By Lewis Gwilt
A well focused mind can be an effective tool while the untamed mind can be a hindrance. Understanding both ways is the first step in training the mind; making it advantageous for our goals and expanding its capabilities. In this post we’ll begin to explore the nature of the mind and its vast potential for transformation.
Nature of the mind
‘Mind’ is a word we all say but describing it is more challenging. How we use it in everyday speech is a clue to its nature. “Absent-minded” or “mindlessly”, for example, mean without attention. Being ‘mindful’ means we are fully attentive, while saying that the mind ‘wanders’ means our concentration is fleeting.
Another thing we associate with the mind are thoughts. Becoming preoccupied with thoughts is one of the ways we lose concentration and become distracted.
Diving deeper into the mind
When we aren’t thinking of anything, the mind and our attention do not automatically disappear. This shows us that there is another side to the mind which is usually concealed by thoughts – which are only on the surface.
Buddhism likens thoughts to clouds which obscure the moon and sun. Just as we do not confuse clouds with them, we should not mistake our thoughts for our minds.
It is only in a restless state that the mind is not clear – when its light is ‘clouded’ by thoughts. Thoughts are like clouds we watch passing by. It is the mind which makes us aware of thoughts, the same way we see clouds because of the light of the sun.
Understanding the value of what stops transformation
Resting in the thoughtless space within our minds opens our awareness up to observe thoughts from a distance without them being so confining or controlling in our lives. It is just as important to know what stops the mind’s growth as knowing what enables it.
This allows us to identify the conditions which need to be transformed. In this way, thoughts play a role in the transformation of our minds. The Buddha teaches that the remedy to harmful states of mind is not to fight, reject or even feel bad about having them. Instead, we should replace them with healthy ones, those which bring peace rather than unrest.
For example, if we feel hatred arising in the mind, we should apply the antidote of love and compassion. No matter how difficult we find this, spending time observing the differences in the weight of carrying the feeling of love or compassion versus negative emotions can help us assess for ourselves which alleviates and which prolongs our suffering.
Power of the mind – story from the Buddha’s life
One of the examples from the Buddha’s life which highlights the mind’s transformative power is his victory over the demon Mara. On the night of his enlightenment, Mara used all their might to distract him. Even when firing arrows at him, the Buddha remained completely at peace and turned them into flowers before they could reach him.
On the surface, we might not see how this relates to us. But what we can relate to are the challenges we face and overcoming them. The event from the Buddha’s life signifies we can transform our mental arrows, hindrances to growth, into the flowers which bring lasting change.
All personal growth starts in the mind – in our thoughts, attitudes and intentions – and has a ripple-like effect from there, permeating our actions and daily life. The quality of our state of mind determines the quality and the very nature of our experiences. By transforming our minds, we change our lives. This is the ultimate potential that the mind’s transformation gifts to us all.
