist

[samy03]

Nature of Mind / Individuals Perception :


In Materialistic terms, mental ability of a person depends on the various parameters judged/tested scientifically or socially by the society itself. Its a particular method that has been settled down by the society themselves, that at what age a persons behavior should be signified/streamlined to check his/her own individual capability of representing its own value in the environment.
In one way, yes that's good to have. But at the same point of time, it has been a trademark in terms of judging someone just having the degrees, educational background, lifestyle, social interactions, past life history, Money & Class etc.
And these all actually makes a individuals own mindset/confidence/Ego/Self-Determination/Satisfactory levels/Perception/State of Mind/conscious levels about the understanding of the society by themselves.

So, Nature of mind is something which can never be same for two different persons, even at the same point of time and the same kind of situations they are gonna face individually & their own reactions on that in particular.

Using techniques are like covering yourself with something, that can allow you to not get effected by the fire and hurt you in person.

But, again its all in the mind. And its all above the mind.

Whatever we see today, may not be like the same tomorrow. Whomsoever we are in love with at present, may not be even considered as someone close to us tomorrow. Living in the same home with love and peace today, may change to some natural disaster on the next time. Restricting ourselves in a particular group of society today and feeling blessed, may put us to a place where everyone seems to be like a stranger for us tomorrow.

Change is the only thing that can be called as the reality.

And it matters to this physical, mental, spiritual, psychological phenomena of the substance that we all are living under in our own perception or degree of experiences that we have gained/earned/received from this mother earth only. That's why when we compare ourselves only with our own past, then also there are in itself a lot of changes that we see and experience within ourselves.

Which the society name as the change of a Young/Immature to a Matured Human being.

So the mindset is something which is actually in our own hands. A 10 yrs old kid can say something so much valuable that even a 70+ yrs old person feels like not being known/encounter in his/her life.

Its all about the thoughts and nothing else.

Our mind changes according our own thoughts & our own actions that we perform in revert to the situations that we face on our daily life. And then feel stressed if it not goes according to our own needs and requirements.

So, a mind can be more calm and relaxed only and only, when the individual will start live more simple but completely for the nature and its creation.

The mantra is : Zero Expectation but 200 percent effort.

Ameen.

God Bless Everyone.

[markings]

The nature of mind is emptiness, voidness. From there all possibilities are open and anything can arise. People get scared because they think that this is an absolute nothingness but that is far from the truth.
It is a nothingness of thoughts without reference to something real, opinions, viewpoints, notions. IOW, it is a nothingness of mental activity which is not grounded in the physical.
One still has a body and looks after it but in a rational manner. One still has thoughts but they relate to other things and not oneself. Thus one can still plan, one still has choices, but based on rationality and a purpose beyond oneself. There is still learning, good food, wine, woman and song, the many things we enjoy and which make life worthwhile. The difference is that they are seen for what they are, temporary phenomena, some good and enjoyable, some bad and unpleasant.
What changes is that the constant referncing to a mental self decreases and eventually falls away.
Happiness is happiness as long as it lasts.
Unpleasantness is just that, as long as it lasts.
It is there but it does not happen to you, it simply happens where your body is at the moment. Move away, look at something else, see the beauty, walk away from the pain - and things change. Not to you, they just change, because to seek pleasure and avoid pain is a natural urge in all living beings.

[jerboa]

Thanks markings, I find that to be true also, there is some form or texture to thought which constancy is physical, based on prior experience/expression, though ultimately the conciousness would be unformed or uninformed to a degree, and the concept of an empty cup is self-fulfilling (no pun intended), but its quite easy to fill an empty cup. Still its just metaphors, the practice for me still needs work.

I find a good example in one of Disney's movies, when shrek talks about Orge's being like onions, layer upon layer (in this case) of permanence, though I would say decaying layers are just replaced with new layers, the outer ones being less permanent, the inner ones continuing with this body for longer periods of time until we move to a new body/form.

Interesting as well, now that societies influences can extend to very long distances through the world wide web, the social blue prints or schema's if thats the right word would take a lot of getting used to with world cultures and will probably always take a lot of getting used to.