"Ruts" in the mind

Imagine a stream of water flowing over a large rock. Over time it will make small tracks on the rock that will gradually become grooves and eventually become big ruts.  It is similar to what happens in the mind.  The mind learns patterns though our habitual ways of thinking. As we discussed in the last post (How can we train ourselves to be kind and compassionate?) what we keep thinking and pondering about becomes the inclination of our minds. If we have thoughts of sensual desires, ill will and harm all the time, that will become the inclination of our mind. The result will be greed, anger and hatred.  If the ruts we have made are deep no matter how we try to pour water on the rock the water will travel only in the direction of the ruts. However the good news is that in the mind we can wipe all these old ruts and make new ones. This requires work. This is the training of the mind through meditation, specifically loving-kindness meditation.  When we have thoughts of non-sensuality (less greed), loving-kindness and compassion that will become the inclination of our mind. This will result in more generosity, loving-kindness, compassion and altruistic joy. Now these "ruts of the mind" will benefit you and people around you.

There is now much evidence in neuroscience to show that we can form new neural pathways according to how we train our minds. This is known as  Neuroplasticity.  Here is some of the latest research to  show how compassion meditation can change your neural pathways in the brain:Imaging finds different forms of meditation may affect brain structure Meditation’s positive residual effects.

Also see:

Two Kinds of Thoughts

The five hindrances: Like a "bowl of water" (mind) with different contaminants

The Five Hindrances- Like a "clear a bowl of water" (still mind) with different contaminants or situations. 

(Please click on the picture to enlarge)

The five hindrance obstuct the path to our right concentration or stillness of the mind. So it is good to identify these as we meditate and be mindful when they come to our mind. In Sangarava sutta (SN 46.55) Buddha give 5 beautiful similes to illustrate the mind obstructed by the five hindrances.  The mind when covered with the five hinderances is like clear a bowl of water (still mind) with different contaminants or situations.

1. Sensory desire kāmarāga: - Imagine a bowl of water mixed with lac, turmeric, dark green or crimson dye. If a man with good eyesight were to look at the reflection of his own face in it, he would not know or see it as it really was.

2. Ill will -vyāpāda - Imagine a bowl of water, heated on a fire, boiling up and bubbling over. If a man with good eyesight were to look at the reflection of his own face in it, he would not know or see it as it really was

3. Sloth and torpor - thīnamiddhā - Imagine a bowl of water covered over with slimy moss and water-plants. If a man with good eyesight were to look at the reflection of his own face in it, he would not know or see it as it really was 

4. Restlessness and remorse - uddhaccakukkucca - Imagine a bowl of water ruffled by the wind, so that the water trembled, eddied and rippled. If a man with good eyesight were to look at the reflection of his own face in it, he would not know or see it as it really was. 

5. Doubt - vicikicchā - Imagine a bowl of water, agitated, stirred up muddied, put in a dark place. If a man with good eyesight were to look at the reflection of his own face in it, he would not know or see it as it really was.

Sangarava sutta (SN 46.55)

What gets in the way of our right concentration or stillness: The Five hindrances

The five hindrance obstuct the path to our right concentration or stillness of the mind. So it is good to identify these as we meditate and be mindful when they come to our mind. We have to use the antidotes for each one of them as and when they come up during meditation.

According to the book "Mindfulness bliss and beyond" (page 47),

Type of Hindrance and How to overcome it:

1. Sensory desire - Just take the attention away from the five senses little by little and apply it to the breath or the mind.

2. Ill will - Do some loving- kindness.

3. Sloth and torpor - Remember to “give value to awareness.”

4. Restlessness and remorse - “Contentment, contentment, contentment” or practice forgiveness.

5. Doubt - Be confident and be inspired by the teachings.

The  "Mindfulness bliss and beyond"  book also says: "Whenever you meditate, apply the solutions methodically. That way, the obstacles you experience won’t create long- term barriers. They’re things that you can recognize, overcome, and move beyond. 

Samatha (tranquillity) and Vipassana (insight) Meditation: The bottom line is don't debate, just do it!

There has been so much discussions and debates between Samatha (tranquillity) and Vipassana (insight) meditation methods. Ajahn Brahm says "it is like the two sides of the same hand."  Ajahn Chah once said it is like "two ends of the same stick, if you pull from one end the other end invariably moves." This means they are closely related and hard to separate as two distinct techniques. Buddha briefly talks about these two paths in Yuganaddha Sutta. In this post I propose a map to show how they are intricately related. I have used the stages as shown in Ajahn Brhams book "Mindfulness bliss and beyond" to outline path of breath meditation that leads to The Right Concentration (Jhanas, 1-4). The Last two factors of The Noble Eightfold Path after The Right Concentration, The Right Wisdom (knowledge) and The Right Release is also shown here to complete the tenfold path as shown in Maha-chttarisaka (The great Forty) Sutta.

The bottom line is don't debate, Just do it!

P.S. Here is a related podcast from Ajahn Brahm from his recent visit to Toronto, in November 2012.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

November 6, 2012 – Public Talk: “Samatha and Vipassana meditation practices: Are these two different methods or two aspects of the same technique?”

Further investigation of the second Noble Truth: The Craving

We discussed the first noble truth in a previous post. Here we will try to explore the second noble truth, the cause of suffering or stress. This is nothing other than our craving. There are three types of cravings. Craving for sensual desires, craving for existence and craving for non-existence. In this post we will focus on craving for sensual desires. In a previous post we discussed where craving arises and is abandoned as discussed in Maha-satipattana sutta.  However it is not clear what craving is in terms of five aggregates as it has to belong to one of them.

Figure 1: "The eye is not the fetter of forms, nor are forms the fetter of the eye, but whatever desire & ; passion arises in dependence on the two of them: That is the fetter there." -"Kotthita Sutta:

It seems like craving is a just another mental formation (fabrication) or a thought. Although it is said that craving arises dependent on the eye and the object it actually arises in the mind as thoghts.  It does not arise at the eye or at the object (Figure 1). Nor dose it arise at the level of eye conciseness or contact.  When Buddha said this where craving arises and is abandoned in each point of cognitive process as discussed in Maha-satipattana sutta, it is likely what he really meant that craving was the result of this series of dependently arisen processes on the cognitive path. So when you see an object you will generate perceptions, feelings, and thoughts about the object (Figure 2: blue, purple, yellow lines). This is the initial cognitive series and this is how we get our basic information about the object. This requires minimum of four or more cognitives series. This is the bare awareness* necessary for us to function. If this is a pleasing object pleasant feelings thoughts and perceptions will arise. These will lead to more thoughts and the mind keeps feeding on these thoughts of lust or unskilful desires. This is what is called craving.  Previous memory about the object will influence this.  Stronger the past memory of craving and clinging to the object we have stronger the craving to the present object we see. The cognitive series here is similar to how the mind feeds on the thoughts from the memory of the object as shown in a previous post (Figure 2: green lines). They become our thoughts of craving and we cling to them as it feeds the mind. This complex patterns of thoughts intertwined between thoughts about the object and craving can repeat itself as long as there is an object in the sight (attention) or mind (attention and memory).

Figure 2: This figure shows two sets of series of cognitive paths which are basically mental formations (sankara/fabrications) received by the mind. The first set is the initial cognitive series that brings in the basic information necessary to recognize the object. These are shown here as thoughts about the object. The second set of cognitive series are thoughts of craving influenced by previous memories are shown here as thoughts of craving.

Lets look at this in more detail in terms of the five aggregates. We now know the multiple thoughts of craving will lead to clinging.  So when we say we cling to the five aggregates we are really NOT clinging to the objects, feelings, perceptions or mental formations (thoughts) directly.  What really happens is we create multiple thoughts of craving and we cling with our thoughts.  Obviously the feeling is greatly influenced by our perceptions and previous memories about the object.  This feeling is expressed by initial thoughts and  followed by thoughts of craving as discussed above.  So when we say "feeling leads to craving and craving leads to clinging" the dependent origination formula,  this is what happens at the level of the mind.


It is also important to remember that ALL these processes happen EXCLUSIVELY within our mind (the aggregates arise and pass away rapidly) and it has nothing to do with the object (or the person) we saw, except it was only a trigger.  You only like dislike your own feelings.  That is all! The object or the person has no idea of what happened within your mind and will not be affected by it (unless you decide to express verbally or physically).

So if we examine carefully with wise attention wee can see how we create our own suffering and stress.  This is the second noble truth.  It is also important to note here that the five aggregates arise and pass away very quickly and are not permanent entities of the mind as discussed in a previous post. This is called instant impermanence of aggregates.  If we try to see this from moment to moment with insight  we begin to see how long we have been deluded in this samsaric journey.  With practice of insight meditation one penetrates in to this direct knowledge within oneself.  The application of this in day to day life can lead to disenchantment (distaste), dispassion and eventually to release. 

The craving therefore is nothing but a mental formation (fabrication) arisen dependently on an sensual object and sense organ. 


(In this post we examined  the craving for sensuality. The same applies to other sense organs and their respective stimuli as well. Same principal applies to craving for existence and craving for non-existence.)


*The bare awareness with the initial cognitive series with no craving to generate further  influxes of thoughts (taitns) may be the an Arahant's mind works. They have no craving, no mental proliferation's (no re-feeding) of the mind, therefore no clinging and no more future births. They may therefore function with only the primary cognitive series of thoughts.  This may be what the brief instructions Buddha gave to Bahiya in Bahiya sutta.  Here is a brief extract "...Bahiya, you should train yourself thus: In reference to the seen, there will be only the seen. In reference to the heard, only the heard. In reference to the sensed, only the sensed. In reference to the cognized, only the cognized. That is how you should train yourself... "

 "Bahiya Sutta: About Bahiya" (Ud 1.10), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight, 8 July 2010,http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.1.10.than.html . Retrieved on 25 June 2012.

Buddhism and Science:Introductory Video, Oxford University

The complete set of recordings is on www.voicesfromoxford.org Click on Events, then on Buddhism and Science.

Its a feeding frenzy! Not only the mind feeds on thoughts, it also regurgitates and chews on them.

The mind always likes to feed on thoughts. Sometimes this happens even when sleeping. Not only the mind feeds on thoughts it also regurgitates and chews on them. Just like a cow that chews on old grass that has been eaten before (Figure 1).

Figure 1

Lets see how it works. Mind gets the basic information about the external world from our five senses. This is shown in the mind works model. All the information that arrives is finally channeled to the mind as thoughts (Figure 2). They are stored as memory. They become mind objects and and can be retrieved and fed to the mind again and again. This become a continuous loop of feeding of thoughts to the mind (figure 4). This is what was meant by regurgitation and chewing of them again. This is also referred to as mental proliferation. We will explore this further in the next step.

Figure 2: This figure shows how the information from the senses flow to the mind. Mind eventually receives all the information from the senses. It can then retrieve them making a continuous loop.

In the Figure 3 it is shown how the mind feeds on thoughts. The eye is taken as the sense organ and an object taken as the sense stimulus in the example. We hang on to these thoughts triggered by the object with craving and this is what we call clinging to sensuality. The information that flows to the mind as thoughts are called the taints. As long as there is craving and clinging, mind is not free from taints. This is the pattern seen in an ordinary person (untrained mind). The Arahants have no craving or clinging. They therefore are free from all taints. There are no spontaneous flow of thoughts triggered by craving and clinging after the object is seen. These thoughts stop after its purpose is done. There are no spontaneous flow of thoughts. This is what is meant when said "in reference to the seen, there will be only the seen" in Bahiya sutta. These thoughts therefore do not generate any kamma (positive or negative) as they are free from taints (please see the post on taints for further discussions).

Figure 3: This figure shows the flow of thoughts in a ordinary person looking at an object.

In Figure 4 it shows that the visual object is no longer present. However the memory of the object already stored can be retrieved as mental objects and fed back into to the mind. This is how we feed the mind about the past objects we have seen. This is a type of mental nutriment (mano-sancetanaa). This process is called mental proliferation and in this case it is about the past. This is what was meant when it was said that the "mind chews on the regurgitated thoughts." Just like "a cow chews on old grass it has eaten before."

Figure 4: This figure shows how memory about the object is retrieved by the mind (craving is not shown in this figure).

We now know that the mind has to be fed. It is always hungry by nature. At least it is better to feed the mind with healthy food and not with junk food. Not only we feed on our old food we also have this habit of feeding on food scarps that other people throw at us. Sometimes we can get mentally sick or depressed feeding on them. There is an interesting story in Akkosa sutta how Buddha refused to feed on another persons words of abuse. So if you decide to feed on mental food at least feed on healthy food. Healthy food can generate good kamma. These are thoughts of your generosity, virtue and practice of meditation. Buddha compared higher mental absorptions (The four Rupa Jhanas) experienced through meditations like the internal food and medicine to the mind. However the ultimate goal is to stop feeding on all thoughts. This is the mind of an Arahant. This is when the feeding frenzy finally stops.

If you want to explore more on this subject please listen to these talks on "mental food" by Thanissaro Bhikkhu:

1. "New Feeding Options"

2. Feeding on feeding

3. Beyond Inter-eating

Stress: Its all about clinging to the activity of the five aggregates

Figure 1: This figures shows that clinging to five aggregates is the basis of stress or suffering

Buddha did not say life is stress and suffering. Buddha only said there is stress and suffering in life (the First Noble Truth). What some people fail to see is that not only he said there is stress and suffering in life, he also gave the cause for it (the Second Noble Truth), how to get rid of it (the Third Noble Truth) and a clear path to get rid of this stress and suffering (the Fourth Noble Truth).

When we talk about the First Noble Truth it is about stress or suffering. Here is a extract from Maha- satipatthana sutta (The four foundations of mindfulness):

"Now what is the noble truth of stress?

Birth is stressful, aging is stressful, death is stressful; sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair are stressful; association with the unbeloved is stressful; separation from the loved is stressful; not getting what one wants is stressful.

In short, the five clinging-aggregates are stressful..."

" Maha-satipatthana Sutta: The Great Frames of Reference" (DN 22), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight, 15 October 2011,http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.22.0.than.html . Retrieved on 17 January 2012.

What does it really mean when you say "In short, the five clinging-aggregates are stressful."?

Let us take the first cause stress or suffering which is birth. As we all know when the fetus comes through the birth canal there is a lot of moulding of the head and the body. There must be a lot of pain perceived by the child being born. This is implied by the loud cry of every child as the fist response after birth. This is the expression of stress.

The perception of the pain during birth is the activity of the mind. It is basically the activity of the five aggregates. It is the body and touch sensation, body consciousness, contact, feeling, perception... as we have discussed in previous posts. Please see mind works model to appreciate the flow of Nama Dhamma (conciousness, contact, feeling, perception, and thoughts) for further reference. This is why birth stress is in short defined as clinging to the activity of the five aggregates.

Same principal applies to all the stresses shown in the diagram above (Figure 1) whether it is physical or mental stress. These include the stress of aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain (physical), distress (mental pain), despair, association with un-beloved, separation form the loved and not getting what one wants. They all are ultimately perceived by the mind and become activities of the five aggregates of clinging. Mind does not have hands to cling. We cling with our thoughts. Craving facilitates this clinging. Witout Craving there is no clinging. So we now come to the second Noble Truth, the Noble Truth of the origination of stress. This is nothing other than our Craving.

Therefore the first noble truth, the noble truth of suffering and stress is all about clinging to the five aggregates.

The story of the two arrows: Physical pain is inevitable but the mental pain is optional

Physical pain and mental pain are not the same. It is important to recognize these two as distinct entities. The physical pain of the body is received by the mind. A mind untrained (uninstructed person) will cling on to the pain with thoughts aversion and will add the second pain in addition to the physical pain. This is the mental pain or suffering. Now you have two pains instead of one.

Buddha explained this very nicely in the Sallatha Sutta. He compares the physical pain to the first arrow and the mental pain to a second arrow. The physical pain we all have to endure. However the mental pain we create due to our own ignorance and it is optional.

According to the Sallatha Sutta:

"When touched with a feeling of pain, the uninstructed run-of-the-mill person sorrows, grieves, & laments, beats his breast, becomes distraught. So he feels two pains, physical & mental. Just as if they were to shoot a man with an arrow and, right afterward, were to shoot him with another one, so that he would feel the pains of two arrows; in the same way, when touched with a feeling of pain, the uninstructed run-of-the-mill person sorrows, grieves, & laments, beats his breast, becomes distraught. So he feels two pains, physical & mental..."

"Now, the well-instructed disciple of the noble ones, when touched with a feeling of pain, does not sorrow, grieve, or lament, does not beat his breast or become distraught. So he feels one pain: physical, but not mental. Just as if they were to shoot a man with an arrow and, right afterward, did not shoot him with another one, so that he would feel the pain of only one arrow. In the same way, when touched with a feeling of pain, the well-instructed disciple of the noble ones does not sorrow, grieve, or lament, does not beat his breast or become distraught. He feels one pain: physical, but not mental..."

"Sallatha Sutta: The Arrow" (SN 36.6), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight, 30 June 2010,http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn36/sn36.006.than.html . Retrieved on 15 January 2012.

The physical pain is received by the mind in a series of sensory inputs from the neuronal pathways to the brain. The brain receives this as a pain sensation. The mind recognizes this thorough a series of mental changes consciousness, contact, feeling, perception and thoughts. Please see the mind works model for arising and passing these Nama Dhamma. It is also discussed in the post on The five aggregates: a self generating entity. We dislike the unpleasent feeling of this pain and we create a series of thoughts of aversion and clinging to them and creating our own mental suffering. Seeing this as it happens and letting go of it is the work of insight.

Also listen to:The Arrows of Emotion by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Related science news:Why chronic pain is all in your head

Published: Sunday, July 1, 2012 - 20:01 in Health & Medicine
http://esciencenews.com/articles/2012/07/01/why.chronic.pain.all.your.head

The five aggregates: A "SELF" generating entity

Figure 1: The five aggregates

Figure 2:The five aggregates are arranged according to the sequence they are generated as shown in the mind works model (figure 3). The usual order in which the five aggregates are described in the literature is form, feeling, perception, mental formation (fabrication) and consciousness (figure 1).

"And why do you call them 'fabrications'? Because they fabricate fabricated things, thus they are called 'fabrications.' What do they fabricate as a fabricated thing? For the sake of form-ness, they fabricate form* as a fabricated thing. For the sake of feeling-ness, they fabricate feeling* as a fabricated thing. For the sake of perception-hood, they fabricate perception* as a fabricated thing. For the sake of fabrication-hood, they fabricate fabrication* as a fabricated thing. For the sake of consciousness-hood, they fabricate consciousness* as a fabricated thing. Because they fabricate fabricated things, they are called fabrications."

- "Khajjaniya Sutta: Chewed Up" (SN 22.79), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight, 29 June 2010,http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.079.than.html . Retrieved on 2 January 2012.

* The five aggregates

Here "sankara" (of the five aggregates) are translated as fabrications. In the Figure 1 & 2 above it is translated as mental formations. These are mainly "cetana" or intentions that consist of thoughts. The thoughts are responsible for regeneration maintenance of our current form (body). These thoughts direct us to maintain the form by feeding it with nutrients. Therefore mental formations or sankara have the ability to fabricate the form. The mental formations also can fabricate or regenerate more consciousness (mind-consciousness), feeling, perceptions and more mental formations (see Figure 3).

Figure 3: The basic mind works model

Not only in the present life, mental formations or thoughts are responsible for generation of future form in the rebirth process.

The six senses in the form generate consciousness dependent on the sense base (eye, ear...) and give rise to contact (Figure 3). The sequence of events that happen from here on are discussed in detail in the mind works model. This will give rise to further perception, feeling and in tun more thoughts (mental formations) in our present life as discussed before.

These thoughts (intentions) become our kamma for the next birth. The last thought will determine the rebirth-consciousness that will link with the next name-and-form and this is explained in the post on last thought and rebirth.

The main message in this post is mental formation is the key player in reconstructing or fabricating, form, feeling, perception, (more)mental formations and consciousness as a self perpetuating cycle. This process not only influence this life but also the next life.

A person or a being is basically a process or a "SELF" generating entity (please see the post on the anatomy of a being) of Rupa Dhamma (form/six senses) generating Nama Dhamma (feeling, perceptions, mental formations and consciousness or perceptions, feeling, mental formations, contact, attention as described in elsewhere). There is only clinging to a distorted perception of "SELF." There is no "person" or "SELF" in control. These Nama Dhammas constantly arise and pass away. The form that consists of the four elements (solid, liquid, heat, gas) will arise and pass away too just as the Nama Dhamma. This change in form or its existence is perceived by the mind (as a perception) and therefore this can be basically seen as a Nama Dhamma (please see the post on "The five aggregates: They are all activities of the mind)". Seeing this clearly as it happens in the present moment is the work of insight.

The last thought and rebirth: A possible mechanism

Figure 1: The basic Mind Works Model

The six senses in the form generate consciousness dependent on the sense base (eye, ear...) and give rise to contact (Figure 1). The sequence of events that happen from here on are discussed in detail in the mind works model. This will give rise to perceptions, feelings and thoughts (mental formations) in our present life as shown above. These perceptions, feelings and thoughts are influenced by our memories.

These thoughts (intentions) become our kamma for birth. The last thought will determine the rebirth-consciousness that will link with the next name-and-form and this is explained in the post, rebirth: how does it work?

When the present body dies, the six senses cease to exist. However the last contact from the senses (eye in this example) will keep generating throghts as shown in the video below. This suggests the mind can still be active when the body is clinically dead. Activity of the mind after clinical death is shown in scientific research published on Near Death experience (NDE). It is possible that one of these thoughts become the last thought. This thought will determine the last mind consciousness and that will become the rebirth-consciousness. The rebirth-consciousness will link with a new Name-and-Form and produce a rebirth or a new form (body). This body will hvae six senses and this process will go on (See Figure 2, Video).

Figure 2, Video