All things are mind made

M. B. Werapitiya

MIND: Seeing the helplessness of an old man struggling to get on his feet to go on his round of begging, his only means of sustenance; hearing the groans and moans of a man suffering from a deadly disease that had made a wreck of his body and mind; seeing a dead body being carried for its disposal, the procession of mourners wailing and weeping, Prince Siddhartha realised these were the realities of life with suffering at the beginning, suffering in the middle and suffering at the end.

That was enough for him to take a decision as to what he should do with his life. Since no person had discovered a method or system whereby to overcome suffering, he embarked upon a voyage of discovery, abandoning his claim to the rulership of his father's domain.

Taking leave from his wife and child, he ventured forth an ascetic, in search of a formula to end suffering.

Wise men

Meeting wise men of his time, some of whom had attained high spiritual states, he followed their disciplines which however, brought him no beneficial results.

Hence, he experimented on himself over a period of six long years going to the extremes of an austere life that nearly took him to death's door.

Finding that such practices led to the impairment of his mind, he changed course and started developing his mind for the attainment of wisdom to see things in their true form.

That worked for him and on the full moon day in May, 528 BC at his thirty fifth year, at Gaya in India, he became fully awakened in mind that made him a Buddha. Thus, he not only saw the cause of suffering but also its ending. His pean of joy ran thus -

"Many a house of life Hath held me - seeking ever him who wrought These prisons of the senses, sorrow fraught. Sore was my ceaseless strife. But now, Thou builder of this tabernacle - thou I know thee! Never shalt thou build again These walls of pain, Nor raise the roof-tree of deceits, nor lay Fresh rafters on the clay. Broken thy house is, and thy ridge-pole split, Delusion fashioned it! Safe pass I then, deliverance to obtain!"

The legacy the Buddha left behind for mankind in the way of his teaching, the Dhamma, conforms with laws of nature, science and principles of social justice. Hence, it is the truth, valid for all time, sublime and ever new.

The truth we think is elusive, lies within each of us awaiting to be discovered. One has to discover it oneself as evidenced by Prince Siddhartha.

The tools required are faith born out of conviction, energy, mindfulness, concentration of mind and wisdom which are there in one in adequate measure.

The eightfold path

The method to get started is also within oneself - the eightfold path which divided into three categories are - mental discipline, concentration of mind and development of wisdom.

Hence, it is by super effort that one discovers the truth and once discovered becomes a reality. In other words, truth is self-exploratory, self-determined and self-experienced.

A Buddha arises in the world to proclaim to those endowed with understanding, the Four Noble Truths which are the truth of suffering, its cause, its ending and the path leading to its ending. In the midst of our worldly activities to keep life afloat, we pay little attention to the truth of suffering.

Love and compassion of the Buddha

The reality is that birth is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering, association with the loathed is suffering, disassociation with the loved ones is suffering, not to get what one wants is suffering and the list unending. Out of love and compassion a Buddha teaches us to set our course in the right direction to extricate ourselves from suffering and attain that peace of enlightenment, everlasting.

The origin of our suffering is our attachment to our sense faculties wanting more and more alluring experiences to heighten our excitement. Hence, one believes in one's delusion, that the purpose of life is the gratification of the senses.

The Buddha teaches a middleway which avoids extremes and has for its components - right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration of mind.

Life is then lived according to accepted norms. This way of life promotes spiritual growth and ends in spiritual liberation. Thus being man one fulfils his purpose as man.

The mind, the Buddha said, "is chief and all things are mind-made." Think evil thoughts and evil results follow.

Think wholesome thoughts and happiness follows. It is the mind that lives, the mind that creates. Call it consciousness and it means the same. Consciousness is kammic energy which flows for one from the beginning, arising out of actions good and bad.

Its flow does not end with death, its nature being to give rise to rebirth. If as we know, a mind tainted by greed, hatred and delusion leads to unhappiness, then it necessarily follows that a mind cleansed of defilements, abides in happiness. A cleansed mind runs its course to a finish and kammic energy ceases to produce rebirth.

Departure from craving

Kammic energy then takes another form for it is said that according to the law of conservation of energy, energy cannot be destroyed but takes some other form. Hence, the concept of nirvana arises. Nirvana means, departure from craving.

A Buddha Jayanthi occurs seldom in our lives. Should you be a Buddhist, rise to the occasion to make it a turning point in your life to be a hundred percent Buddhist. You know best where you stand and the necessary repair work that has to be done. Bear in mind that the power is within you to attain the highest.

Take full control of your life as a captain does assuming authority over his ship and sail the mighty ocean of life ready to meet any contingency. Be innovative, be creative, be willing to face up to challenges and you will see the difference it makes with never a dull moment to grumble about, in your life.

May you be truly well and happy!