Zen and Mind

Call it awareness or attention. In Zen and Buddhism we call it Mind.

(Of course these are just words. And like all real things, Mind is infinite, mysterious and a thing quite apart from our words and thoughts about it. But words can be useful too, so with that in mind let's keep on.)

Mind defines reality. Like a flashlight in a dark cave. What the light touches you see what what the light does not touch you do not see. (How big is the darkness? What is it filled with? Good question.)

Mind is flexible and active.

Mind can focus, like a laser. Illuminating a small spot very brightly and casting all else into shadow.

Mind can spread out, broad like a floodlight. Illuminating a lot of the cave, but only dimly compared to the laser.

Mind can jump around, focusing on this, that or the other thing in a moment.

We can control Mind, consciously.

Mind is also governed by habit, controlled unconsciously.

Anything that influences us can also influence Mind : Pain and pleasure. Powerful emotions. Desire. Drugs. Intense exercise. Fear. Love. Excitement. Our experiences tend to squish and stretch Mind.

In Zen we have a couple of special techniques for doing stuff with Mind. We call them meditation.

They are very powerful and educational.

In one we focus. We can get really good at focusing so that the laser is as thin as a hair and as bright as the sun. We call that technique concentrating or Samatha or Meditation With A Seed.

In the other we can, by carefully watching Mind and our experiences, spread Mind out, like a floodlight. It is very good for illuminating darkness. We call that technique watching or Vipassana or Meditaton Without A Seed

Submitted July 18, 2017 at 04:40AM by woodrail http://ift.tt/2uCqXBC