“In order to be able to look at your mind, you need mindfulness to pull the mind inside.”

“In order to be able to look at your mind, you need mindfulness to pull the mind inside.”

Question: "We know we only have one mind. So, how can we look at the defiled mind? Surely we would need two minds. Could you please explain?"

Than Ajahn: "It’s one mind. You look at yourself. You can look at your own mind by using your own mind to look at itself. 

Normally, you don’t look at your mind. You look at other things. So, the Buddha has taught us to look inside.

Look into our mind. Then, we’ll see that the defilement is in our mind.

In order to be able to look at your mind, you need mindfulness to pull the mind inside. Right now, the mind goes outside. The mind goes to the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body to see images, to listen to sounds, to smell, to taste and to touch. The mind doesn’t look at itself. It doesn’t know what’s happening inside the mind. The Buddha has said that if you want to see what’s happening inside your mind and manage or control it, you’ll have to bring the mind inside. Turn the mind inside like turning your face from one direction to the other direction."

Youtube: “Dhamma in English, Sep 7, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

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