Dear Friends in Dhamma,
What exactly is meant by the contracted/constricted mind, as mentioned in the Satipatthana Sutta? What strategies or antidotes does the Buddha or do the commentaries have to offer?
Metta and peace,
Bowing and thanks,
Abhaya (Andrew)
The Contracted/Constricted Mind
Re: The Contracted/Constricted Mind
A good example of a contracted/constricted mind is one that's filled with greed. The antidote would be to practice generosity. When you're giving wholeheartedly to another person the mind is anything but contracted/constricted. That's why practicing generosity is the antidote, because it puts the mind in the opposite state of being contracted/constricted.
Re: The Contracted/Constricted Mind
I understand expanded mind as Brahama Viharas.
So attachment, aversion and ignorance seems to be the contracted mind.
So attachment, aversion and ignorance seems to be the contracted mind.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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Re: The Contracted/Constricted Mind
Greetings,
Metta,
Paul.
Yes.
Metta,
Paul.
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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Re: The Contracted/Constricted Mind
Yes, and I have the sense of constricted mind as a self-absorbed mind, inward rather than outward looking, claustrophobic rather than spacious.Digity wrote: ↑Thu Dec 07, 2017 3:35 am A good example of a contracted/constricted mind is one that's filled with greed. The antidote would be to practice generosity. When you're giving wholeheartedly to another person the mind is anything but contracted/constricted. That's why practicing generosity is the antidote, because it puts the mind in the opposite state of being contracted/constricted.
Buddha save me from new-agers!
Re: The Contracted/Constricted Mind
From Ven. Anayalo's Satipatthana:bhavanirodha wrote: ↑Thu Dec 07, 2017 1:30 am Dear Friends in Dhamma,
What exactly is meant by the contracted/constricted mind, as mentioned in the Satipatthana Sutta? What strategies or antidotes does the Buddha or do the commentaries have to offer?
Metta and peace,
Bowing and thanks,
Abhaya (Andrew)
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Re: The Contracted/Constricted Mind
Hello:
A contracted mind is a mind with sloth and torpor, like Mkoll pointed out.
Why contracted?, because thats what happens to your mind, it gets tight and small, everything you do is troublesome, hard, restricted, so you zone out and get into dreamy states.
Regards.
A contracted mind is a mind with sloth and torpor, like Mkoll pointed out.
Why contracted?, because thats what happens to your mind, it gets tight and small, everything you do is troublesome, hard, restricted, so you zone out and get into dreamy states.
Regards.
Re: The Contracted/Constricted Mind
Yes, this seems to be the most applicable explanation.2600htz wrote: ↑Thu Dec 07, 2017 5:27 pm Hello:
A contracted mind is a mind with sloth and torpor, like Mkoll pointed out.
Why contracted?, because thats what happens to your mind, it gets tight and small, everything you do is troublesome, hard, restricted, so you zone out and get into dreamy states.
Regards.
Then what is expanded mind? (without saying "free from sloth and torpor")
A person free from sloth and torpor is equated to a person released from the prison.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
Re: The Contracted/Constricted Mind
SN 51:20 identifies a “constricted” mind as one accompanied by sloth and drowsiness; a “scattered” mind as one stirred up by pleasing sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and tactile
sensations.
sensations.
https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/SN/SN51_20.html“And how is desire inwardly constricted? Whatever desire is accompanied by sloth & drowsiness, conjoined with sloth & drowsiness, that is called inwardly restricted desire.
“And how is desire outwardly scattered? Whatever desire is stirred up by the five strands of sensuality, outwardly dispersed & dissipated, that is called outwardly scattered desire.
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.
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Re: The Contracted/Constricted Mind
Dear friends in Dhamma,
thank you all for your timely and thorough replies.
Metta and peace,
Bowing and thanks,
Abhaya (Andrew)
thank you all for your timely and thorough replies.
Metta and peace,
Bowing and thanks,
Abhaya (Andrew)
Re: The Contracted/Constricted Mind
This is the correct interpretation.bodom wrote: ↑Thu Dec 07, 2017 9:01 pm SN 51:20 identifies a “constricted” mind as one accompanied by sloth and drowsiness; a “scattered” mind as one stirred up by pleasing sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and tactile
sensations.
https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/SN/SN51_20.html“And how is desire inwardly constricted? Whatever desire is accompanied by sloth & drowsiness, conjoined with sloth & drowsiness, that is called inwardly restricted desire.
“And how is desire outwardly scattered? Whatever desire is stirred up by the five strands of sensuality, outwardly dispersed & dissipated, that is called outwardly scattered desire.
Re: The Contracted/Constricted Mind
I don't think so. It may be not the technical explanation.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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Re: The Contracted/Constricted Mind
There are some interesting parallels that brain scientists have discovered about the workings of the brain in relation to the more troubled states of mind vs balanced states of mind. They have found that the amygdala at the base of the brain is responsible for fear and survival and the more instinctual feelings that we all have. Some have said it corresponds to the 'animal' in us.
They have noticed that when reasoning, which is done at the cortex and pre-frontal cortex enter the picture, this tends to override the messages from the amygdala and calms it. The reasoning part of the brain actually grows in size at the pre-frontal cortex and with advanced practitioners exerts greater communication with the amygdala and stops our normal emotional reactivity to experience and replaces it with calmness and balance that actually changes the wiring in the brain permanently.
The amygdala seems to be what is associated with citta, and mano is associated with that part of the brain responsible for reasoning and calm analysis. The contracted/constricted mind seems very much an activity of citta. When introspective attention is focused on citta, mano begins to override and calm the emotional, agitated citta by relaxing the automatic responses we call habits and re-orienting them to a different part of the brain where mano functions in a conscious way. This seems to allow the natural flow of experience to be brought to all our activities and a deepening of meditative activity to take place through this relaxation and re-orientation away from citta and its automatic emotional response.
They have noticed that when reasoning, which is done at the cortex and pre-frontal cortex enter the picture, this tends to override the messages from the amygdala and calms it. The reasoning part of the brain actually grows in size at the pre-frontal cortex and with advanced practitioners exerts greater communication with the amygdala and stops our normal emotional reactivity to experience and replaces it with calmness and balance that actually changes the wiring in the brain permanently.
The amygdala seems to be what is associated with citta, and mano is associated with that part of the brain responsible for reasoning and calm analysis. The contracted/constricted mind seems very much an activity of citta. When introspective attention is focused on citta, mano begins to override and calm the emotional, agitated citta by relaxing the automatic responses we call habits and re-orienting them to a different part of the brain where mano functions in a conscious way. This seems to allow the natural flow of experience to be brought to all our activities and a deepening of meditative activity to take place through this relaxation and re-orientation away from citta and its automatic emotional response.
Re: The Contracted/Constricted Mind
This appears to be the wrong interpretation because in MN 10 the term translated as 'contracted' (sankhitta) is not paired with, as an opposite to, the term mahaggataṃ (expanded). The term 'sankhitta' is defined in SN 51.20 as related to a lack of energy. In MN 10, the opposite of 'sankhitta' is 'vikkhittaṃ', which implies too much energy, as also explained in SN 51.20.
Kathañcakathañca: ?, bhikkhave, bhikkhu citte cittānupassī viharati?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sarāgaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘sarāgaṃ cittan’ti pajānāti. (1)
Vītarāgaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘vītarāgaṃ cittan’ti pajānāti. (2)
Sadosaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘sadosaṃ cittan’ti pajānāti. (3)
Vītadosaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘vītadosaṃ cittan’ti pajānāti. (4)
Samohaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘samohaṃ cittan’ti pajānāti. (5)
Vītamohaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘vītamohaṃ cittan’ti pajānāti. (6)
Saṅkhittaṃ (contracted) vā cittaṃ ‘saṅkhittaṃ cittan’ti pajānāti. (7)
Vikkhittaṃ (scattered) vā cittaṃ ‘vikkhittaṃ cittan’ti pajānāti. (8)
Mahaggataṃ (expanded/exalted) vā cittaṃ ‘mahaggataṃ cittan’ti pajānāti. (9)
Amahaggataṃ (unexpanded/common) vā cittaṃ ‘amahaggataṃ cittan’ti pajānāti. (10)
Sauttaraṃ vā cittaṃ ‘sauttaraṃ cittan’ti pajānāti. (11)
Anuttaraṃ vā cittaṃ ‘anuttaraṃ cittan’ti pajānāti. (12)
Samāhitaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘samāhitaṃ cittan’ti pajānāti. (13)
Asamāhitaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘asamāhitaṃ cittan’ti pajānāti. (14)
Vimuttaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘vimuttaṃ cittan’ti pajānāti. (15)
Avimuttaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘avimuttaṃ cittan’ti pajānāti. (16)
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