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Dharma Teachings
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Emotions, in the Context of the 51 Mental Factors
Teaching given at Dhagpo-Ling, May - June 1997
Introduction : The root of samsara as well as of liberation lies within the mind. We have the choice and might ask: What is the mind which is the root of samsara, and what is the mind conducive to liberation? What is actually a ‘healthy’ mind from the point of view of the dharma, a mind that is apt to attain liberation? What is a healthy personality structure conducive to liberation? When looking in meditation we see that a continuity of a so-called self or person at a given time cannot be found. The illusion of a ‘self’ falls apart, since there is always space between one’s thoughts, there are always moments of discontinuity. The only thing we can find are mental factors operating from instant to instant. These determine our mental functioning. Abhidharma, the buddhist research into the mind and its functioning, looks at mind with the particular buddhist question: What helps us, and what hinders us to reach enlightenment? Which factors are necessary and need to be cultivated in order to reach liberation? And which factors obstruct the path and need to be overcome? To give the answer in short, we can distinguish neutral (omnipresent and determining), virtuous, non-virtuous, and changeable mental factors or states of mind. Traditionally these are enumerated as • 5 omnipresent factors • 5 determining factors • 11 virtuous factors • 6 primary non-virtuous factors • 20 secondary non-virtuous factors • 4 changeable factors These are called the 51 mental factors (tib: 'du byed kyi phung po; skr: samskara skandha), the primary mind (sems), with its accompanying mental factors (sems bjung).
Some factors are present in every mental act and indispensable for the perception of an object - these are therefore called the five omnipresent factors. They build up the subject-object dichotomy: going towards an object and holding onto it in order to receive some further information about that representation of an object in our mind. This describes the basic mental capacity of every sentient being enabling it to perceive an object, the simple ability to establish a relationship between mind and its objects. These omnipresent factors function (almost) simultaneously. To be aware of something perceived by mind means that these five factors are present. It cannot be otherwise. 1. Sensation (tshor-ba; vedana) is the basis for experiencing an object of the six senses (including the mental sense) as pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. Without sensation mind could not experience its object. Sensations can be impure (deluded) or pure (accompanied by an understanding of emptiness). 2. Discrimination (identification, 'du-shes; samjna) apprehends the particular marks of an object of the six senses. Without discrimination mind could not distinguish the characteristics of the object. It could also not link it with further mental processes like giving a name to the object. 3. Intention (volition, sems-pa; cetana) which directs the mind towards an object of the six senses. Without intention mind could not go towards an object. It is identical with mental activity (karma, yid kyi las). 4. Contact (reg-pa; sparsha) which is the coming together of all three — object, sense faculty and perceiving consciousness. Without contact mind could not encounter the object and establish a relation with it. Contact provides the base for a sensation within one of the six sense fields to arise. 5. Attention (mental engagement, yid-la byed-pa; manaskara) which is the continuous, repeated movement towards a certain object of interest. Without attention mind could not remain fixed on an object of the six senses. There would be no stability.
Next come the five determining factors, which ascertain, determine the characteristics of an object. Their function is to stabilize the mind in going towards enlightenment, and they determine whether one will reach it or not. 1. Aspiration ('dun-pa; chanda) is the wish to obtain a desired positive, always virtuous object. It motivates the search for this object. This virtuous aspiration towards a goal triggers joyful perseverance (brtson-'grus), the fourth paramita. It includes the wish to meet and obtain the object, the wish not to be separated from the object, and the wish to fulfil one’s aspiration. 2. Determination (mos-pa; adhimoksa) further defines an object which has already been grasped with conviction. It establishes definite certainty or conviction about the object and prevents changing opinions concerning it. 3. Mindfulness (dran-pa; smrti) can also be translated as memory. It keeps the already familiar object present in mind and protects against forgetfulness and distraction. All these three mentioned above work together as the basis of the fourth paramita, joyful perseverance. So these three are essential in order to perform an action. You have to want it, you have to be determined to do it as well as having to remain mindful of it as you are doing it (keeping it in memory). Thus one can work towards enlightenment. 4. Absorption or concentration (ting-nge 'dzin; samadhi) is the ability to focus or collect the mind one-pointedly and continuously on any given mental object, not being distracted by any other object. Mindfulness and absorption work together to form the fifth paramita (mental stability, bsam-gtan) and allow wisdom to develop. In general, when one speaks about meditative concentration, it refers to shine meditation, stabilising the mind, bringing it to rest calmly without distraction. Absorption from the point of view of mahamudra is to be one-pointedly engaged in letting go of all clinging to the seeming reality of illusory phenomena. Do not confuse concentration with a tense state of mind. True concentration is only possible through relaxation and not being interested in anything else but the present task or object. This is true renunciation. 5. Wisdom (shes-rab; prajña) is the sixth paramita. It distinguishes the faults and qualities of an object and dispels doubts. It analyses the object from every angle. It is a mental state where one is able to distinguish completely and precisely all phenomena. In a buddhist context it means that one is clearly able to differentiate between what is to be given up and what is to be adopted or practised. One sees clearly what one has to strive for and what one has to abandon. These three paramitas (joyful perseverance, mental stability and wisdom) are talked about here as the five determining factors because they decide whether and how an action is accomplished. If there is, for example, only little wisdom present in someone, then the outcome of his actions will be different in comparison to someone who has a more complete or fully developed wisdom. If there is only little mental stability, then the mind will fluctuate, and a straight path of action cannot be followed. If there is no perseverance, an action will not be performed over a continuous period of time, and its fruits will not be obtained. That is why these are called the determining or stabilising mental factors. From the point of view of want to help others with their psychological problems one can see that some of these ten factors are greatly lacking in people who come with demands for help. For example, there can be quite a lack of aspiration (volition), the wish to direct the mind anywhere, leading to lethargy. Or the ability to discriminate might be found lacking leading to great confusion in one’s life. Or someone might not be able to concentrate, to focus his mind on anything, which will render any attempt to help him quite futile. Everyone needs to develop these basic mental functions, and they definitely also need to be trained in retreat. That is what dharma practice should be doing for you from the point of view of Abidharma. All these factors are trained in retreat. They determine how we use our minds in the dharma or in the world, how we use our life, how we put into action our choices.
The next 11 mental factors are called positive ones, because they are directed towards virtue and are needed to reach enlightenment. These can never occur at the same time with any of the mental afflictions, primary (root) or secondary. 1. Faith (dad-pa; shraddha) is trust, belief, or confidence. 2. Scruple (ngo tsha shes pa; hri) is self respect, shame in relation to oneself. 3. Embarrassment (khrel yod-pa; apatrapya) is a sense of shame or respect in relation to others. The 2nd and 3rd are both the basis of discipline, or proper conduct (tshul-khrims, šila). 4. Non-attachment (ma chags-pa; alobha) is the basis for generosity, discipline. 5. Non-aversion (zhe-sdang med-pa, advesa) is the basis for patience, discipline. 6. Non-delusion (gti-mug med-pa, amoha) is the basis of discipline and all the others. These three are the foundations of everything virtuous, putting an end to all negative actions; they are the absence of the three main klešas of attachment, hatred and ignorance. 7. Joyful perseverance (brtson-'drus; virya) is like a "fuel" enhancing all paramitas. 8. Pliancy or Flexibility (shin-sbjangs; prashrabdhi) refers to the workability of the mind, to be able to let go of one thing in order to take up something else. 9. Conscientiousness or Self-discipline (bag yod-pa; apramada) is a state of mind, where one is very careful and conscientious about negative actions. 10. Equanimity (btang-snyoms; upersa) is not to get upset by appearances, situations and whatever, due to the fact one has meditated a lot and has cultivated one’s mind. 11. Non-harmfulness (rnam-par mi 'tshe-ba; avihimsa) is, one could say, benevolence and patience; one does not harm other beings and does not put anyone down. It is not a mere absence of being harmful, the actual nature of it is compassion. These eleven positive factors should not be taken for granted, the practice of the dharma trains us in them. They arise according to former deeds (karma), tendencies and circumstances. One actually has to train in them. They can be strong or weak in us, depending on our practice. There are further positive qualities, which are implied but not mentioned explicitly in the list of these eleven. These are love, compassion, joy and equanimity; a sense of responsibility, contentment, simplicity (letting go of complications), honesty, renunciation (being a mixture of wisdom and non-attachment), devotion (faith, wisdom and openness), and self-esteem. They are all basic qualities talked about in the dharma teachings and are often an outcome of the combination of several mental factors.
• Attachment-desire
Here doubt and erroneous views are mentioned separately, but they could be classified under ignorance, because they arise mainly out of it. Jealousy is not included in this list, it comes later.
Based on sensations first arises an inclination towards an object, an initial impulse to go toward it (whereas in aversion the impulse is to go backwards) due to fascination arising, then more and more longing arises, and as you experience the object more you do not want to separate from it anymore. Thus the attachment gets stronger and solidifies into clinging. You really hold on to the object, ready to defend it in order to be able to hold it longer. This is called clinging due to grasping, and all of this is called desire. If this desire is very strong one is dependent, addicted, because one needs that specific object in order to feel happy. This is the opposite of freedom. If our emotions due to attachment are very strong we develop strong dependencies. We can neither live without our dependencies, nor can we live without our aversions, since both have become our main reference points. Most people think they do not need their aversions, that they are just a nuisance. But if you actually try to take away the object of their anger or attachment from someone who is addicted to it, it is close to impossible! People do not want to let go of their favourite attachments and aversions, since it is a part of their feeling alive, they are identified with it. We either need desire-attachment or anger-aversion to feel alive, to identify as human beings. Due to this everything is pushed to the maximum, either aversion or desire, a maximum state of heavy samsara. To practise means to cut through early in the process, before a chain reaction starts. We do not have to wait until we have big emotions. When desire or aversion arise, if we are aware, we cut right then and let go of them exactly at the time when they arise. By letting go and cutting through these emotions will be flattened, but this does not mean at all that we are less alive or become like vegetables. Because these negative states were taking all the space, the positive mental factors did not have much space in our minds. As these negative emotional states are less often present in the mind, the inherent positive mental factors will show themselves. From the Abidharma point of view the meditator’s work simply consists of changing priorities: eliminating negative states of mind and cultivating positive ones. So, as negativities become less the positive factors become present more and more often. Treating the 51 mental factors (samskaras) in this way is still a dualistic approach, but it is definitely of benefit. It brings happiness which however is still experienced in a dualistic way. Desire-attachment is classified as two: • attachment to the world of desire (the objects of the 5 senses plus the 6th mental faculty) • attachment to the world of existence. This corresponds to attachment to the samadhis of the form - (1) and formless realms (2). (1) It is becoming attached to enjoyable, peaceful states of minds. In one’s meditation it is a wanting to reproduce these, which develops into longing, clinging and even dependence to recreate such happy samadhis. But this is of no true value because it does not allow any further insights. (2) These formless samadhi-experiences are called: limitless space, limitless consciousness, nothing whatsoever, neither differentiation nor non-differentiation. 2. Aversion (anger, irritation, khong-khro; pratigha) It all starts with the experience of a mental object which is judged as being disagreeable, not the way we like it; we would like something else. We begin to experience this mental representation of an object or person as an enemy in our mind and wish to get rid of this experience. We project this dislike outwards and identify it with the object. The object itself becomes the enemy - whatever person, object, or situation it may be. The mind begins to be agitated, and suffering is present, becoming stronger and stronger the longer this object judged as unpleasant is present. The longer it is present, the more our wish increases to get rid of it, to destroy it, to drive it out of our field of experience, leading to malevolence and anger, hostility, hatred, rage, wishing to go into action, to destroy, to beat and to kill ... Many people react immediately to their anger by withdrawing inwardly, and might get stuck with it, never allowing themselves to express this anger. They keep it inside, might not show any anger at all, and are completely locked in. Somebody like this might appear very peaceful from the outside, very nice and smiling, but actually he has so much anger inside. He is locked in the feeling of being aggressed from the outside, he feels constantly aggressed. He experiences situations constantly as a danger for his own existence, and the way he defends himself is to go like a snail into his protection shell. But defence is a state of anger. This defence can take the form of depression and also autism (autistic children for example). It can also simply be the attitude of a person going around smiling, looking very open and happy all the time, but never making any real contact with situations and other people. The feeling of being aggressed by the world is one’s own aggression and anger projected out. It is our own irritation to be irritated by the way the world and people are. And the world is like this because it is judged by ourselves as being like this. Due to experiences of past lives and of this life we came to the conclusion that the world is a kind of enemy. This resulted in a basic attitude of not wanting to get involved, of keeping to ourselves, always being on defence. Then there are others who are stuck in the opposite way, always on the destructive or aggressive side. Immediately when they perceive something disagreeable happening, they use whatever they found out to be most effective to defend themselves: crushing down, jumping on, ready to destroy the opponent. There action is very sharp, very precise, the immediate impulse to destroy the object like a hammer. They also experience the world as an aggression, only the reaction is a bit different. Of course there can be mixtures of these two basic mechanisms of anger. Experiencing the world as being aggressive you might combine your defence with some intelligent way of manipulating the world, building in a lot of safety mechanisms like lies to protect and hide yourself, influencing others by your powers of speech, trickery, and so on. All these are basically expressions of being irritated by life, and we all know through our practice how we try to get rid of all these different kinds of irritations. First, if someone or something irritates us, we try to change him or it, before we like to change something in ourselves. We try all kinds of manipulations or we look just away, trying to ignore the unpleasant experience as just another way to deal with anger. It is like in scenes of aggression and violence in busy cities – people just turn away, ignoring to see anything because it would arouse too much of there own anger. These irritations are due to aversion against something, but actually this is a kind of clinging, of wanting a different state. We desire something else, pleasant, and we insist on the way we would like to have it! 3. Pride (nga rgyal; mana) Pride is a very descriptive word in Tibetan — nga rgyal — "the Ego-King", nga means I, and rgyal po means king. It refers to the sense of self, the basic ignorance of the clinging to a self, and augmenting the sense of self through self-contentment — a feeling of being very important. This feeling of importance, this high ideal of oneself, colours one’s vision of everyone and everything around. It is a negative mental factor because it leads to a lack of respect and therefore not being able to understand and to learn from others. It becomes a source of suffering. Because of falsely elevating oneself the suffering of falling down will surely come. There are traditionally seven kinds of pride. They can be summarised as three kinds of pride related to people (1) lower than oneself, (2) on the same level as oneself, and (3) higher than oneself. First is condescension (nga rgyal). This is where one is superior to the other person in the sense of faculties, or the ability to deal with the world, or wealth etc., and on top of this outer difference one assumes a real superior attitude and treats the other with disrespect. This is condescension, the attitude of exaggerating the slight or big difference that might indeed exist. Then there is arrogance (lhag pa'i nga rgyal) related to people on the same, equal level. Here one estimates oneself as being superior even though one is actually equal to others, having the same understanding, capacities etc. You can see how some people have some of these aspects of pride much more predominant. They might be okay in relation with lower ones, and they might have respect towards their spiritual teacher and higher ones, but among people of the same level — they are unbearable. This is this typical form of pride called arrogance which is directed towards one’s peers. Presumptuousness
(nga rgyal las kyang nga)
is estimating oneself as much superior to someone who is actually superior.
This is thinking to be greater than the Buddha or one’s teacher.
One presumes to have qualities which one has not in comparison to those
who are actually superior. This of course is complete blindness. It is
a pride which is unable to see or understand anything.
Questions and Answers Q.: That would also be called jealousy? A.: Jealousy is being envious of what others have reached. It is the opposite of this attitude. One does not feel any lack or inferiority. A proud person with this attitude can be so proud that he doesn’t even get angry with anyone. Normally pride is the origin of anger, so if you "stab" a proud person a little bit he will immediately get angry. "How can you do this to me? You have no respect or what? Don’t you see who you have in front of you?" But there is a type of pride which is so enormous which just says "What is this person talking about? What’s he saying to me? What’s the lama saying?" The pride is so big that you do not even get angry when someone is insulting you. Nothing can penetrate this immense layer of pride. This is the complete nga rgyal, the complete king, occupying all the territory, nobody can approach him. This is called presumptuousness, an enormously big balloon, difficult to pierce. Then there is very basic, ordinary pride (nga-bo snyam-pa'i nga-rgyal), which is called presumption. The definition of this is to identify oneself with the aggregates, with the skandhas of one’s body and mind as being "me". This is called presumption because one presumes an entity to be there — "myself" with these thoughts and this body etc., which actually is not there. It is a false idea due to the ignorance of clinging to a self, and on this one builds the ego-identity. It means presuming an identity to be present where there are only the skandhas operating in moments of mind. It is actually the basis of pride but it can develop into an overt self satisfaction with the aggregates; for example with the aggregate of body: "Oh, I have such a beautiful face, am I not beautiful?" etc. This is vanity arising due to the identification with the aggregates. This is another form of pride. Pretention (chung zad snyam pa'i nga rgyal) is not as obvious as the previously mentioned form of thinking oneself superior to the superior ones. It is a pretension of thinking oneself to be scarcely inferior to beings who are greatly superior. One might say, "The lama is really great, but there’s not so much missing for me to become just like him." This is the pretension of someone who does not see his own faults and who is projecting his image to almost approach the image of his idol. The idol is still one that one follows but one is almost there; and if someone else comes and tries to tell you where your actual place is you will say, "No, no, no, I’m just next to him!" If the idol is in the centre of a crowd, then the person who thinks he is almost like him will try to be in the immediate vicinity of the idol, placing himself just behind, or left, or right, or in front of this person to show that, "I’m the next one. He’s the best, but I’m next." This kind of pride is very difficult to discern because it has different degrees. It is not the obvious kind of thinking oneself as superior to the lama, but one misplaces oneself in relation to where one really is in order to look and act as if very close to him. You are so ignorant of your own faults that you think you have almost reached the state of purity. There is a little "almost" which leaves you enough space in case someone challenges you. You always say "almost" and because you’re "almost" there, but your efforts to work further on your own defects are almost non-existent. Pride is basically the incapacity to see one’s defects.
A.: This is one part of pride. It is desire mixed with the presumption of being really existent and wanting to be recognised for one’s qualities. The basic desire of existence is linked to fear, the fear to not exist. The basic desire to exist linked with seeing the world as aggressing oneself – having to defend your place in the world. The basic desire to exist is not more than the natural wish to take the next breath. That’s basically it! If you think about not taking your next breath, then you will see what this desire is. It is the fear of encountering the non-self, the non-existence, the death. You can perceive your world as not allowing you to breathe. To take it in the opposite way: when you are with a proud person you have no space to breathe. He is filling up all space so that the others who also have the wish to be recognised find almost no space in this kind of situation. When you talk to people about how they experience others, especially their contact with proud people, they often express this — because of their own pride they have no space to breathe.
A.: Yes, this you can say. Just like when there is ignorance there is always clinging and desire, in the same way you can say that where there is ignorance there is always pride. The pride starts the moment you are attached to an I. As soon as you begin to give yourself some self-importance, that’s the beginning of pride. So even the people who give themselves no importance at all with attitudes like: "Everybody can just walk all over me" or "Nobody takes care of me" or "I don’t care that people take care of me" etc — this very important humbleness or very important depression is another form of pride. Depressed people very often suffer from anger and pride. They are so proud that they are the centre of the universe. There’s only my depression, only what’s going on in my mind, how I’m suffering, my story, my ..., what the others have done to me, how I’m incapable, how I’m not beautiful, how I’m not able to talk and communicate with others — all this is pride.
A.: Yes.
A.: Yes, pride takes no matter what to feel proud. Pride takes dharma practice, qualities and even defects to be proud. Pride even takes the defects of others to be proud. For example a father can be proud of how good a thief his son is. The identification of pride extends outwards to family and friends and you identify yourself not only with the qualities but also with the defects of the persons concerned. In this way one can identify oneself with the national pride of one’s nation and say, "Look how we Germans kept the whole of Europe going, we kept the whole world busy!" Pride will take something as stupid and terrible as killing millions of people, and will turn this defect into something to be proud of. So if you find yourself becoming proud of doing whatever aspect of your practice, this is completely normal — it is the way pride functions. Pride takes no matter what as its object. It takes the cheer fact of going to the toilet as a source of pride: "Yeah, I really had a good shit!" Pride is wherever we look — it’s everywhere! For example, a lama might come out of retreat and start out as an honest lama wanting to serve others. He might feel he has not learned much but the little that he knows he will want to give to others. When he starts teaching like this, people will come to him because he is honest and they start listening to his words. As more people come to listen he starts to think that there must be something good in what he is saying and he becomes proud. Then as he continues teaching and more people start coming he starts to think, "Oh, the number of people coming to me exceeds those going to see my own lama, so I must be greater than him." Like this the teaching might become more and more an ego-teaching. It is not motivated by really serving others but by having more students, becoming greater and more important, having more influence and more power. Like this you pass on ego-transmission. That is how pride takes qualities which were there in the beginning and transforms them into the opposite. An old saying says "You are not aware of the true qualities you may have." As soon as you become aware of them you become proud and they cease to be untainted qualities.
A.: Yes, you make it bigger until you are so ridiculously proud that you just have to laugh about yourself.
A.: To see the suffering, the tension in our own mind is very important. When pride is present we feel a tensed with others who are a challenge to our pride because they might be superior and better. Pride just like jealousy is connected to comparing oneself with others. There is the suffering of pride of not really being able to communicate with others. The proud person, because of the clinging to self, is not really relaxed and feels very much alone. Solitude is one of the most common forms of suffering of a proud person. Because he is so proud, no real communication happens. He has many friends, admirers, but no one, even his own spouse, can come really close. In order to get out of his pride, a proud person has to learn to communicate, to open up, to see and show his faults, to let himself be hurt. Pride is also just a protection against being hurt. There is a lot of work to do and it is a very painful work where all the suffering comes up to the surface. As long as one is in the pride there is very little conscious suffering — there is some, but not so much. When the pride is shattered, then there is great suffering. A proud person whose pride is shattered by circumstances, for example millionaires who lose all their possessions over night, like during the Wall Street crash, might kill themselves as they did. There was no way out. All their identifications were gone and the suffering was so great. This can happen any time. Whenever the pride over some achievement is shattered by losing (like in sports or in any other form of competition), the wounded pride of having lost can be so unbearable that one prefers to die; or one prefers to leave the circle of friends, one prefers to change countries. One does anything to evade having to confront the defeat. Someone who had lost in the Olympic games did not appear for the silver medal because silver was not good enough, he wanted the gold.
A.: Yes, it is impossible. Don’t worry about it, we all have all the emotions. The only way out is to relax from this whole game. The only way is to not care so much about ourselves, to sit and develop some patience, not to react so much, let the thing run out by itself, and do not try to change the outside.
4. Ignorance (ma-rig-pa; avidya) First there is the simple ignorance, which is not knowing, not understanding things, basic ignorance as all beings have it (rmongs tsam gyi ma-rig-pa). Secondly there is the ignorance of erroneous clinging to what one thinks to be true, like misinterpreting what is existent to be nonexistent and what is non-existent to be existent (phyin sta log tu 'dsin-pa'i ma-rig-pa). Both are further subdivided according to ignorance concerning the relative and the absolute truth. On the relative level it manifests as the ignorance related to actions and their effects (the law of karma), which is the ordinary way of thinking that there are no consequences of one’s actions beyond the actual situation (las 'bras la rmongs-pa'i ma-rig-pa). On the absolute level it is the ignorance of thinking that we ourselves as well as the world around us really exist, whilst there can be found no real existence as such. This is ignorance related to suchness (de-kho-na-nyid la rmongs-pa'i ma-rig-pa). Due to these arise desire-attachment, aversion etc., the whole of samsara. It arises because of the basic misunderstanding of reality, from which many other factors arise. Ignorance is the root of all of them. Ignorance is linked with mental dullness (rmogs-pa), with lack of confidence and trust (ma dad-pa), with laziness (le-lo), with carelessness (bag med-pa), with an a-moral memory (brjed nges), with lack of discernment (shes-bzhin ma-yin-pa), with distractions (rnam-par gyeng-ba). They are enumerated later, but all arise from basic, fundamental ignorance. It is the root of all attachment, because it gives rise to the notion of self and others. It is the basic attachment due to the presumption of real existence. You can say that ignorance is the same as attachment, there is basically no difference. When there is attachment there is ignorance, and vice versa. 5. Doubt (the-tshom) Considered as one of the six basic klešas, it is closely linked to ignorance. It is emotionally tangible as fear, hesitations, many secondary thoughts, complexity, lack of straightforward actions, always thinking "if", "if not", "yes" and "no", forth and back, thus being unable to take clear decisions. It is a lack of clarity and insight. Doubts can concern the four noble truths, the law of karma, etc. They are hesitations which make one stay in indecision and uncertainty and which obstruct one’s engagement to virtuous activity and to abstaining from non-virtue. It clouds one’s perception of what is to be done and what not. Doubts destroy even what you have experienced already in your practice, making you questioning it again and again. Doubts are secondary thoughts and are the source of all complications in one’s mind. Simplicity of mind in this context is to look directly and to do things as they are decided and not always to come back on one's decisions, to hesitate, and to doubt one’s actions. But simplicity is not a stupid mind, which simply reacts to the first thing arising in mind. It is to do what needs to be done with wisdom, discerning what is the best thing to do, and then to perform it without further hesitations. All this indecision and uncertainty arises due to ignorance. Doubt leads to instability of mind, putting into question what one already had found out to be true, and is thus the cause of a lot of suffering. One hand one knows what would be good, but on the other hand there are always secondary thoughts creeping in which destroy the already gained understanding or knowledge.
Questions and Answers Q: How do you know, if that what you understand is correct or not, without falling into an extreme? A: One should check properly one’s experiences and build one's whole dharma path on experience. There is no outer reference point as such. If in the past something proved to be true, you can build on it. But speculations like "would be", "should be", "can be" etc. about this and that all generate clouds of thoughts in the mind. If you just build very clearly on what you have already experienced and know, then you see what comes next. You see what you wish to check out more, and you just move towards it. This is a simple, direct approach. You should compare your experiences of the practice with the teachings which you received. Do they fit together or not? Are there any contradictions? If they do not fit together, something needs to be changed. To find out what needs to be changed needs of course some clarity. Either the dharma teaching is not true to experience, or its presentation, or something in our application of the practice is wrong and needs to be changed. You can also wait and just continue to see whether more experience will reveal a new understanding and give more certainty. But do not doubt. For example, if remembering of impermanence helps you to be more present in situations and to take good decisions, you gain conviction that remembering impermanence is a valuable guide in taking decisions. So do not doubt it. If you know this and that practice has given you this and that result then it is clear and you build on this, you use it as the basis for your trust and continue your journey. Trust is the opposite of doubts and hesitations, it is reliable. So build your practice on what you know rather on what you do not know. Doubts arise also due to trying to reach out into the future, trying to find out and pre-arrange things so that nothing will happen to us. They are an expression of fear. There are all these hesitations because of projecting oneself into the future and trying to manipulate what should happen. It is the complicated approach of sending out one’s messengers, i.e. projections, to see "how is this path", "how is that one", etc. From the outside this may look very intelligent but it makes life very complicated, because you rely only on other people's experiences and on intellectual speculations. The more simple the approach is, the better it is. Go step by step, grounded on your own experiences, one foot after the other, like the steady walk of an elephant.
A: If the lama is authentic it is fine simply to believe him and to keep up your faith. But you should also look into yourself, try to see the fault within you, try to come to an understanding of what he says. Blind faith will not go very far, you really need to understand your experience, otherwise doubts will creep in. So if the lama points out that you are going into the wrong direction, you should investigate and try to understand why it is the wrong direction. With this deeper understanding you will establish a broader basis for your practice, and it will give rise to deeper faith in the lama. Then faith becomes the basis of your practice, and that exactly cuts through doubts. Faith connected with wisdom or insight is more stable than faith connected with ignorance. The faith of a well believing person can be very stable until he or she meets another person who is very skilful in asking questions and creating doubts. Then suddenly one's faith becomes shaky, because one has not really integrated what the lama has pointed out. The lama's instructions need to be deeply considered and integrated so that faith gives birth to unshakeable wisdom based on experience within us. For example, Rinpoche points out a mistake and shows another direction, something we are not at all aware of. Then we look within us and discover something new which was previously hidden, and we can understand that it needed to be pointed out. Thus one’s faith in Rinpoche and in the dharma increases.
6. Erroneous views (lta-ba nyon-mongs can) Under this falls the wrong view of what is perishable ('jig lta), meaning worldly view. It is the clinging to a personal self (bdag 'dzin), the clinging to the aggregates (skandhas) as "mine" and "me". It is thus a wrong semblance of wisdom which is the basis for all wrong views. What is mentioned as extreme views (mthar lta) is basically the belief in existence or in non-existence (eternalism and nihilism), or a combination of the two. Then we find under erroneous views the overestimation of one's views (ltha-ba mchog 'dzin) which can also be called dogmatism or idealism. This is a very destructive factor in regard to the dharma path because if one clings to something strongly, overestimating its value, one has no space to discover anything new. Thus progress on the path of dharma becomes difficult or impossible. It blocks new insights and new experiences. Also included is the view of overestimating discipline and rites (tshül-khrims dang brtul-zhugs mchog 'dzin gyi lta-ba) and wrong views (log lta). In short erroneous views are confusion in relation to absolute and relative truth. Negating
or denying what exists (for example karma, rebirth) and affirming the
existence of what does not exist (for example self, objects) leads to
a complete inversion of what is to be abandoned and what is to be practised,
and thus cuts the roots of virtue, leading to misdirected commitments
and actions.
There are twenty more mental factors which are not conducive to enlightenment (klešas). They all originate from the basic kleshas ignorance, attachment and aversion. 1 - rage, fury (khro-ba) 2 - rancour, resentment (khon 'dzin) 3 - dissimulation, concealing ('chab pa) 4 - animosity, hatred ('tshig pa) 5 - jealousy (phrag dog) 6 - avarice (ser sna) 7 - hypocrisy (sgyu) 8 - falseness, duplicity (gyo) 9 - self-satisfaction (rgyags-pa) 10 - maliciousness, unkindness (rnam par 'tshe ba) 11 - lack of self-respect (ngo-tsha med-pa) 12 - lack of respect for others (khrel med-pa) 13 - dullness (rmugs pa) 14 - wildness, dispersion (rgod pa) 15 - lack of confidence (ma dad pa) 16 - laziness (le lo) 17 - carelessness (bag med pa) 18 - a-moral memory, inclination towards the harmful (brjed nges) 19 - lack of discernment (shes bzhin ma yin pa) 20 - distraction (rnam par gyeng ba)
This is a malevolent state of mind with the wish to strike etc. First something is judged as disagreeable, non-desirable. Aversion is the result. This leads to resentment and being irritated which results in malevolence and the usual chain reaction. First there is irritation or anger (khong-khro), the subject is angry. Then this takes its object, and as the fixation gets stronger it turns into real hatred (zhe-sdang), like a burning fire. The inwardly arising emotion is projected outwards and thus turns into real hatred. 2. Rancour (resentment, khon-'dzin) Aversion and hatred can continue for some time, and if the object arises again and again, it's memory is stored, what we call "rancour" or "resentment". This is a very destabilising mental factor, because its continuous presence acts like poison in the mind. It is not just rage arising once with the wish to destroy the object, because here mind cannot free itself since the aversion is present in again and again. If we look in our mind, probably we can apprehend many different kinds of old angers stored within us. We need to practise upon these until they dissolve by working on these accumulations of past experiences. That is the reason why the practice of Dorje Sempa is so important, it helps to purify all these negativities. Factors 3 and 4 (dissimulation and animosity) were not explained 5. Jealousy (phrag-dog) Jealousy is considered a secondary emotional factor, because it is due to anger and attachment. It is due to anger because one is irritated by the fact that someone else is happy or that someone else has a quality. The fact of someone else having this quality or being happy is unbearable to our mind. It is due to attachment and clinging because we want to have this, we want to have more of this than the other. This is the clinging to this quality or this positive state of mind or possession or respect, whatever the other one is enjoying. Basically, jealousy is based on comparison and all our ambitions to achieve something are based on jealousy. The whole world nowadays, this ambitious society — this is jealousy. You can say there are two ways to be jealous. One way is to be jealous and to try and take the other one down, to make him worse, and the other way is to try and climb the ladder to become better than the other, to get what he has, to get more than he has. One is the lazy form and the other one is ambitious one – but both are jealousy due to comparing. The lazy form is easier. You just have to make bad remarks about the other or make him angry so he loses his patience and happiness, or to try and make deals that his business falls down. But the "more honest and straight way" on which our society is built is to pull up your sleeves and to pretend that you are working for the benefit of beings but actually it is just for your own benefit. This is for example the case with scientists who are doing research just in order to one day receive the Nobel Prize. Then if somebody else makes the discovery just a few months ahead of them, they might try to steal it or destroy it. 6. Avarice (ser-sna) linked to desire The Tibetan word literally means "yellow-nosed". It is never being content, the fear of losing something, of having never enough and wishing to have more. Desire generally tends to increase - not only for objects but also for immaterial things like love, recognition, whatever you can wish for and identify with as your own personal qualities. Avarice is the hoarding tendency, not wishing to share, basically a poverty attitude. 7. Hypocrisy (sgyu) linked to desire and ignorance If your predominant desire is the desire to be recognised, it leads to hypocrisy, pretending to be someone good in order to receive this so-desired respect, love etc. 8. Duplicity (falseness, deceit, gyo-ba) linked to desire and ignorance When desire for social states, recognition, possessions and so on is strong, this leads to duplicity, a falseness or double-mindedness in order to obtain the desired objects. One uses lies, tricks etc. to get what one desires for. It is a tricky double-sidedness of mind. 9. Self-satisfaction (haughtiness, rgyags pa) linked to desire This factor is in between pride and desire, and means self-contentment. The object one clings to is seen as one’s own quality. One becomes so satisfied and happy that one is completely self-satisfied with one’s own objects, advantages, good deal in business, or whatever personal advantages to which one is attached. It is called a negative factor because it leads carelessness, unawareness, lack of mindfulness in relation to others and to the dharma. A person filled with desire does not see right and left but only the desired object and "off" he goes. Having fulfilled one’s desire one is still completely entangled in the world of desire, not at all aware of the needs of others, of the dharma, and how to use this experience or acquisition for practising the dharma path. This self-satisfaction has a euphoric quality. Factors 10 - 13 were not explained 14. Wildness (dispersion, rgyod pa) Wildness or agitation is also one of the secondary factors of desire. Desire makes the mind going again and again to the objects of one’s fascination, and in meditation the dispersed, excited mind is full of desire. When one does not swing between the poles of desire and aversion it is easy to find a calm mind. But if the mind is always attracted by this thought and that thought, this and that object, then one will never find mental calm and stability. Desire means agitation, clinging to the objects arising in mind. Factors 15 - 20 were not explained
They are variable because they can go in either direction — either virtuous or non-virtuous. 1. Sleep (gnyid; middka) can be virtuous, if you practise the dharma while sleeping. If you fall asleep with a positive motivation, if you practise clear light etc, then sleep is virtuous. It can be non-virtuous, if one is just indulging in one’s desires, and it can be neutral when nothing big happens, if one is just spaced out. 2. Regret ('gyod-pa; kankrtya) can be very positive if it is regret of negative acts but it can also be negative if one regrets positive acts. Basically regret can be a function to put oneself back on the good path which is positive, but regret about something which does not need to be regretted can just be mental agitation, a source of never being able to be content, of never finding inner peace. So it depends on how it is used. 3. Analysis (rtog-pa; vitarka) is based on volition, the wish to identify an object. Analysis leads to the point where you know what this object is. Whether you are satisfied or dissatisfied with this object is a different story. 4. Investigation (dpyod pa; vicara) is the process of making a more detailed examination of the object and going further into the details. Whether these two, analysis and investigation, are virtuous or non-virtuous depends on their object, whether one engages in something leading to enlightenment or something leading into samsara.
You can see that the positive mental factors describe the capacities that should be present in what we would call such a well integrated personality able to deal with the world. The more the destabilising, negative factors are present, the more the person will need help in order to deal with the world. If on the other hand more of the wisdom and stability aspects are there, then the person is autonomous and can deal with the world alone. If more of the destabilising emotional factors are present then the person will sometimes lose control over his world, will be unable to make decisions, will remain locked into one emotion, unable to get out — depression, vanity etc. — it can take many forms. Basically, what is to be encouraged in the dharma (and also in psychotherapy), are the positive mental factors which include all of the six paramitas. What needs to be avoided are the disturbing mental factors, the emotions. The difference between therapy and dharma is that therapy is only directed towards a temporary well-being in this life and dharma is for all lives up to and beyond enlightenment. The motivation with which one undertakes this kind of process is different and that is why the methods which are used are also different. The methods that undercut all ego clinging are not so interesting and often scaring for a person who just wants to be happy in this life, but if one wants to develop the capacity to help all sentient beings one will be interested in developing beyond a personal, relative well-being in this world. One will not stop with one’s development just because one is happy.
Questions and Answers Q.: Could you say something about the differences and similarities between what is meant by prajña (wisdom), intuition and ‘inner voice’. Are they the same? A.: No, they are not the same but they are closely linked. Intuition is the combination of knowledge with experience plus one’s perception of the situation — and this in a quite spontaneous way. Prajña is a clear perception of the situation and knowing what leads to enlightenment and what doesn’t. The inner voice that one is occasionally talking about is a way of saying, "Tune in to your deeper knowing." It’s very often mixed with ego clinging, one’s own preferences and one’s past experiences. The more prajña develops, the more one becomes free of one’s own past experiences and you just "see" the situation as it is with larger, more panoramic knowledge. Also, if intuition, which in the beginning is rather ego-coloured, develops in this way it eventually becomes pure. At this point intuition is a factor of prajña and there is no longer a need to talk of anything else than just wisdom. Wisdom is knowing what is right and what is wrong. Intuition is often misunderstood as some mystic knowledge of what is right to do in a situation, but it is basically just a combination of the three factors knowledge, experience and perception of a situation. If your knowledge is vast, if your experience of the past is purified and you take your memories only as an impersonal help, and if your perception of the situation is pure without clinging to a self, then your intuition will be pure. But then there’s no need to talk of intuition, then it’s really just wisdom. Talking of the inner voice is a way to tell people to look inside and to listen a little more to what they really feel but it is not a way of pointing to the dimension beyond ego, since the inner voice can be a demon.
Reproduced
here with kind permission. |
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