The mind moves here and there in the company of many thoughts. This swirling mass of thoughts or internal mind states are constantly added to by new thoughts generated by external events. These new thoughts are generated by how we grasp an external event through our sensory organs such as the eye, ear, nose, tongue and body. We experience an external form by seeing with the eye and becoming eye-conscious. Similarly, for each of the other senses – we experience sounds with the ear, smells with the nose, tastes with the tongue, and touch with the body and become conscious of each of these sensations.
These internal states of mind – what are they? From birth through early childhood and adolescence as we are able to comprehend, we gradually absorb impressions, knowledge and concepts from parents, teachers, books and newspapers, the internet. We deposit these in our mind as a database or reference library of our internal states of mind. These mind states are generated by the signals dispatched from our sensory organs such as the eye, ear, nose, tongue and body experiencing and grasping an external event. When we experience something new, the mind files it away. Then when we experience it again, the mind is aware that this has been experienced before and is familiar. Or we are able to determine something we don’t know, by comparing with the information we have and concluding that it is something new.
In our daily life, interpreting experiences is a necessary skill. But, we can also interpret things and come to a wrong conclusion resulting in faulty views. So, all our mind states are created by ourselves.
There is a word in the Buddha’s teaching known as Raga. This word means clinging and attachment. We become attached to our experiences created by the signals we receive through our sense organs. These are the thoughts or mind states that make up our mind. We learn facts and figures relevant to the subject we are focused on, or information we need for everyday living. We can continue to increase this knowledge without it being a problem. What we are referring to here are mind states that exhaust us, make us tired and sick of life, those mind states that are not peaceful that lead us astray and to lose our way. Why do we meditate? We meditate to cultivate a peaceful mind. A mind that is not peaceful is very stressful. The world we experience is therefore one that is created by the sense organs.
The mind is a fast-moving energy. The mind is one that moves from one mind state to another mind state, constantly creating various mind states. This is the nature of the mind. Because of this fast-moving nature, we have the impression that the externally generated mind states are stable. Our experiences last a brief time.
But all things are subject to change and are changing from moment to moment. For example, the reason why a person’s life is divided in to periods such as childhood and youth to describe such change. One other reason why we associate thoughts with time and feel as though they dwell for periods of time, is because in life we attend to a variety of tasks and activities and time is taken up by these. What we want to accomplish through this Dhamma investigation, or research is that while we are attending all our tasks and activities, we can observe and understand the speed with which our mind works and the nature of the changes. This understanding helps us achieve a peaceful state of mind.
Raga means the attachment of the mind. If the mind gets attached to something that is Raga. These states of mind due to attachment generates feelings. Those states of minds and feelings that we desire have consequences.
What really is the result of minds that are attached? Minds that indulge in feelings of enjoyment are prone to change. These situations don’t stay the same, or the way we want them to. They stay that way only for a short time. These feelings do not last and are not permanent. When they do not stay the way we want them to, then we feel sad, disappointed. If things don’t stay the way we want them to, then the result of the attachment is not productive, or useless. If things stay the way we want, that is pleasurable, but it does not, then what is the point of being attached to something that is unproductive? If there is no attachment, there is no disappointment, sadness and grief. Where there is no attachment, there is nothing to lose.
Dosha is the turbulence and anger that occurs in the mind when we don’t get what we want. This is when it is helpful to understand that the states of mind and thoughts we are holding on to and grasping and attached to are transient and temporary, impermanent. If we understand that these attachments are not permanent, then the mind will not have the same expectations. When we realize that attachment is without results, then there is no turbulence in the mind, no grief and disappointment. This is a very important realization. We are liberated from a mind that has lost its way and is imprisoned. The mind that is imprisoned can break all bonds and fetters and come to this ultimate realization. You are now liberated and free. In the midst of life’s challenges and obstacles, this realization of the nature of life, you can be truly happy and peaceful. You will be invigorated by your liberated mind.
Bhante Pannasiri