Dhamma Letter No. 136
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Dhamma Letter No. 136
Satipatthana 53: Cittānupassanā (Observation of mind) 마음관찰 7: Q & A 32 What is the difference between thinking and observing the mind?
Q: What is the difference between thinking and observing the mind?
A: Just as it is said that the sun rises, thoughts also rise. This is a principle of nature that arises as long as a human being has a body. This is inevitable.
Among meditators, thoughts are afflictions and bad things due to a wrong understanding of thoughts, so they either try to get rid of them unconditionally or suppress them by immersing themselves in a specific object with hostility. But you can't get rid of thoughts that way.
In addition, the purpose of meditation is to reach nirvana through the development of wisdom insight, but wisdom or insight cannot arise without thinking. Wisdom also happens through thinking.
Thoughts arise spontaneously when various conditional occurrences are generated by the body and mind. Vipassana meditation, which observes the mind, is to remind the mind that observes with this as an object. It is to develop a mind that observes the thoughts that come to mind every moment as an objective observer without falling into them. It is to be mindful of thoughts as an object. When awareness is clear, thoughts no longer act as afflictions, but be seen as a conditional phenomenon.
The purpose of Vipassana meditation is to be free from suffering and attain peace of mind, Nirvana. You should not misunderstand your thoughts as yourself, but see them as an object that has arisen.
Observing the mind means awareness of the thought in the moment. Therefore, simply by asking yourself, What is your mind aware of every moment? This is a momentary awareness.
Just notice, but don't analyze the thought or get lost in the story. When a thought arises and the mind to watch it, the previous thought has already disappeared. Of course, the next thought will come to mind, but if even that thought becomes an object, the thought disappears.
When the mind is taken as an object, the mind appears as a thought. It can be seen that thoughts do not arise as intentions but arise according to conditions. Cittanupassana is observing through the mind all objects that arise from the six gates (the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mental).
To be continued…
May you cultivate your Sati continuously (Samma-Viriya)!
May you achieve the Samma-Diṭṭhi (Right View) through Satipatthāna (vipassana meditation)!
May all practice well and reach to Magga (道, the path of enlightenment) and Phala (果, the fruit of enlightenment)!
with Metta,
Ayyā Kosallā
Edited by Euna Bonovich
If you have any questions related to dhamma & meditation, please feel free to ask. You can reach Ayya Kosalla directly at Bhikkhuni.Kosalla@gmail.com.
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위빠사나명상의 마음관찰에 대한 논문을 한글 원본으로 읽고 싶으신 분은 클릭해서 다운로드 받을 수 있습니다. (네이버에 PDF 첨부)
The Korean Dhamma Letter is here 담마레터.
Buddha Sāsanaṁ Ciraṁ Tiṭṭhatu!
May the Buddha’s teachings last a long time!
Bhavatu Sabba Sotiṁ ca Maṅgalaṁ ca!!
May everyone be led on the path of peace and blessing!!
Sādhu Sādhu Sādhu!