Saturday, April 23, 2016

Object of Mind (dharma)

Thay said, "To meditate is to be aware of what is going on, not only in your body, your feeling, your perceptions, but in the world. Because the world is object of your mind."

(My commentary 1)
The world is object of our mind if we think. And object of our mind is our mind because object of our mind is the projection of our mind. The perceived is the perceiver. So, the world is our mind, the projection of our mind, our perception, our idea, our thinking, or illusions. We must also be aware that we need to meditate what is going on both inside and around us. In other words, we meditate not only our inside (the noumenal world) but also our outside (the phenomenal world) without thinking.  

David Bohm said, "The way we see depends on the way we think. ... Consciousness is much more important than money. Change in consciousness is essential."

(My commentary 2)
The explanation of this world is exactly the same between Thay and David Bohm (a famous quantum physicist). I understand that the change in consciousness means the transformation of the seeds of mental formation in consciousness. In short,
if we succeed in transforming the unwholesome seeds to the wholesome seeds, we can be happy. (We can't be happy by money.) That's because our perceptions, or thoughts are based on our feelings. And our actions are based on our thoughts, or volition (motivation). Moreover, I understand that the change in consciousness means the transformation of self from ego (separate self) to awareness (non-separate self). That's because ego thinks and awareness attains insight without thinking.

Sister Chan Khong said, "Because if you are quiet, your mind is like still water of the pond, and you can reflect the moon properly."

(My commentary 3)
If the surface of water of the pond is wavy, it can't reflect as they are. But if the water of the pond is calm, it can reflect as they are. The same thing can be said to our mind. If we stop thinking, our mind will be calm like still water of the pond. Then our mind can reflect as they are. So, true nature of reality can be touched only if we stop thinking. That's why we meditate. That's why we revive awareness through mindfulness and attain insight.

(Cf.) http://www.slideshare.net/compassion5151/subject-and-object
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014NYEP04

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