HtUtM - Part 1 Flashcards
What is the nature of mind?
Clarity. Which means it is something that is empty like space, always lacking form, shape and color.
What is ‘clear light’?
When our very subtle mind manifests through the inner winds dissolving into the central channel, this manifest very subtle mind is called ‘clear light’.
When does the very subtle mind manifest?
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.
Definition of primary mind vs mental factors?
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)
Six types of primary mind?
eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mental consciousnesses.
What are the list of “all accompanying” mental factors that accompany each primary mind?
Five: feeling, discrimination, intention, contact, and attention.
Mental factor: feeling (defn & fn)
…functions to experience pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral objects. (Buddhas only have pleasant).
…to experience the effects of previous actions, or karma.
Mental factor: discrimination (defn & fn)
…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’.
What’s the function of contaminated feelings
…to act as the basis for the three poisons: attachment, hatred, and ignorance.
Discrimination associated with conceptual minds [also] functions to impute. There are two ways of imputing…
…by sound (naming), and by thought (conceiving).
Mental factor: intention (defn & fn)
…functions to focus its primary mind on an object.
…to create karma.
Mental factor: contact (defn & fn)
…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.
Mental factor: attention (defn & fn)
…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.
What are the five object-ascertaining mental factors?
Aspiration, Firm apprehension, Mindfulness, Concentration, Wisdom
Called this because the objects of these mental factors are particular objects.
The five object-ascertaining mental factors: Aspiration
…focuses on a desired object and takes interest in it.
…to induce effort.
The five object-ascertaining mental factors: Firm apprehension
…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.
The five object-ascertaining mental factors: Mindfulness
…functions not to forget the object realized by the primary mind.
…to prevent distractions.
The five object-ascertaining mental factors: Concentration
…makes its primary mind remain on its object single-pointedly
…main function of virtuous concentration is to make the mind peaceful.
The five object-ascertaining mental factors: Wisdom
…virtuous, intelligent mind that makes its primary mind realize a meaningful object.
…to eliminate doubts and misunderstandings.
What are the eleven virtuous mental factors?
Faith Sense of shame Consideration for others Non-attachment Non-hatred Non-ignorance Effort Mental suppleness Conscientiousness Equanimity
Virtuous mental factor: Sense of shame
…to avoid inappropriate actions for reasons that concern ourself.
…to serve as the foundation for moral discipline, particularly of restraint.
Virtuous mental factor: Non-attachment
…opposes attachment, which functions to prevent us from developing the wish to escape from samsara.
Virtuous mental factor: Non-hatred
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.
Virtuous mental factor: Non-ignorance
…enable us to understand emptiness
Virtuous mental factor: Effort
…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.
Virtuous mental factor: Mental suppleness
…a flexibility of mind induced by virtuous concentration.
Virtuous mental factor: Conscientiousness
…prevents the mind from being influenced by a delusion.
Virtuous mental factor: Equanimity
…to keep the primary mind free from mental sinking and mental excitement.
Virtue: Defn
Defn: a phenomenon that functions as a main cause of happiness.
Non-virtue: main cause of suffering.
Delusion: Defn
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.
Six causes of delusion
The seed The object Inappropriate attention Familiarity Distraction and being influenced by others Bad habits
Delusion cause: The seed
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.
Delusion cause: The object
e.g. seeing or recalling an attractive object
Delusion cause: Inappropriate attention
Even if our mind meets an object of delusion, a delusion will arise only if we allow inappropriate attention to develop
Delusion cause: Familiarity
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.
Delusion cause: Distraction and being influenced by others
We naturally imitate those with whom we associate…
Delusion cause: Bad habits
If we have bad habits like stealing, drinking, smoking, bad verbal habits etc… these will make our delusions stronger.
What are the six root delusions?
Desirous attachment Anger Deluded pride Ignorance Deluded doubt Deluded view
Six root delusions: Desirous attachment
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.
Six root delusions: Anger
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.
Six root delusions: Deluded pride
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)
Six root delusions: Ignorance
…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.
Six root delusions: Deluded doubt
…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.
Six root delusions: Deluded view
…a view that functions to obstruct the attainment of liberation.
