“Cultivated Mind” is the term that we need to investigate. Most people, when they hear this term, would only refer to cultivating the mind of those who practice concentration (Samadhi), or insight (Vipassana). It’s too narrow in knowledge and purpose to benefit everyone.“Cultivating the mind” we must cover all methods... Although not everyone sits in meditation, but to have knowledge of how and how much the mind is improved, is also considered a way to cultivate the mind. We do it in our own way. Some people don’t believe or accept it as the way to cultivate the mind. We are able to improve the mind today that much better and clearer than yesterday. Train it to restrain, to be neutral, to solve problems better than the day before. Just practice this way, it’s also the way to cultivate the mind. If we do thing and gain benefit from it, it’s improved because of our action, study, and practice, and then we can call it “cultivating the mind.” It makes us wiser. But if we gain good result naturally without any effort, it won’t be called “cultivating the mind.”
No matter what kind of work, if one observes well, does better, and is wiser than before, ’it’s also called ‘cultivating the mind”. Those who are entertainers, artists, they perform, create better things, it is an automatic way to cultivate the mind for themselves. Those who are wise would see that the way to cultivate the mind is to improve, and make the mind better. They may be farmers, merchants, doctors, lawyers, or whatever. If they do things to improve the mind, and be wiser, they are all included in the mind development.
Thus, try to understand the meanings of important terms, not just in narrow aspects, but in the proper way, with a wider perspective. There are terms that we need to expand the meanings, such as, the ‘path’ (Magga), ‘Nibbana’, ‘cultivated mind.’
Therefore, those who do things with mindfulness all the time, day and night, their mind is cultivated. But for those who are careless, ignorant, their mine is not cultivated. Some people practice concentration (Samadhi), and insight (Vipassana), cultivating the mind correctly. But it’s too specific, or not at the level that ordinary people can do. It needs to expand, improved to a level at which ordinary people are able to act, where they are able to develop their minds to a higher level.
Just to give you an example, when sitting on the toilet, we can cultivate the mind. If you don’t believe me, try it for yourselves. I guarantee it. It’s possible, and may even be easier than other times. When one sits on the toilet, somehow, the worries all disappear. It may be that at the time of releasing, it becomes sign (Nimitta), mind and object become one. The person can think well because the mind and object become one. Let us cultivate the mind all the time.
But now we are talking about the mind, we must continue on. I talked about the mind many times before, some might get tired of it and don’t want to listen. This ‘mind’ can be cultivated, developed; it can be trained. Those who don’t have knowledge might not think so, but I think so. The mind could be improved, the habit, trait, could be changed, or given up. Don’t be deluded that it can not be changed, it can if one does it correctly.
What we call ‘habit’ could be changed, abandoned. Only those who are ignorant talk with the eyes closed and don’t think that habits can be changed. According to Dhamma principle, the Law of Conditionally (Idappaccayata), nothing is exempt from the change. Habits, traits, can be changed, but some believe they can not, they would die with it. Those who think it can be changed, by using the Dhamma principle correctly, will gain benefits.
The real trait is the accumulation of habits. If we try to decrease it, it will be decreased and changed. This is the principal stated in Pali; I didn’t make it up. For example, if we have greed or love, once it arises, it accumulates one unit. When we have more greed or love, it increases, then it becomes habits. Just like people who get angry as if they are insane, it’s because of the accumulation of habits. It is possible to get rid of it if we know how. When the mind is agitated, anger is aroused, if we can restrain it; the anger will decrease one unit. When it happens again, we can control it; it decreases one more unit. It decreases more and more, until the habit of anger is up rooted, no more trait, or accumulation of anger.
An accumulation of greed is called ‘Raganusaya,’ of anger, ‘Patighanusaya,’ of ignorance, ‘Avijjanusaya.’ The Buddha stated that these things can be decreased, or can be got rid of, by restraining them little by little. The ignorance, the fear; don’t give in to it, the habit will decrease, until it has gone.
Just know that the mind can be improved /cultivated, to the opposite of its original.
The habit of greed, desire, anger, hatred, fear, delusion, carelessness, can be changed to the opposite. These habits can be improved and be removed, up rooted from the mind completely, but this can only be done at the higher level of practice.
At a lower level, even young children might be able to do. Parents don’t be ignorant. Don’t let children accumulate desire, hatred, fear, till it becomes habit. Or encourage them to indulge in beauty, be afraid of this and that which they shouldn’t be. These are the ignorance of parents. It’s difficult for the children, and causes problems, because of the parents’ mistakes.
Let’s understand this clearly that the mind is something, which can be cultivated, that is, it can be developed. When one knows and understands this way, mind development belongs to him. But if you don’t believe this, and you hold on to the principle that the mind can’t be developed, the developed mind won’t belong to you. Therefore, those who want to cultivate the mind need to have a correct understanding of this principle.
In conclusion, it is the truth of nature, by nature that the mind can be cultivated. Defilements, unwholesome thoughts, can be removed. The mistakes from the past, when we were young, could be corrected or destroyed. We don’t talk about what we have not seen or proved, such as, past life.’It’s just a belief, not according to the principle of Buddhism. So, we don’t talk about what we can’t see. We don’t force people to believe us. Others might do, but we don’t. We will talk about what we can see. The negative habits we accumulated from early stage of life can be corrected, cultivated, removed, to the opposite habits; we won’t have any more sufferings.
Let’s look at the deeper level, the mind is a wondrous thing. This mind has many mysterious qualities; we can call it a miracle. By the true nature of mind, it’s wondrous. It is an element -- the mind element (Manodhatu, Cittadhatu), or formless element (Arupadhatu). This element is mind element, it’s the same as all elements, but its qualities are different. It functions as the receiver of knowledge, feelings of everything. It knows everything if it is trained correctly. Now it may sense only certain things, or within limits, but if we train it rightly, it will know all things.
When a baby is born, it begins to learn. When it touches something that bites or the fire that is hot, it won’t touch again. This is the quality of mind element. It knows how to choose, to think, to understand. At the higher level, as the baby gets older, it learns about contact and the result of it. He learns not to contact with things that will cause suffering. If he touches the fire, it’s hot. He stops. The parents don’t need to teach him. Sometimes, he doesn’t listen to the parents when they say not to touch the fire. When he experiences the heat from the fire, next time, he learns by himself.
So, pay attention to this mind that knows, feels, and learns. It’s this way because it is cultivated/developed gradually. So it knows to be careful, not to touch fire, or step on it. Young children will gradually learn many things by themselves, even the parents, teachers can’t teach them or don’t have a chance to teach them. This is the amazing thing what is called ‘mind’.
One learns and knows from contacts. Self control arises, it controls the body, material things. The mind becomes wiser when contacts through the six senses. It’s more developed, by the power of the mind, when the mind bends (towards object), the body follows. This is a very profound subject, do observe it in the future, or if you used to study science, you would understand better, of how the mind bends (towards object), the body follows.
It’s interesting thing nowadays, the newborn in later generation is prettier, more lovable than the newborn in generation before. We can simply say that children this era are prettier than the previous one, either in the city or village. It is due to inclination of mind of the parents, including the baby itself. The mind of the parents inclines toward the beauty, so the baby was born with beauty.
Just know that the mind is wondrous. So we can benefit from what it can do, we will benefit from it a whole lot.
To develop or cultivate the mind is possible, for the reasons stated. So, we should be able to benefit from it. By developing our mind directly, or others’ indirectly, especially our children’s’ and grandchildren’s, so that they can benefit from it. If the mind is not cultivated, it is scattered. If it’ is cultivated in the wrong way, it leads to the wrong path. It becomes wrong view (Micchaditthi), which is dangerous for oneself and others.
Therefore, cultivating the mind is something we must learn, understand, and try to cultivate it rightly. It will yield many fruits: the path (Magga), fruit (phala), Nibbana, in every meaning, all classes, at all levels.
Documents from same series in order:
- The Original Mind is Without Defilements, but Tainted by Accumulations - Ajahn Bhuddadasa Bhikku
- Cultivating the Mind - Ajahn Bhuddadasa Bhikku
- Everyone needs to cultivate the mind - Ajahn Bhuddadasa Bhikku
- Cultivating the Mind in order to Control or Develop Instincts - Ajahn Buddhadasa Bhikkhu
