The Nature Of The Mind April 23 2018

The Third Foundation Of Mindfuilness is Cittanupassana, Mindfulness Of The Mind.  During this talk, Peter explained how the traditional understandings of cittanupassana foster the process of Awakening.  The mind is the receptive characteristic of human experience, and the “tone” of the mind can be affected by various conditions such as desire or aversion.  The cultivation of mindfulness clarifies the reflective quality of awareness in ways that provide greater stress resilience and sets the conditions for the practice of vipassana, the function of which is to reveal directly the three characteristics of human reality: impermanence, the absence of an enduring and autonomous self and the distress and confusion that comes about due to craving and clinging.  The participants in the meeting then discussed how they understand the nature and function of cittanupassana.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk:  THE NATURE OF THE MIND

Next week’s talk will begin the exploration of the Fourth Foundation Of Mindfulness, Dhammanupassana.

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How To Not Take Moods Personally

This dialogue explores the Third Foundation of Mindfulness, cittanupassana, translated as mindfulness of the mind.  After reading the content of the third foundation from Analayo’s book on satipatthana, the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, Peter related this to what our era calls “mood”, that is, a pervasive emotional state.  The neurological and hormonal aspects of mood were described.  This was followed by a group discussion emphasizing the impersonal nature of moods.