Songsofheart's Weblog

My life …… it sucks ……. I’m in deep sh** …… oh why did I ever born to this world? ah world ……. It sucks big time too …….. why me, my family ……. my buddies ……

Depression? is this word …… ‘Why ‘ ……….in your vocabulary often than it should be? planning to go on therapy? already on anti depression pills? Or worse ……. ? is your mind full of delusional thoughts ?

Preamble

Thus have I heard, the “Bhagyavanth” was at one time residing at the market-town called “Kammasadhamma” in the “Kuru” country. There the Bhagyavanth addressed the bhikkhus, saying, “O, Bhikkhus”, and they replied to him, “Bhadante,” Then the Bhagyavanth said:

“Bhikkhus, this is the one and the only way for the purification (of the minds) of beings, for overcoming sorrow and lamentation, for the cessation of physical and mental pain , for attainment of the noble paths and for the realization of Nibbana  that (only way) is the four Satipatthanas”.

What are these four?

Here (in this teaching), bhikkhus, a bhikkhu (i.e. a disciple) dwells …… perceiving again and again the body (kaya) as just the body (not mine, not I, not self, but just a phenomenon) with diligence, clear understanding, and mindfulness, thus keeping away covetousness and mental pain in the world,

He dwells perceiving again and again feelings (vedana) as just feelings (not mine, not I, not self but just as phenomena) with diligence, clear understanding, and mindfulness, thus keeping away covetousness and mental pain in the world,

He dwells perceiving again and again the mind (citta) as just the mind (not mine, not I, not self but just a phenomenon) with diligence, clear understanding, and mindfulness, thus keeping away covetousness and mental pain in the world,

He dwells perceiving again and again dhammas as just dhammas (not mine, not I, not self but just as phenomena) with diligence, clear understanding, and mindfulness, thus keeping away covetousness and mental pain in the world.

Isn’t this a wonderful way to have a grip on one s’ self?

The usual practice of knowledge; is to learn about the out side world; what we can – see, hear, touch, feel, use, what’s -dangerous, useful, waste, invented etc etc …… but what about the knowledge on inner – me/you? How far are we aware of our selves; of what we think, how we feel what we do? Would it help to have a clear conscious as a way to straighten our selves?

One critical question ….. Who are these people called, “Me”/“You”/”We”? Am I really, who I think I am?? Is it – A mind +body? Or is it – A soul +body? Each of our definition would be different, I’m sure.

What ever or how ever way you define it, one must stop the race for a minute, because it’s important to understand the logic of it, at least once in a way one must try to get enlightened on the true position …… especially when you feel anxious, depressed and feel abandoned or let down by –him/her/them etc etc –

it will make us think …… “is it worth  feeling that way” …… if we are taught that there’s no such thing called …..“Self”? Would any of these things matter?

Meditation – Contemplation on the Body (Kayanupassana)

v  The section on Contemplation of Impurities (Patikulamanasika Pabba)

“And again, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu examines and reflects closely upon this very body, from the soles of the feet up and from the tips of the head hair down, enclosed by the skin and full of various kinds of impurities, (thinking thus) …..

                                                    “There exists in this body: hair of the head, hair of the body, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, membranes (including the pleura, the diaphragm and other forms of membrane in the body), spleen, lungs, intestines, mysentery, gorge, faeces, brain, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, solid fat, tears, liquid fat, saliva, mucus, synovic fluid (i.e. lubricating oil of the joints) and urine.” ……

“And again, bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should see a body, one day dead, or two days dead, or three days dead, swollen, blue and festering, discarded in the charnel ground, he then compares it to his own body thus: “Truly this body is of the same nature, it will become like that and cannot escape from it.”

v  The section on Contemplation on the Mind – (Cittanupassana)

“And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu dwell perceiving again and again the mind (citta) as just the mind (not mine, not I, not self but just a phenomenon)?”

“Here (in this teaching) when a mind with greed (raga)- Greed (raga) does not just mean strong passion but refers to the whole range of lust, craving, and attachment to sense pleasures from the weakest sensual desire to the strongest lust. It can produce only unwholesome actions -arises, a bhikkhu knows, “This is a mind with greed”;

“When a mind with anger (dosa) – Anger (dosa) always occurs together with mental pain (domanassa). Therefore, if mental pain is present the meditator should know that anger is also present. Aversion, ill-will, frustration, fear, and sadness are all included in this term. Anger can produce only unwholesome actions – arises, he knows, “This is a mind with anger”;

“When a mind with delusion (moha) –  Delusion (moha) is the mental concomitant that clouds and blinds the mind making it unable to discern between right and wrong actions, unable to perceive the characteristics of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and soullessness, and unable to perceive the Four Noble Truths. It is common to all unwholesome types of consciousness but here it refers specifically to those types of consciousness associated with doubt, uncertainty, restlessness, distraction, and confusion- arises, he knows, “This is a mind with delusion”;

“Or when a lazy, slothful mind (samkhittacitta)- This is the shrunken mind that is lethargic, indolent, and lacks interest in anything – arises, he knows, “This is a lazy, slothful mind”;

“Or when a distracted mind (vikkhittacitta)- A diffused, restless state of mind that goes here and there is therefore not concentrated – arises, he knows, “This is a distracted mind”;

“Or when a developed mind (mahagattacitta) – When the mind free from defilements due to insight. There are ten defilements (kilesa), namely: greed, anger, delusion, conceit, wrong views, doubt, sloth, distraction, lack of moral shame, lack of moral dread (lobho, doso, moho, mano, ditthi, vicikiccha, thinam, uddhacam, ahirikam, anottapam) – arises, he knows, “This is a developed mind”;

So the teaching continues ….. This’s the true state of our so called “Self”……. So why would we ever get depressed, over some thing beyond our control, when we haven’t apprehended what we are supposed to?

Let’s forget about saying – “Me, I, My, Mine” …

        it’s all nothing but an illusion……

              Now we can throw out anti depression pills – and “Be mindful”.