NATURE OF THE MIND.

THE CONCEPTS OF THE RELIGION .

There is a separation of sentient beings and non-sentient beings, and the concern for sentient beings and spiritual behavior in our daily lives is different. When we wake up, when we sleep and when we are in deep sleep and then when we are unconscious - at each level, there is a deeper level of consciousness. Then at the moment of dying, as the process of mental vanish continues after the breath has ended - at that moment there is even an even deeper level of consciousness. We have no experience of what happens at the moment of death, but we really know what it is to experience waking and dreaming and at bedtime.

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PRINCIPLES AND PRINCIPLES 

In the ancient Indian tradition, the major spiritual practices are always confronted with the mind, for example with concentration, concentration,  samadhi ), and with the cultivation, analysis (  vipashyana ), an excellent state of consciousness. Both these are confronted with the mind and with the aspect of thinking and using the mind; Thus, it is very essential to determine what is consciousness. 

There are many explanations about what the mind and the different characteristics of the mind. For example, there is a difference made in Buddhism between the main minds and mental factors. In fact, we have this in all the traditional Indian traditions.

In the Buddhist tradition, there are several different interpretations [of the difference between main and mental factors]. There are two main types: one that discriminates according to the differences in the object of the mind and the other that distinguishes it according to the nature of the mind. Maitreya, for example, in the Middle Division with the Force, performs the first position.The first of these is to distinguish a difference in the object of the mind: the main consciousness is focused on an object as a whole, whereas the secondary consciousness or mental factor focuses on the distinction. elements within the object. With the main minds, the objects experienced by the mind as whole, concerned with mental factors or secondary consciousness,

Now, in both of these, the main minds and mental factors, we can talk about two broad characteristics: there are things that require sensory and non-sensory things.Things that require sensory consciousness and those that do not require a sensory organ are minds. Now our discussion comes closer to what scientists say. Thus, we have sensory perceptions of mental states, although sometimes the mind is used only to refer to mental states.

Now for mental awakening, there are two: one brought about by sensory perception as the immediate condition of the former and the other without sensory perception as the condition of instantaneous progress. In our documents, we also talk about the five mental functions that work there with all the consciousness, including the senses. Thus, for example, we have the distinction, the sense of a level of happiness, and so on. As for discrimination, what does it mean "is it this or is it something?" Scientists say that this does not happen on the basis of visible organs but in the brain. We say that the perception of feeling does not itself think "something is this" or "that is the other," but senses the sense of its distinction.

DEMOCRACY 

Now, the mind and the schools of Buddhism, of course, have different opinions about this and how ideas of cognitive functioning work. According to the position of Vipassanas, for example, there is no spiritual aspect to be considered as an intermediary for the realization of something, but the followers of the Sutra have one aspect. and that's what the experience really is. The second opinion is close to the scientific point of view.

So in Buddhist schools there is much debate about how the perception of cognitive functioning works: for example, perception related to seeing. There is discussion between the doctrines and consciousness, when we look at a colorful object, there must be a similar number of diverse aspects of the object and aspect. The diversity of the receiver or not? Or do the diverse aspects of the object are perceived by a single aspect of cognition? Or is there a single aspect of the whole object of color diversity perceived by one aspect of cognition?The explanation is that, despite the diverse colors, the mind perceives all of us as a whole that seem close to the point of view of science.

For emotions, there are no real forms that resemble science. For example, church scientists Paul Eckman said it was difficult to distinguish between emotion, emotion and personality. Scientists are not based on the quotations of the text from classical texts, but on the survey. So, it could be fruitful for further collaboration in research: it would be of great benefit to both scientists and Buddhists. 

As for objects, there are things that have physical qualities; there are things that have ways of knowing things; And then there are things that do not fall into these two categories, but nevertheless change, for example, time. 

THE NATURAL NATURE OF KNOWLEDGE

Now, for cognitive or awakening, there is a phenomenon defined in the patterns of mental activity: mental activity of understanding or awakening to something. Its definite characteristics are (1) clear, (2) conscious, aware of something or perception of something, and (3) experience something. In experiencing something, there are different emotions, positive or negative; But, however, the nature of the mental act itself is neutral. Whether a mental act is useful or harmful depends on the type of mental factor that it really is [and not on its own nature as mental behavior].

For example, anger is not part of the natural nature of the mind: but rather, anger depends on the causes and conditions [to make it arise. The natural nature of something, on the other hand, does not interrupt each attack and does not depend on the causes and conditions to be born and present. Some mental factors, such as anger, are produced based on the causes and conditions and only become dominant at that time.

When anger is developed completely, it is difficult to distinguish between anger and self-consciousness or mental behavior. However, through practice, we can be single-minded to look at that anger as it develops, and we can observe it arise and stop. Self-action, of observing, is capable of minimizing the capacity of anger. Thus, when a mental state or mental factor arises, it can be affected. 

That is a little about the natural nature of the mind. 

RELATIONSHIP AND HUMANITY

Another interesting issue that I would like to guide for further study is the following. Through the change of certain elements of the physical body, certain emotions can arise. Developing a mental attitude can also affect certain changes in the body. For example, hatred and animosity. When the anatomy occurs, blood circulation in certain parts of the brain is stronger; Instead, another part of the brain becomes more active with compassion. So, on a subtle level, we need to look at what comes first: a change in the brain that gives an emotion, or a feeling that brings about a change in the brain. This needs further investigation.

For example, there are changes in the nerve cell. Now this is a bit subtle, but when we have a subtle accumulation of changes, then we see the change in rawness. When we are scared, for example, more blood spills over our feet so we run; When the anger comes, many blood runs to the hand so we hit. So, we can see from these examples that the relationship between raw emotions and bodies changes. The flow of blood, for example, is a crude form in which change manifests itself, but at what level is there the link between mental change and change? in the body?

Buddhist and Hindu Virtues talk about a subtle level of energy: the behavior of the mind or the spirit of movement in it. It is said as a kind of "inner wind" and it has to mean something like the energy that makes the connection between the crude body level and the vajra spirit. This is a real problem for scientists to discover: What is the mediation or structure of linkages for the spiritual and material worlds? physical?

In traditional Indian traditions, both Buddhist and non-Buddhist, there is something called "inner awareness."[Buddhism defines it, the mental factor that in contact with the object of consciousness distinguishes that object from being happy, suffering, or neutral, and thus serves as the basis for experiencing it. with a sense of happiness, sorrow, or neutrality]. Based on this awareness of intrinsic touch, the condition of attainment, cognition of the body arises, and it is an immediate condition for the mental awareness of suffering or pleasure.

Likewise, other senses have a cognitive position in a particular sense - for example, the sight in the eye - however, the sensation arises based on the senses of the body and it spreads throughout. the body and all other senses. According to science, the sensory structures of seeing and hearing, v ... each have a cognitive position;But all of them are connected to the brain. All of them spread throughout the brain. So here we must examine the idea of ​​a certain level of consciousness that has spread to all other levels of consciousness [since both Buddhism and science seem to imply that there is a degree .

When we examine the brain, nerve cells, we have to make a distinction between the crude level of consciousness and a more subtle level. Now, we can determine the crude level of consciousness [the level of sensory perception] both in humans and dogs. But through cerebral differences between the two, there are differences in both their minds and how the two expressions function on the raw level. [So, for example, dogs have a more advanced sense of smell than humans]. But there must be a subtle level [of consciousness or vitality rather than a level of raw sensation].

To the degree to which the mind depends on the physical body, there are subtle levels of consciousness. The coarser level of sensory perception [is most dependent on the body]. Emotional emotions, on the contrary, will be in the subtle level of consciousness, which is less dependent on the physical body. So what's the difference between humans and animals [related to the more subtle levels of emotions and dreams?]

Now we have the scientific instruments to examine the progress of death. This type of research has taken place over the last fifteen years. But to test the mental state of a dying person while the electrodes were attached to his head - no one actually died while doing the experiment.But now we need to be more serious about such an experiment. We need to ask someone to please die while having electrodes on their heads. But it is very difficult to ask; we must wait for a proper opportunity.

Although no serious experiment was conducted to measure what was going through the course of death, the Indian treatises talked about three levels of mental activity. The third level occurs only at the moment of death. [More specifically, it occurs when] the breath and the functions of the heart have stopped, but nevertheless, there is still a certain process of the state of the result of mental activity. This level seems to be even less dependent on the physical level [than any level of consciousness]. Therefore, the raw level is dependent on the brain and nerve cells; This level is more subtle: this is still a question.

In the same way, I wondered why our afflictive emotions included [subordinate Buddhist classification] on a subtle level, not on the raw level. Why are they less dependent on raw physical bodies? Once in a meeting with the scientists I asked, "Without any physical process, may a pure mental activity bring about a physical effect?" and the scientist replied, "In theory yes, but in reality, it is impossible."

This is not a very scientific approach. There is a simple test that can be completed. Crying or pouring tears is a physical reaction to a mental state, but it can happen either with joy or sadness. There is a great difference in mental level between these two, but the physical response is the same. If crying tears from the joy of the right eye and tears from the left eye due to sadness, then on the level of the physical body we can distinguish them.But that is not the case: the distinction is not on the raw level. Therefore, for the monologue, we have to look deeper than the coarse physics. But to examine the mind by studying [the physical level of the brain] - we need to ask that this thing still exists, if it is still too general.

In Buddhist logic, we speak of different forms of reasoning. For example, by observing the same qualities in the same things, we can generalize and infer a characteristic. Or if something does not observe these qualities, we can infer that it falls into another characteristic. But these are over-rational forms and do not come to the conclusion that a decision about this kind of problem is related to the relationship between emotions and the body.END=NAM MO SAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=THICH CHAN TANH.VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=GOLDEN AMITABHA MONASTERY=AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.9/11/2018.