The Nature of the Mind -- Jeffrey Po

If one looks sufficiently hard and deep enough into the teachings and doctrines of the Lord Buddha Gotama, one realizes that they are intricately related to the "phenomenal world of sense experiences". Since "experiences" share similar foundations in the psychological expressions of the human mind, one can therefore view those teachings and doctrines as psychological in nature.

Samsara is looked upon as "conditioned experiences". It is the unending chain of the fivefold-khandha (the 5 aggregates) combination which constantly changing from moment to moment, following continuously one upon the other since the beginning of one's existence. Since Buddhists are pre-occupied with methods to once and for all stop this constant bouts birth and death, they shall therefore need to understand the nature of the mind because it is from there that the "phenomenal world of sense experiences" arise and cease. This situation is achieved when the mind is totally liberated from the cankers of phenomenal experiences.

To understand the workings of the mind, one must necessarily analyze the mind itself. Three important factors needs to be considered. They are:

1. Pacca natthi vinnanassa gambhavo annatara - apart from conditions there is no arising of consciousness.

The mind expresses itself in the form of consciousness. However, it would be incorrect to conclude that consciousness originates from the mind because it negates the doctrine of anatta (substanceless). Consciousness arises merely because of two phenomena - the sense organ and the sense data. Human possesses 6 sense organs (the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind) and therefore 6 sensorial data. Hence there is no independent entity as "consciousness".

2. Consciousness has no individual existence

Consciousness always exists in conjunction with the other 4 aggregates of corporeality (rupa), vedana (feeling), sanna (perception) and sankhara (mental factors). It therefore cannot arise in isolation

3. Consciousness is dependent on Nama-Rupa (mind-matter) and Name-Rupa is in turn dependent on consciousness

This means that both consciousness and Nama-rupa exists in causal and reciprocal relations - they are mutually dependent upon each other.

In early Buddhism, consciousness is not nama-rupa (mind and matter) although in Abhidhamma doctrines both are taken to be synonymous. Early Buddhists

view the arising of consciousness as a resultant of the causal relationship between nama-rupa (mind and matter). Hence consciousness is not looked upon to be in possessing of an independent entity.

According to early Buddhists, the Nama factor comprised of :

1. Phasso ?sensory contact (the six types)

2. Vedana ?feelings

(pleasant, unpleasant and neutral ?Abhidhamma mentions six)

3. Sanna ?perception

4. Cetana ?volition (conation, motivation)

5. Manasikara ?attention

It is considered that consciousness cannot arise without those 5 factors.

It is interesting to note that unlike later Abhidhammic classifications, "phasso" (contact) and "manasikara" (attention) factors are not found in the 5 Aggregates (panca khandha) grouping. In later Abhidhammic classification, both of them are looked upon as a "separate entity" (as two of the 6 Universals belonging to the mental concomittants - cetasika - grouping). "Phasso" (contact) was viewed as when impressions of the sense objects impinge upon the sensitive part of the sense organ (pasada) while "manasikara" (attention) was considered as a purely functional behavior when the mind is adverted towards the sense object.

Although Buddhism does not subscribe to any sort of "soul-theory" and hence to infer that the mind might be looked upon as a separate entity dictating the behavioral habits of humans, it regards the mind to be important aspects of human endeavors and thus recognizes the huge potentialities of the capabilities of the mind.

The early Buddhist theory of perception (vedana) differs from that of the later Abhidhammic theory. In early Buddhist concept, perception is looked upon as to how humans perceive the phenomenal world in six differing ways because of the possession of the 6 sense organs. The theory mentions that in order to perceive, a stream of mental phenomena must necessarily operate and that humans only "see" at the end of the mental phenomena process.

The process of perception (vedana) starts when impressions of the object (arammana) impinge upon the related sense organ (pasada) to give rise to the related consciousness (vinnana). If one considers the eye organ (cakku) then:

1. Vcakkum ca paticcarupe ca uppajjati cakku-vinnanam

"Because of the eye and because of what is visible there arises visual consciousness" - Though visual consciousness has arisen, at this moment of time, full conscious knowledge has yet to arise. What happens here is that "bare sensation" has arisen and is referred to as "dassana-matas" - mere seeing.

2. Tinnam sangati phasso

"The union of the three is sensory contact" - Here early Buddhism infers that sensory contact (phasso) is not a separate and independent entity that later Abhidhammic scholars subscribe to.

3. Phasso paccaya vedana

"Depending on sensory contact (phasso) there arises feeling (vedana)"

4. Yam vedeti, tam samjanati

"What one feels that one perceives" - At this stage, the person actually begins to feel and the recognition of the object becomes more pronounced and defined. Previously, the object merely stirs to provide elementary excitation of the sense organ.

5. Yam samjanati tam vitakketi

"What one perceives that one reasons about" - Here the "thinking" process starts. The "object" is classified and matched with past experiences. If the matching cannot be satisfactorily concluded then the process tries to offer various alternatives e.g. the memory from the hardisk of the CPU trying to offer various possibilities of suitable words to a mispelt word.

6. Yam vitakketi, tam papanceti

"What one reasons about that one conceptual proliferation" - Here it is best to explain the term "papanceti". The word is derived from "papanca" and in doctrinal usage, it signifies the expansion, differentiation, "diffusion" or "manifoldness" of the world; and it may also refer to the "phenomenal world" in general, and to the mental attitude of "worldliness". In the above, the psychological sense of "differentiation" is often quoted as:

"Whatever man conceives (vitakketi) that he differentiates (papanceti); and what he differentiates, by reason thereof ideas and considerations of differentiation (papanca-sanna-sankha) arise in him"

?Madhupindika sutta (Majjhima Nikaya - 19)

In other words at this stage, "mental proliferation" occurs and the person is overwhelmed by the visible sense data that assails him and through his power of reasoning the object becomes cognizable by the eye. One then becomes the victim of one's own conceptual proliferation and therefore suffers.

Hence in the early Buddhist theory of perception, the following factors are involved:

a. Vinnana ? consciousness

b. Phasso ?contact

c. Vedana ?feeling

d. Sanna ?perception

e. Vitaka (and Vicara) ?internal verbalization

f. Papanca ?mental proliferation

Vinnana and sanna refer to two levels of knowledge. Vinnana is seen as elementary knowledge while in

sanna the knowledge of the object is more complete. It is said that sanna (perception) "marks the object". Vitaka and vicara is known as "vaci-sdankhara" or "vocal-sankhara" because before verbal utterances

can commence they are preceded by those two factors. Both vitaka and vicara are seen as two constructive forces and it is at this stage that labelling and the formative stage of concept of the object begins. The concept eventually crystallizes that finally results in the mental proliferation (papanca). The "papanca" stage expands the single concept to multifarious concepts that soon overwhelms the individual. Those multifarious concepts, by the powers of reason, logic, and rationalization are then converted to "realities" which in turn manifest as "entities of duration". Thus as mentioned, the individual then becomes victim to his own conceptual proliferations.

Early Buddhists view that the latent "I-notion", which are largely mental fabrication and construction on the part of the mind, emerges during the "vedana" (feeling) stage of the process of perception. It refines and crystallizes itself during "sanna" (perception) and becomes finally established in the "papanca" (mental poliferation) stage.

The "I-notion" manifests itself in three ways:

1. This is mine ? etam mana

(because of craving - tanha)

2. This I am ? eso aham asmi

(because of conceit - mana)

3. This is myself ?eso me atta

(because of wrong view - ditthi)

They are latent tendencies (anussaya) and lay buried deep within the recesses of our minds. They spring up during opportune moments and ensnare us.

Hence it is the early Buddhist belief that to attain final emancipation from samsaric cycles of birth and death, the "I- notion" needs to be recognized, managed and finally removed during the "vedana" (feeling) stage of the perception process.