1. Cultivating the mind

2. Cultivating the mind What is mind?
“It is a phenomenon that is not body, not substance, has no form, no shape, no colour, but, like a mirror, can clearly reflect objects”

3. Cultivating the mind Compositions & properties of the mind:
Citta: mind & heart
Mano: will / intent
Vinnana: consciousness / awareness

4. Cultivating the mind Workings of the mind:
Six Sense Organs: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body & mind
External realms: external environment or surrounding
Six Sense Objects (dust): colour/form, sound, ordour, flavour, tangible forms, ideas

5. Cultivating the mind Workings of the mind:
Sensory perception: organise, identify and interpret sense information
Cognition: apply knowledge, reasoning, experience to process sense information

6. Cultivating the mind States of the mind:
Doctrine of Mere Conscience (Cheng Weishi Lun)
Human Mind
Dao Mind

7. Cultivating the mind Human mind: Ignorance – not knowing
Habits – likes, dislikes, preferences and behaviours acquired by frequent repetition

9. Cultivating the mind Human mind: Ignorance – not knowing
Habits – likes, dislikes, preferences and behaviours acquired by frequent repetition

10. Cultivating the mind Dao mind: Buddhism – Buddha Mind, Real Mind
Loving-kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity (The Four Immeasurables)
Confucianism – Moral Sense
Compassion, remorse, reverence, sense of right and wrong (The Four Ethical Attributes)

11. Cultivating the mind Methods of cultivating the mind:
the Getting Insight
the Practice of Mindfulness
the application of the ‘No Thought’ Principal

12. Cultivating the mind Getting Insight: Insight: knowing what Is
Platform Sutra: the human mind if ‘false’
Principal of Sunyata: void & emptyness

14. Cultivating the mind 1) Getting Insight: Insight: knowing what Is
Platform Sutra: the human mind is ‘false’
Principal of Sunyata: void & emptyness

15. Cultivating the mind 1) Getting Insight: Conditioned existence -
Like stars fading and vanishing at dawn;
Like bubbles on a fast moving stream;
Like morning dewdrops evaporating on blades of grass;
Like a candle flickering in a strong wind;
echos, mirages, and phantoms, hallucinations,
and like a dream. (Prajna Paramita Sutras)

16. Cultivating the mind 2) Practice Mindfulness:
Mindfulness: fully aware, moment by moment, our thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and surrounding environment
True Spiritual Awareness
Meditation: approach everything we do with attention, care and presence

17. Cultivating the mind 3) ‘No-Thought’ Principal:
No-Thought: observing with detachment

18. Cultivating the mind
“Bodhi nature is pure in essence. By living this essence we become Buddha.”
(Platform Sutra)

20. Discussion Question:
In your own words, describe the three methods of mind cultivation. Discuss which method is the easiest for you to practice.