When you dislike a person you only dislike your own feelings.

Sometimes two people see exactly the same person and can have two completely diffrent opinions. One may like the person and the other may dislike the person.

How does this happen?

What changes in the cognitive processing lead to these two completely different responses in the mind ?

We will first take an example to illustrate this. Supposing two people (A and B) see the same person (C), one may like the person C and the other one may dislike the person C. However these likes and dislike have nothing to do with the third person C. The person C is just an object that triggered a series of mental processes in each observer (A and B). The person C is completely unaware it.

Let us see how this happens. When the eyes of the person A and B meet the person C eye consciousness arises in both. The meeting of the the eye, the object and the eye consciousness will cause eye contact in each of them. This gives rise to perception, feeling and thought formation,* saying "I like you" in the person A and "I dont like you" in the person B. Previous memory about the person C is the critical factor for the differences in the opinion.The past memory of liking of the person C will influence the feeling and then the perception giving rise to positive thoughts. If the person A has never seen person C, some memory of familiarity to someone similar to C will influence the positive feeling. For example, the person A might think "she reminds me of my mother." The opposite mental process happens in person B. A past memory of dislike of person C will influence the feeling and negative thoughts. Again if the person B has never seen the person C, past memory of familiarity to some one similar will influence the negative feeling. For example the person B might think, "she looks like the person that always hates me."

It is clear that past memories inflence the feelings, perceptions and thereby subsequent series of thought formations. This way we may judge people too soon. The exact mechanism how this happens is explained in detail in previous posts like how the mind works, cognitive series andclinging.

The important thing to note here is that everything that happened was within the mind of the person A or B. The person C has nothing to do with it except being the trigger. It is not the person C that the person A likes or the person B dislikes. It is his own feelings the person A likes and it is his own feelings the person B dislikes. However the person A or B does not see it this way because of ignorance.

If you investigate this further you will find these are merely changes of "Name" phenomena (Nama Dhamma) of the "Name-and Form" (Nama-Rupa). They arise and fall away extremely fast speed with each sensory contact (please see the post on cognitive series). You will also find this all a mental process and there is no one really in control. There is no absolute free will. There is no person or a permanent self in charge. This is nothing other than the work of our six senses, working together with the five aggregates.

The same principal applies to everything we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think. The stress or suffering we cause ourselves has nothing to do with the another person or a thing. It is caused by our clinging to thoughts generated by our likes and dislikes and our perceptions based on previous memory. However it is very difficult for us to see this although it happens right here in our own minds even as I write this post (like) you read this post (like or dislike).

Only way to see this process clearly is through practice of mindfulness. We have already discussed this in a post called how to fix your mind.

*Please see the posts on mind works, cognitive series to understand the interaction between these mental processes such as consciousness, contact, feeling, perception and thought constructs (mental formations).

How smell rules your life

The unsung sense: How smell rules your life - life - 19 September 2011 - New Scientist

..."What's more, it is becoming clear that the brain's olfactory centres are intimately linked to its limbic system, which is involved in emotion, fear and memory. That suggests a link between smell and the way we think..."

Here is an extract from my model...

"...Sense consciousness from eye, ear,nose, tongue, body end up in the mind as a mental object..."

"...There are also thoughts that can be retrieved from memory in mind consciousness back into the mind. Mind consciousness may leave imprints of your past memory as sort of "auto save copy" in memory of your computer. The past memory in turn can influence your feelings, perceptions and thoughts."

To read more on this post follow this link:

http://wisdomthroughmindfulness.blogspot.com/2010/11/how-mind-works-revised-model.html

The "real pirates" of the mind

Imagine there is an anchored ship that is about to be hijacked by pirates. There are six pirate ships competing against each other to hijack the ship and bring it to their respective island. If the ship is not anchored well, it will be hijacked by the strongest pirate ship. However, if the ship is anchored very well the pirate ships are going to get exhausted and will eventually give up.

This is like what happens when we sit to meditate. If you do not anchor your breath well to the your whole body (breath fully immersed in the body*) your senses will "hijack" you. The ear may "hijack" you to the sound. Alternatively, our mind will "hijack" you to ideas (thoughts). The same may apply to the other senses too.** Whatever the strongest sense may be, it will hijack the perception of your breath. If you anchor the breath to your body strongly enough, eventually the senses will give up. This is one of the tasks in the early stages of breath meditation.

Buddha used a beautiful simile on this about the six animals in Chappana Sutta -The Six Animals.

Thanissaro Bhikkhu explains this well in few of his talks. Here are some links:Mind on a leash, The Breath All the Way (16 Steps), Breath Training, Animals in the Mind

*The breath "anchored" to whole body (breath fully immersed in the body)

In Buddhas words:

"He trains himself, 'I will breathe in sensitive to the entire body.' He trains himself, 'I will breathe out sensitive to the entire body."

Anapanasati Sutta: Mindfulness of Breathing

translated from the Pali by

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

"'Experiencing the whole body, I shall breathe in,' thinking thus, he trains himself. 'Experiencing the whole body, I shall breathe out,' thinking thus, he trains himself."

The Way of Mindfulness

The Satipatthana Sutta and Its Commentary

by

Soma Thera

**In formal sitting breath meditation usually mind/ideas, ears/sounds, nose/smells and body/sensations will distracts you the most as your eyes are closed (no eyes/objects) and there is no activity of the tongue/tastes. However in usual day to day life activities too we could apply this method of anchoring the breath when we are challenged with our senses, to prevent the mind getting agitated or stressed. Perhaps we already use this method instinctively without any formal training by "taking a deep breath" when we are stressed. However if you train yourself with formal breath meditation it will be much easier to anchor senses to the breath, restraining the senses and ultimately calming the mind more effectively.

Lewis Lancaster on Buddhist philosophy, perception and cognitive neuroscience

Mind is like a "working of a radio".

Mind is like a radio with six stations. It tunes into one station at a given time and that changes at a very rapid speed. The six receivers of the radio that receive the signals are like the six senses. The physical structure of the radio is like the brain. The radio signal that connects the receiver and generate the sound is like the consciousness.

In mindfulness meditation it is like tuning into one station at a time. For example, in breath meditation, we try to tune into the body and the sensation of breath. This connects mainly to the perception signal and that generates a thought about the breath (long or short). This is one of the circuits of breath meditation. If one tunes in well that person may be in a good state of concentration called "Samadhi". If one tunes out of it and tunes into the mind station fully (without having received any signals from the other five stations) this could be a like a higher state of mental absorption called "Jhana".

In insight meditation (Vipassana) one is fully aware that only one station works at a given time. Whatever the station one tunes in, the person sees the true nature of it (impermanence, suffering and non-self) and tunes out of it. Then the person awaits for the next signal to arise and fall away from the next station.

Unfortunately this is an old manual radio and therefore has no preset buttons like the modern ones. Therefore only way one can tune in and out is by practice and only by practice. There are no short cuts.

What is the cause unhappiness or suffering? It is all about craving.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

In Maha-satipatthana Sutta: Great Discourse on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness Buddha very clearly states where craving arises and is abandoned.

1. Where does craving arise?

"Where does this craving, when arising, arise? And where, when dwelling, does it dwell? Whatever is endearing & alluring in terms of the world: that is where this craving, when arising, arises. That is where, when dwelling, it dwells.

"And what is endearing & alluring in terms of the world? The eye is endearing & alluring in terms of the world. That is where this craving, when arising, arises. That is where, when dwelling, it dwells.

"The ear... The nose... The tongue... The body... The intellect...

"Forms... Sounds... Smells... Tastes... Tactile sensations... Ideas...

"Eye-consciousness... Ear-consciousness... Nose-consciousness... Tongue-consciousness... Body-consciousness... Intellect-consciousness...

"Eye-contact... Ear-contact... Nose-contact... Tongue-contact... Body-contact... Intellect-contact...

"Feeling born of eye-contact... Feeling born of ear-contact... Feeling born of nose-contact... Feeling born of tongue-contact... Feeling born of body-contact... Feeling born of intellect-contact...

"Perception of forms... Perception of sounds... Perception of smells... Perception of tastes... Perception of tactile sensations... Perception of ideas...

"Intention for forms... Intention for sounds... Intention for smells... Intention for tastes... Intention for tactile sensations... Intention for ideas...

"Craving for forms... Craving for sounds... Craving for smells... Craving for tastes... Craving for tactile sensations... Craving for ideas...

"Thought directed* at forms... Thought directed at sounds... Thought directed at smells... Thought directed at tastes... Thought directed at tactile sensations... Thought directed at ideas...

"Evaluation** of forms... Evaluation of sounds... Evaluation of smells... Evaluation of tastes... Evaluation of tactile sensations... Evaluation of ideas is endearing & alluring in terms of the world. That is where this craving, when arising, arises. That is where, when dwelling, it dwells.

"This is called the noble truth of the origination of stress.

Eye is not attached (fettered) to the object or object is not attached (fettered) to the eye. Same applies to other senses too. If these two are attached we have no chance of getting out of this samsara. This fetter is the craving (Figure 1). This is well explained in the Kotthita Sutta. Also see a old post related to this sutta called "Why are these two boots tied together".

We can now examine the craving in the mind works model. All these things happen in the mind in relation to the six senses and craving is present at every step. In the mind works model these steps are expanded as a flow chart to include all six senses and how it connects to the dependent origination is shown so that we understand this process more clearly. The red box on craving in the original mind works model is not shown here and is replaced by a large red star to indicate that this is this craving that applies in all these steps (Figure 2). The steps where craving arises and dwells are marked with small red stars.

Now next step is to consider where craving is abandoned. They are the same places where they arise and dwells. Please read the passage below.

2. Where is craving abandoned?

Where, when being abandoned, is this craving abandoned? And where, when ceasing, does it cease? Whatever is endearing & alluring in terms of the world: that is where, when being abandoned, this craving is abandoned. That is where, when ceasing, it ceases.

"And what is endearing & alluring in terms of the world? The eye is endearing & alluring in terms of the world. That is where, when being abandoned, this craving is abandoned. That is where, when ceasing, it ceases.

"The ear... The nose... The tongue... The body... The intellect...

"Forms... Sounds... Smells... Tastes... Tactile sensations... Ideas...

"Eye-consciousness... Ear-consciousness... Nose-consciousness... Tongue-consciousness... Body-consciousness... Intellect-consciousness...

"Eye-contact... Ear-contact... Nose-contact... Tongue-contact... Body-contact... Intellect-contact...

"Feeling born of eye-contact... Feeling born of ear-contact... Feeling born of nose-contact... Feeling born of tongue-contact... Feeling born of body-contact... Feeling born of intellect-contact...

"Perception of forms... Perception of sounds... Perception of smells... Perception of tastes... Perception of tactile sensations... Perception of ideas...

"Intention for forms... Intention for sounds... Intention for smells... Intention for tastes... Intention for tactile sensations... Intention for ideas...

"Craving for forms... Craving for sounds... Craving for smells... Craving for tastes... Craving for tactile sensations... Craving for ideas...

"Thought directed* at forms... Thought directed at sounds... Thought directed at smells... Thought directed at tastes... Thought directed at tactile sensations... Thought directed at ideas...

"Evaluation** of forms... Evaluation of sounds... Evaluation of smells... Evaluation of tastes... Evaluation of tactile sensations... Evaluation of ideas is endearing & alluring in terms of the world. That is where, when being abandoned, this craving is abandoned. That is where, when ceasing, it ceases.

"This is called the noble truth of the cessation of stress."

The Figure 3 shows the possible points of action that can be applied to this model (as shown in other posts). The Foundations of Mindfulness: (Satipatthana Sutta), the contemplation of the body (kayanupassana), feeling (vedananupassana), mind (cittanupassana), and mental objects (dhammanupassana) which is shown in yellow bubbles in the flow chart (Figure 2), is the training that will enable us to see things clearly. With wise attention (Yoniso manasikara), we can now contemplate onThe Three Characteristics (ti-lakkha.na), Impermanence (Anicca),Suffering or Unsatisfactoriness (dukkha) and Not-self or Insubstantiality (anattaa) and this is the is final common pathway of contemplation of insight. The craving is completely destroyed by by insight or vipassana meditation.

Craving can be seen more clearly at the points of the sensory objects, contacts, the five aggregates. This is why in insight meditation we work on the initial part of the model to get rid of craving. Wise attention is very important here. As the craving gets into stages of applied and sustained thoughts and especially mental/conceptual proliferation (about the past present and the future) it will be hard to recognize it and deal with it (see Figure 1).

Please note:

Form is used in the sutta instead of object in the model

Intellect is used in the sutta instead of the mind in the model

Ideas are used in the sutta instead of mental objects model

* Thought directed:This is applied and sustained thought according to the model.

**Evaluation This is mental proliferation (past, present and the future) according to the model.

What is the origination and the ending of the "World"?

Figure 1

Figure 2 (model #1)

Figure 3 (model #2)

Today I found an excellent sutta that supports our "mind works" model.

This is how the sutta starts:

Buddha:

"I will teach you the origination of the world & the ending of the world.

1. "What is the origination of the world?"

Dependent on the eye & (object)forms there arises eye-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes craving. From craving as a requisite condition comes clinging/sustenance. From clinging/sustenance as a requisite condition comes becoming. From becoming as a requisite condition comes birth. From birth as a requisite condition, then aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair come into play. This is the origination of the world.

The same applies to other senses too...

"Dependent on the ear & sounds there arises ear-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact... Dependent on the nose & aromas there arises nose-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact... Dependent on the tongue & flavors there arises tongue-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact... Dependent on the body & tactile sensations there arises body-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact... Dependent on the intellect & mental qualities there arises intellect-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes craving. From craving as a requisite condition comes clinging/sustenance. From clinging/sustenance as a requisite condition comes becoming. From becoming as a requisite condition comes birth. From birth as a requisite condition, then aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair come into play. This is the origination of the world.

This passage from the sutta basically confirms the vertical flow of our "mind works" model #1 in Figure 2. The unwise attention is an addition step I added on purpose to show the step where we go wrong and how we can fix it. The "world" here is referred to our six sensors (figure 1). It is not the physical world what we normally refer to as the world. Through the six senses we communicate with the connect external things around us. Therefore this is our sensory world. The Buddha sometimes called the six senses the "ALL".

Pleas read these posts to learn more about this:

What is the "All"

When the eye meet an object...

Not seeing how the six senses work, we recycle ourselves in the samsara.

2. What is the ending of the world?

Dependent on the eye & forms there arises eye-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes craving. Now, from the remainder-less cessation & fading away of that very craving comes the cessation of clinging/sustenance. From the cessation of clinging/sustenance comes the cessation of becoming. From the cessation of becoming comes the cessation of birth. From the cessation of birth, then aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair all cease. Such is the cessation of this entire mass of stress & suffering. This is the ending of the world.

The same applies to other senses too...

"Dependent on the ear & sounds there arises ear-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact... Dependent on the nose & aromas there arises nose-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact... Dependent on the tongue & flavors there arises tongue-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact... Dependent on the body & tactile sensations there arises body-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact... Dependent on the intellect & mental qualities there arises intellect-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes craving. Now, from the remainder-less cessation & fading away of that very craving comes the cessation of clinging/sustenance. From the cessation of clinging/sustenance comes the cessation of becoming. From the cessation of becoming comes the cessation of birth. From the cessation of birth, then aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair all cease. Such is the cessation of this entire mass of stress & suffering. This is the ending of the world."

The ending of the world mean no more birth. The end of suffering. The ultimate bliss. The Nirvana. No more birth of the six senses.

This passage from this sutta basically confirms the vertical flow of our "mind works" model Model#2 in Figure 3. The The Foundations of Mindfulness: (Satipatthana Sutta) , the contemplation of the body (kayanupassana), feeling (vedananupassana), mind (cittanupassana), and mental objects (dhammanupassana) which is shown in yellow bubbles in the flow chart (Figure 2), is the training and will enable us to see things clearly. With wise attention (Yoniso manasikara), an addition step I added in my model is to show the point of we can now contemplate on The Three Characteristics (ti-lakkha.na), Impermanence (Anicca), Suffering or Unsatisfactoriness (dukkha) and Not-self or Insubstantiality (anattaa) and this is the is final common pathway of contemplation of insight. The craving is completely destroyed by by insight or vipassana meditation.

To read the full sutta

Loka Sutta: The World

translated from the Pali by

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn12/sn12.044.than.html

Another sutta witha a similar theme:

Loka Sutta: The World