Glosses: Mind
43 excerpts, 2:19:03 total duration
“You spoke about ‘training the heart’ over the last couple of days. Could you tell more what ‘heart’ actually means from the point of practice? Thanks you.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Heart/mind ] // [Pāli] [Translation]
2014 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 2, Excerpt 4
“Can you please explain whether there is a difference between ‘mind’ and ‘consciousness,’ because everything seems to be experienced in the mind; the body is experienced in the mind; feelings also seem to be experienced by the mind, as well as perceptions, sensations, etc. Thank you for your teaching and explanation.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Heart/mind ] [Consciousness ] [Aggregates] [Nature of mind] // [Sutta] [Sense bases]
16. Quote: “The Eightfold Path is here within us. Two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, a tongue, and a body.” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Jack Kornfield. [Ajahn Chah] [Eightfold Path] [Sense bases] // [Heart/mind] [Buddha] [Dhamma] [Four Noble Truths]
17. Quote: “Look at others 10% of the time and look at yourself 90%; that’s about the right measure.” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Jack Kornfield. [Ajahn Chah] [Judgementalism ] [Admonishment/feedback] [Discernment] // [Idealism] [Conventions] [Heart/mind] [Vinaya]
Story: Ajahn Chah’s teacher eats sloppily. [Teachers] [Food] [Suffering]
27. Quote: “The mind, the heart, will become still in any surroundings, like a clear forest pool...” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Jack Kornfield. [Ajahn Chah] [Heart/mind] [Tranquility] [Similes] // [Mindfulness] [Naturalness] [Knowledge and vision] [Happiness] [Buddha]
8. Quote: “You’re strong. Now you need to make your heart as strong as your body.” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Joseph Kappel. [Ajahn Chah] [Heart/mind] // [Joseph Kappel] [Humility] [Family] [Culture/Natural environment]
18. “I was interested to hear the definition of mental formations as volitional. When I look at my mind, it sometimes seems like an undirected random generator of flashing images and unbidden thoughts, sometimes embarassingly perverse. I can only rest easily when I recollect not-self. Can you help me reconcile that with volitionality?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Volitional formations ] [Volition] [Heart/mind] [Proliferation] [Not-self] // [Perception] [Relinquishment] [Mindfulness] [Discernment]
5. “In the chant ‘Suffusion with the Divine Abidings,’ what does it mean “I will abide pervading the all encompassing world with a heart imbued with loving-kindness. Likewise the second...third...fourth’? Why does it not say something like ‘pervading the entire heart’?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Divine Abidings] [Heart/mind]
6. “Thank you for the teachings...Could you speak about the heart and mind which appear to be used interchangeably. How can we listen with discernment to the heart? How can we cultivate its strength?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Heart/mind] [Discernment]
13. “It makes sense that loving-kindness is the antidote to a person-directed ill-will, but what is the antidote to a more recurring, low-level, general aversion to experience?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Goodwill] [Ill-will] [Aversion ] // [Heart/mind] [Visualization]
14. “How can we awaken the sense metta within the heart and would you help me understand the beautiful image of the heat being a vessel filled with loving kindness that you bring people into rather than sending it out.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Goodwill] [Heart/mind]
2. “The citta is sometimes defined as pure awareness, and it being in the fourth khanda, but it sounds like here [Ajahn Wanchai] is talking about the activity of awareness?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Heart/mind] [Ajahn Wanchai] [Knowing itself] [Volitional formations] // [Rebirth]
Quote: “There is that which is beyond birth and death. And then you start asking, ‘Well, what is it and how is it? How should it be?’ It’s just the same as in the Sabbāsava Sutta (MN 2.7)...As soon as you get into conceiving, you’ve already started the process of dukkha.” [Unconditioned ] [Proliferation] [Conceit] [Suffering]
Follow-up: “So is it better to hear what he said and let it go when I notice awareness that’s good, but I don’t have to make anything out of it?” [Heart/mind]
Quote: “The investigation is not a conceiving. The best investigation is when the mind is exceedingly still and not conceiving, not creating concepts.” [Discernment] [Concentration]
Follow-up: “So is it a realizing, not a conceiving?” [Knowledge and vision]
11. “As the mind takes fabrications as its object, does the mind expand?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Upasikā Kee Nanayon] [Volitional formations] [Heart/mind] [Mindfulness of mind] [Thai Forest Tradition] // [Relinquishment]
3. Being able to recognize the difference between the mind itself and the moods or objects of the mind. Teaching by Ajahn Pasanno. [Knowing itself] [Mindfulness of dhammas] [Mindfulness of mind] [Thai Forest Tradition] // [Heart/mind]
22. The values of the Thai Forest Tradition. Teaching by Ajahn Pasanno. [Thai Forest Tradition ] // [Knowing itself] [Mindfulness] [Recollection/Buddha] [Four Noble Truths] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Tate] [Ajahn Mun] [Heart/mind] [Three Refuges]
Quote: “Pay attention to the difference between the mind and the objects of mind.” — Ajahn Mun. [Nature of mind] [Moods of the mind] [Heart/mind] [Discernment]
4. “You spoke about ‘training the heart’ over the last couple of days. Could you tell more what ‘heart’ actually means from the point of practice? Thanks you.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Heart/mind ] // [Pāli] [Translation]
7. “Thank you for these wonderful teachings. I understand that ‘citta’ is both the heart and mind but my felt experience is often so different. My mind is often crabby and critical and down right mean, at least to me, but my heart is soft and sweet and easily moved. In fact, my mind can make my heart cry! Please help with this dilemma. Much mettā.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Nature of mind] [Heart/mind] [Judgementalism]
9. “What is the difference between directed thought and verbal fabrication? Thank you for showing us patience.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Directed thought and evaluation] [Volitional formations] // [Mindfulness of breathing] [Heart/mind] [Feeling] [Perception]
Sutta: MN 44
15. “Can you please explain whether there is a difference between ‘mind’ and ‘consciousness,’ because everything seems to be experienced in the mind; the body is experienced in the mind; feelings also seem to be experienced by the mind, as well as perceptions, sensations, etc. Thank you for your teaching and explanation.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Heart/mind ] [Consciousness ] [Aggregates] [Nature of mind] // [Sutta] [Sense bases]
3. “Could you clarify the last two foundations of mindfulness?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness of mind] [Mindfulness of dhammas] [Right Mindfulness] // [Heart/mind] [Directed thought and evaluation] [Emotion]
4. “Could it be that the five cords of sensual pleasure need an outside stimulus to be activated while the mind is an internal frame of reference?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sensual desire] [Sense bases] [Heart/mind] [Right Mindfulness] // [Craving] [Concentration]
Sutta: MN 137: Replacing sensual pleasure with the pleasure of samādhi.
1. “In Right Mindfulness, Ajahn Ṭhānissaro focuses on how the first three tetrads apply to high states of concentation. How can these be useful in more mundane levels of meditation?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Right Mindfulness] [Mindfulness of breathing] [Jhāna] // [Investigation of states] [Rapture] [Volitional formations] [Heart/mind]
Commentary: Path of Purification by Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli, p. 137: Five levels of pīti.
1. “What is the Thai that is translated as “mind” and “mind objects?”” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Thai] [Translation] [Heart/mind] [Moods of the mind] // [Ajahn Mun] [Ajahn Chah]
9. “Is the goal (Nibbāna) a thought-less state of mind?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo and Ajahn Pasanno. [Nibbāna] [Heart/mind] [Directed thought and evaluation] [Formless attainments] // [Cessation of Suffering] [Relinquishment] [Impermanence]
“Who is the only person who doesn’t think? An arahant? A Buddha?” “No. The only person who doesn’t think is a dead person.” – Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Arahant] [Buddha] [Death]
4. “Can one sense-bases that starts the proliferation process lead to different sense-bases?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo and Ajahn Pasanno. [Sense bases] [Conditionality] [Proliferation] [Perception] // [Feeling] [Heart/mind]
3. “Ajahn Mun taught Ajahn Chah to distinguish between the mind and mind objects. Is the mind that distinguishes between these a development of ordinary mind or a larger mind that we tap into as we develop wisdom?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Mun] [Ajahn Chah] [Heart/mind] [Moods of the mind] [Not-self] [Nature of mind] [Discernment] // [Conditionality] [Liberation] [Direct experience]
Response: Both of these are wrong. [Proliferation]
Sutta: MN 11 Cūḷasīhanāda Sutta
8. “What to do when you have a lot of freedom in your mind, but in your body you’re stuck with a bad habit?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Desire] [Liberation] [Heart/mind] [Form] [Habits] [Craving] // [Direct experience] [Meditation/Techniques] [Language] [Mindfulness of breathing]
5. “Is the purpose of jhāna aand meditation to build up the strength of the mind so we will be able to contemplate the Four Noble Truths?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Meditation] [Heart/mind] [Four Noble Truths] [Jhāna] // [Calming meditation] [Insight meditation]
Sutta: AN 4.170: In Conjunction
18. “If mind and consciousness are impermanent, what/who is aware? Also, who/what is it that experiences the results of karma, especially after the body dies and perhaps is reborn?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Heart/mind] [Consciousness] [Impermanence] [Nature of mind ] [Kamma] [Rebirth] // [Conditionality] [Clinging] [Doctrine-of-self clinging]
6. Story: Ajahn Pasanno visits the elderly Cambodian monk Mahāgossānanda who has Alzheimer’s disease. Told by Ajahn Pasanno. [Preah Mahāghosānanda] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Sickness] // [Dalai Lama] [Divine Abidings] [Ajahn Chah] [Heart/mind]
Quote: “That thing you learn in meditation—that you don’t lose.” — Ajahn Fuang. [Ajahn Fuang] [Meditation] [Liberation]
Story: A monk known for psychic powers visits Ajahn Chah’s sick room and reports: “You don’t have to worry about Ajahn Chah. His heart is so bright.” [Psychic powers] [Dependent origination] [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Lunar observance days]
8. “In the mindful breathing sutta, what is the difference between “mind” and “mental fabrication”? And what is meant by “satisfying the mind” in step 10?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness of breathing] [Heart/mind] [Volitional formations] [Gladdening the mind] // [Pāli]
Sutta: MN 118 Ānāpānasati Sutta.
9. “Can Ajahn Pasanno teach us how Ajahn Chah teaches or gives techniques on physical states and mental states? Can you tell us more about Ajahn Chah’s biography, for example, when and how Ajahn Chah wanted to become a monk?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Form] [Heart/mind] // [Christianity] [Conditionality]
Recollection: Ajahn Chah engaged in conversation with the villagers before the meal to reveal the junior monks’ desires around food. [Idle chatter] [Food] [Sensual desire]
Advice from Ajahn Chah: “Don’t admonish anybody before the meal.” [Admonishment/feedback]
Update about the progress on the new Ajahn Chah biography. [Dhamma books] [Ajahn Jayasaro]
Reference: Stilness Flowing
Story: Nine year old Ajahn Chah goes to the monastery after getting fed up with household chores. [Culture/Thailand] [Geography/Thailand] [Faith] [Monasteries] [Family] [Work]
8. “Would you please speak a little bit more about “mindfulness” and the “sati” factor, since it seems to me that most, if not all, things register in consciousness. For example, “discursive” thoughts are registered in consciousness just as thoughts and we are aware of the thoughts themselves. What distinguishes “mindfulness” from lack of mindfulness during this process?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness ] [Consciousness] [Proliferation] // [Right Mindfulness ] [Ardency] [Thai] [Hinduism] [Clear comprehension] [Seclusion]
Sutta: MN 10: Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta
Commentary: Path of Purification by Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli, p. 431: The relationship between sampajañña and pañña. [Discernment]
Definition of mindfulness from P. A. Payutto: “That quality of mind which draws the objects of the senses into the heart.” [P. A. Payutto] [Sense bases] [Heart/mind]
Quote: “It’s like this.” — Ajahn Sumedho. [Ajahn Sumedho]
8. “This morning you talked about sense, object, contact, feeling, etc. and gave the example of the eye and object coming in contact. The sixth sense is the heart/mind, correct? And the object is the heart/mind? Can you give an example?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sense bases] [Heart/mind]
7. “Mind is impermanent correct? So when the Buddha says that the mind is radiant and it gets obscured by defilements, does this mean that the mind that arises without defilements in that moment is radiant?....so radiance is composed of many minds arising and passing away without defilements?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Heart/mind] [Impermanence] [Nature of mind]
1. Quote: “That person is making me suffer....If they would just smarten up and do what I like, then I would be happy. My life would be smooth and peaceful again, just like it always was before.” — Ajahn Pasanno. [Cause of Suffering] [Humor] [Politics and society]
Quote: “Don’t believe your mind. It’s a liar and a cheat.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Heart/mind] [False speech] [Delusion]
17. “Is there a special way to develop lovingkindness?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Goodwill] // [Heart/mind] [Forgiveness] [Mindfulness of feeling]
7. “You mentioned Ajahn Chah reflecting on viññaṇadhatu. Was this the consciousness of the six senses or something more fundamental like citta?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Consciousness] [Elements] [Sense bases] [Recollection] [Heart/mind] // [Release] [Liberation]
8. “Did the Buddha ever say to send lovingkindness to oneself?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Goodwill] [Tipiṭaka] // [Heart/mind] [Spaciousness]
Reference: Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 43.
Note: Not all translations of this passage include the phrase “to all as to myself.” For examples, see the available online translations of AN 4.125 and AN 3.65.
12. “Is the ‘knowing’ awareness, presence, consciousness? Can you say more about this?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Knowing itself] [Consciousness] [Nature of mind] // [Mindfulness of breathing] [Knowledge and vision] [Four Noble Truths] [Heart/mind] [Sense bases]
7. When and how to develop the mind of lovingkindness. Teaching by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Principles of Cordiality] [Goodwill] [Heart/mind] [Communal harmony] // [Aversion] [Conflict] [Patience] [Spaciousness]
Sutta: MN 48: Kosambi Sutta.
Quote: “Peaceful coexistence with the unpleasant.” — Ajahn Sumedho’s definition of patience. [Ajahn Sumedho]
2. “In the Ānāpānasati Sutta there are many steps. Is there space in these to investigate the causes and conditions for greed, anger, and delusion?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Investigation of states] [Conditionality] [Unwholesome Roots] [Mindfulness of breathing] // [Mindfulness of mind] [Heart/mind] [Calming meditation] [Hindrances] [Mindfulness of dhammas] [Impermanence]
Reflection by Ajahn Pasanno: Mindfulness of breathing is not a linear process. You have to work with what’s actually helpful.
3. “I’m not clear about the third and fourth tetrads of ānāpānasati. Do you have to be able to calm the cittasaṅkhāra in order to experience the citta?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Heart/mind] [Volitional formations] [Mindfulness of breathing]
3. “Could you please elaborate on how you generate the images and feelings of metta? My metta practice phrases always seem a bit dry.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Goodwill ] // [Commentaries] [Heart/mind] [Visualization] [Nimitta] [Bhante Gunaratana]
5. “I have had many losses over the year, and both my parents passed away six years ago. I found that taking refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma, and Saṅgha, keeping the precepts, and having daily meditation practice helps. There is peacefulness and gratitude. I have heard that if one wants to share merits with the deceased, one could. What is the proper way? Could you give some guidance?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Death] [Grief] [Parents] [Merit ] // [Recollection/Virtue] [Goodwill] [Translation] [Three Refuges] [Precepts] [Generosity] [Happiness]
Sutta: Iti 22: “Do not be afraid of puñña.”
Quote: “Puñña is accomplished through the heart itself.” [Heart/mind] [Cultural context]
Quote: “A spark of merit is worth more than a mountain of effort.” — Tibetan saying. [Vajrayāna] [Self-identity view]