HtUtM - Part 1

Question 1

What is the nature of mind?

Answer 1

Clarity. Which means it is something that is empty like space, always lacking form, shape and color.

Question 2

What is ‘clear light’?

Answer 2

When our very subtle mind manifests through the inner winds dissolving into the central channel, this manifest very subtle mind is called ‘clear light’.

Question 3

When does the very subtle mind manifest?

Answer 3

Normally, only during deep sleep and at the end of the death process. But HYT practitioners can manifest their very subtle mind during meditation by dissolving inner winds into the central channel through the force of meditation; this is the clear light of realization.

Question 4

Definition of primary mind vs mental factors?

Answer 4

PM = A cognizer that principally apprehends the mere entity of an object. (e.g. the pot itself is the ‘mere entity’ of the pot, vs particular attributes of the pot are apprehended by mental factors)

Question 5

Six types of primary mind?

Answer 5

eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mental consciousnesses.

Question 6

What are the list of “all accompanying” mental factors that accompany each primary mind?

Answer 6

Five: feeling, discrimination, intention, contact, and attention.

Question 7

Mental factor: feeling (defn & fn)

Answer 7

…functions to experience pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral objects. (Buddhas only have pleasant).

…to experience the effects of previous actions, or karma.

Question 8

Mental factor: discrimination (defn & fn)

Answer 8

…functions to apprehend the uncommon sign of an object.

…to distinguish an object from the other objects and to identify the object as ‘this’ and not ‘that’.

Question 9

What’s the function of contaminated feelings

Answer 9

…to act as the basis for the three poisons: attachment, hatred, and ignorance.

Question 10

Discrimination associated with conceptual minds [also] functions to impute. There are two ways of imputing…

Answer 10

…by sound (naming), and by thought (conceiving).

Question 11

Mental factor: intention (defn & fn)

Answer 11

…functions to focus its primary mind on an object.

…to create karma.

Question 12

Mental factor: contact (defn & fn)

Answer 12

…functions to perceive its object as pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. Thus, makes the development of feelings possible.

…to give rise to feelings. For example, tongue consciousness’s mental factor of contact perceives tea as pleasant, then we develop a pleasant feeling.

Question 13

Mental factor: attention (defn & fn)

Answer 13

…functions to focus the mind on a particular attribute of an object. (Intention is like a horse traveling along a road, attention is the reins that direct it.) A primary mind focuses on the general entity of its object through the power of the mental factor intention, and on particular attributes of the object through the power of attention.

…1) to focus the mind on a particular object, 2) to fix the mind on that object, 3) to prevent the mind from moving from the object, and 4) to serve as a basis for mindfulness of concentration.

Question 14

What are the five object-ascertaining mental factors?

Answer 14

Aspiration, 
Firm apprehension, 
Mindfulness, 
Concentration, 
Wisdom

Called this because the objects of these mental factors are particular objects.

Question 15

The five object-ascertaining mental factors: Aspiration

Answer 15

…focuses on a desired object and takes interest in it.

…to induce effort.

Question 16

The five object-ascertaining mental factors: Firm apprehension

Answer 16

…makes its primary mind apprehend its object firmly.

…and thereby to realize the object.

Very difficult to keep our mind on an object for long if we don’t understand it firmly.

Question 17

The five object-ascertaining mental factors: Mindfulness

Answer 17

…functions not to forget the object realized by the primary mind.

…to prevent distractions.

Question 18

The five object-ascertaining mental factors: Concentration

Answer 18

…makes its primary mind remain on its object single-pointedly

…main function of virtuous concentration is to make the mind peaceful.

Question 19

The five object-ascertaining mental factors: Wisdom

Answer 19

…virtuous, intelligent mind that makes its primary mind realize a meaningful object.

…to eliminate doubts and misunderstandings.

Question 20

What are the eleven virtuous mental factors?

Answer 20

Faith
Sense of shame
Consideration for others
Non-attachment
Non-hatred
Non-ignorance
Effort
Mental suppleness
Conscientiousness
Equanimity

Question 21

Virtuous mental factor: Sense of shame

Answer 21

…to avoid inappropriate actions for reasons that concern ourself.

…to serve as the foundation for moral discipline, particularly of restraint.

Question 22

Virtuous mental factor: Non-attachment

Answer 22

…opposes attachment, which functions to prevent us from developing the wish to escape from samsara.

Question 23

Virtuous mental factor: Non-hatred

Answer 23

Shantideva: there is no evil greater than anger, and no virtue greater than patience.

Enables us to respond to adverse conditions with a calm and positive mind. And, frees us from the inner pain of hatred.

Question 24

Virtuous mental factor: Non-ignorance

Answer 24

…enable us to understand emptiness

Question 25

Virtuous mental factor: Effort

Answer 25

…makes its primary mind delight in virtue.

…to make our mind happy to engage in virtue - delighting in actions such as giving, helping others, making prostrations, making offerings, reciting prayers, reading Dharma books and listening to Dharma teachings.

Effort is necessarily virtuous. Minds that strive for ordinary goals, business etc, are not effort.

Opposite of laziness.

Question 26

Virtuous mental factor: Mental suppleness

Answer 26

…a flexibility of mind induced by virtuous concentration.

Question 27

Virtuous mental factor: Conscientiousness

Answer 27

…prevents the mind from being influenced by a delusion.

Question 28

Virtuous mental factor: Equanimity

Answer 28

…to keep the primary mind free from mental sinking and mental excitement.

Question 29

Virtue: Defn

Answer 29

Defn: a phenomenon that functions as a main cause of happiness.

Non-virtue: main cause of suffering.

Question 30

Delusion: Defn

Answer 30

Defn: A mental factor that arises from inappropriate attention and that functions to make the mind unpeaceful and uncontrolled.

…functions only to cause us harm.

Question 31

Six causes of delusion

Answer 31

The seed
The object
Inappropriate attention
Familiarity
Distraction and being influenced by others
Bad habits

Question 32

Delusion cause: The seed

Answer 32

the potentiality for that delusion to arise

Everyone has them, can be eradicated only by attaining wisdom directly realizing emptiness and meditating on this for a long time.

Question 33

Delusion cause: The object

Answer 33

e.g. seeing or recalling an attractive object

Question 34

Delusion cause: Inappropriate attention

Answer 34

Even if our mind meets an object of delusion, a delusion will arise only if we allow inappropriate attention to develop

Question 35

Delusion cause: Familiarity

Answer 35

Delusions develop because we are so familiar with them since beginningless time (vs with virtuous minds).

We can reverse this by training in the opponents of delusion and gaining familiarity with virtuous objects.

Question 36

Delusion cause: Distraction and being influenced by others

Answer 36

We naturally imitate those with whom we associate…

Question 37

Delusion cause: Bad habits

Answer 37

If we have bad habits like stealing, drinking, smoking, bad verbal habits etc… these will make our delusions stronger.

Question 38

What are the six root delusions?

Answer 38

Desirous attachment
Anger
Deluded pride
Ignorance
Deluded doubt
Deluded view

Question 39

Six root delusions: Desirous attachment

Answer 39

A deluded mental factor that observes its contaminated object, regards it as a cause of happiness, and wishes for it.

Develops when we focus attention on the good qualities of an object and exaggerate them.

Not the same as desire. Non-deluded desire is e.g. to attain liberation, to help others, etc.

Must distinguish vs love. Love is a virtuous mind that creates only peace and happiness… attachment is never virtuous and causes pain and problems.

To eradicate, develop renunciation and meditate on emptiness until seeds of attachment are moved from our mind. Temporarily, abandon by contemplating faults of the object.

Question 40

Six root delusions: Anger

Answer 40

A deluded mental factor that observes its contaminated objet, exaggerates its bad qualities, considers it to be undesirable, and wishes to harm it.

Abandon by gaining a direct realization of emptiness; and temporarily by meditating on its opponents: patience and love.

Due to anger, beauty is lost.

Question 41

Six root delusions: Deluded pride

Answer 41

A deluded mental factor that, through considering and exaggerating our own good qualities or possessions, feels arrogant.

e.g. wealth, beauty, strength, education, etc.

There are also non-deluded prides: w/r/t our potential, in our actions, and in thinking we can destroy delusions. (Shantideva)

Question 42

Six root delusions: Ignorance

Answer 42

…that is confused about the nature of an object and that functions to induce wrong awareness, doubt and other delusions.

For example, we mistake a toy snake for a real snake.

Question 43

Six root delusions: Deluded doubt

Answer 43

…a two-pointedness of mind that interferes with the attainment of liberation or enlightenment.

A mind of uncertainty that cannot decide between two alternatives. Specifically regarding Dharma topics, which then causes our faith to decline and disturbs our peace of mind.

Question 44

Six root delusions: Deluded view

Answer 44

…a view that functions to obstruct the attainment of liberation.