Nature of mind: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
mNo edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
'''Nature of mind''' (Skt. ''cittatā''; Tib. [[སེམས་ཉིད་]], ''semnyi''; [[Wyl.]] ''sems nyid'') — the inseparable unity of [[awareness]] and [[emptiness]], or clarity and emptiness, which is the basis for all the ordinary perceptions, thoughts and emotions of the [[ordinary mind]] ([[སེམས་]], ''sem''). | '''Nature of mind''' (Skt. ''cittatā''; Tib. [[སེམས་ཉིད་]], ''semnyi''; [[Wyl.]] ''sems nyid'') — defined in the [[tantra]]s as the inseparable unity of [[awareness]] and [[emptiness]], or clarity and emptiness, which is the basis for all the ordinary perceptions, thoughts and emotions of the [[ordinary mind]] ([[སེམས་]], ''sem''). | ||
[[Sogyal Rinpoche]] says: "In the modern world, we do not have a real understanding of the mind. Most people think of the mind as being merely thoughts and emotions, but these are simply the appearance of the mind, not the true nature of the mind itself." | [[Sogyal Rinpoche]] says: "In the modern world, we do not have a real understanding of the mind. Most people think of the mind as being merely thoughts and emotions, but these are simply the appearance of the mind, not the true nature of the mind itself." | ||
==Qualities of the Nature of Mind== | ==Qualities of the Nature of Mind== | ||
In the [[Dzogchen]] teachings, the nature of mind is often described in terms of [[essence]], [[nature]] and compassion (or energy, or responsiveness). Sogyal Rinpoche writes: | |||
:"Imagine a sky, empty, spacious, and pure from the beginning; its '''essence''' is like this. Imagine a sun, luminous, clear, unobstructed, and spontaneously present; its '''nature''' is like this. Imagine that sun shining out impartially on us and all things, penetrating all directions; its '''energy''', which is the manifestation of compassion, is like this: Nothing can obstruct it and it pervades everywhere." | :"Imagine a sky, empty, spacious, and pure from the beginning; its '''essence''' is like this. Imagine a sun, luminous, clear, unobstructed, and spontaneously present; its '''nature''' is like this. Imagine that sun shining out impartially on us and all things, penetrating all directions; its '''energy''', which is the manifestation of compassion, is like this: Nothing can obstruct it and it pervades everywhere." | ||
Revision as of 10:43, 30 August 2016
Nature of mind (Skt. cittatā; Tib. སེམས་ཉིད་, semnyi; Wyl. sems nyid) — defined in the tantras as the inseparable unity of awareness and emptiness, or clarity and emptiness, which is the basis for all the ordinary perceptions, thoughts and emotions of the ordinary mind (སེམས་, sem).
Sogyal Rinpoche says: "In the modern world, we do not have a real understanding of the mind. Most people think of the mind as being merely thoughts and emotions, but these are simply the appearance of the mind, not the true nature of the mind itself."
Qualities of the Nature of Mind
In the Dzogchen teachings, the nature of mind is often described in terms of essence, nature and compassion (or energy, or responsiveness). Sogyal Rinpoche writes:
- "Imagine a sky, empty, spacious, and pure from the beginning; its essence is like this. Imagine a sun, luminous, clear, unobstructed, and spontaneously present; its nature is like this. Imagine that sun shining out impartially on us and all things, penetrating all directions; its energy, which is the manifestation of compassion, is like this: Nothing can obstruct it and it pervades everywhere."
Further Reading
- The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, especially chapters 4 & 10