Reaction to Mind States and Kamma

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ehensens
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Reaction to Mind States and Kamma

Post by ehensens »

When mind states arise, does one's reaction to them condition their future arising/non-arising?

For instance, if the mind state of anger arises, and the arising is seen with mindfulness, and observed with detachment, up to the point when it inevitably passes away, does that skillful reaction to the anger condition consciousness such that anger is less likely to arise in the future than if the anger had been met with total egocentric attachment?


If not, then why do some people experience much more anger than other people, or any other mind state?

Thank you very much! :anjali:
paul
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Re: Reaction to Mind States and Kamma

Post by paul »

ehensens wrote: Fri May 25, 2018 12:59 am When mind states arise, does one's reaction to them condition their future arising/non-arising?

1) For instance, if the mind state of anger arises, and the arising is seen with mindfulness, and observed with detachment, up to the point when it inevitably passes away, does that skillful reaction to the anger condition consciousness such that anger is less likely to arise in the future than if the anger had been met with total egocentric attachment?


2) If not, then why do some people experience much more anger than other people, or any other mind state?
1) Yes the anger is less likely to arise, and that method is known as responding with equanimity, but it does not work in all cases:

“even though mindful equanimity is, in some cases, enough to uproot causes of stress, it’s not enough in all.
“And how is striving fruitful, how is exertion fruitful? There is the case where a monk, when not loaded down, does not load himself down with pain, nor does he reject pleasure that accords with the Dhamma, although he is not fixated on that pleasure. He discerns that ‘When I exert a fabrication against this cause of stress, then from the fabrication of exertion there is dispassion. When I look on with equanimity at that cause of stress, then from the development of equanimity there is dispassion.’ So he exerts a fabrication against the cause of stress for which dispassion comes from the fabrication of exertion, and develops equanimity with regard to the cause of stress for which dispassion comes from the development of equanimity. Thus the stress coming from the cause of stress for which there is dispassion through the fabrication of exertion is exhausted, and the stress resulting from the cause of stress for which there is dispassion through the development of equanimity is exhausted.” — MN 101

Notice that the Buddha offers no specific guidelines for when equanimity will work in giving rise to dispassion and when the more proactive approach of “exerting a fabrication” or “fabricating exertion” is needed. This means that you have to discover from personal experience what works in a particular case and to employ the appropriate corrective.”—-“Right Mindfulness”, Thanissaro.

2) The three unwholesome roots are ignorance, greed and aversion, and practitioners are temperamentally inclined to one or the other.

Note: you should distinguish between a thought and a state of mind. A state of mind is when consciousness has been conditioned to say, anger through habitual use. States of mind, which can be wholesome or unwholesome, are the focus of the third foundation of mindfulness:

“a monk’s self-examination is very productive in terms of skillful qualities [if he conducts it in this way]: ‘Do I usually remain covetous or not? With thoughts of ill will or not? Overcome by sloth & drowsiness or not? Restless or not? Uncertain or gone beyond uncertainty? Angry or not? With soiled thoughts or unsoiled thoughts? With my body aroused or unaroused? Lazy or with persistence aroused? Unconcentrated or concentrated?’
“If, on examination, a monk knows, ‘I usually remain covetous, with thoughts of ill will, overcome by sloth & drowsiness, restless, uncertain, angry, with soiled thoughts, with my body aroused, lazy, or unconcentrated,’ then he should put forth intense desire, effort, diligence, endeavor, relentlessness, mindfulness, & alertness for the abandoning of those very same evil, unskillful qualities. Just as when a person whose turban or head was on fire would put forth intense desire, effort, diligence, endeavor, relentlessness, mindfulness, & alertness to put out the fire on his turban or head; in the same way, the monk should put forth intense desire, effort, diligence, endeavor, relentlessness, mindfulness, & alertness for the abandoning of those very same evil, unskillful qualities.”—-AN 10:51

3) If a practitioner determines that anger arises frequently, then they should construct their practice to oppose that defilement.

"One who earnestly aspires to the unshakable deliverance of the mind should, therefore, select a definite "working-ground" of a direct and practical import: a kammatthana1 in its widest sense, on which the structure of his entire life should be based. Holding fast to that "working-ground," never losing sight of it for long, even this alone will be a considerable and encouraging progress in the control and development of the mind, because in that way the directive and purposive energies of mind will be strengthened considerably. One who has chosen the conquest of the five hindrances for a "working-ground" should examine which of the five are strongest in one's personal case."---"The Five Mental Hindrances and Their Conquest", Nyanaponika.

http://enlight.lib.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/ ... n85857.pdf
SarathW
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Re: Reaction to Mind States and Kamma

Post by SarathW »

For instance, if the mind state of anger arises, and the arising is seen with mindfulness
Yes, that is how I see it.
But what do you understand being mindful?
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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DooDoot
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Re: Reaction to Mind States and Kamma

Post by DooDoot »

ehensens wrote: Fri May 25, 2018 12:59 amWhen mind states arise, does one's reaction to them condition their future arising/non-arising?
If you are interested in reading some scripture, there is MN 19, which says:
Whatever a person frequently thinks and ponders upon, that will become the inclination of his mind. If he frequently thinks and ponders upon thoughts of ill will, he has abandoned the thought of non-ill will to cultivate the thought of ill will, then his mind inclines to thoughts of ill will...

If he frequently thinks and ponders upon thoughts of non ill will [good will], he has abandoned the thought of ill will to cultivate the thought of non ill will, then his mind inclines to thoughts of non ill will.
:candle:
ehensens wrote: Fri May 25, 2018 12:59 amIf not, then why do some people experience much more anger than other people, or any other mind state?
Sometimes life circumstances can make tendencies towards anger; such a difficult child birth, chronic pain in the body or hostile social environment. Often young babies cry because they simply cannot breathe properly. Often massaging a baby to unblock blockages stops the baby from crying.
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