Namo tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammâ Sambuddhassa!
The Stream By Rasika Wijayaratne
There is a stream of thoughts that flows through our minds. There are at times positive thoughts, negative thoughts and also neither positive nor negative thoughts that flow from this stream. It flows on its own accord and at all times, and perhaps even when we are asleep.
As the various thoughts flow through they give rise to various feelings. Negative thoughts give rise to negative feelings, positive thoughts to positive feelings and neither positive nor negative thoughts to feelings of the same. As a thought which gives rise to anger flows through it causes an angry feeling to arise, and when the thought is NOT CLUNG TO and as it passes away so does the angry feeling subside. It is the same with all other kinds of thoughts, lustful thoughts can arise giving rise to lustful feelings, which again subside as the lustful thought passes away on their own accord without being clung to.
However when an angry thought arises if we actively ENGAGE in it, CLING to it and get INVOLVED in it and actively THINK more and more angry thoughts in relation to it, angry feelings also grow and grow. This is thinking which gives rise to more and more anger is considered unskilful (or unwise) mental action.1 It is the same with all other kinds of negativities such as thoughts which give rise to lust; it only becomes unskilful when we decide2 to become an active player and then proceed to create more and more of those kinds of negative thoughts in our minds.
When we develop the awareness of breath meditation3 we can begin to become aware of this mind stream. We begin to realize how the mind has an EVER CHANGING nature much like a 'real' stream. If we went to the woods and watched a 'real' stream flow we would see that it constantly flows and changes and brings with it all kinds of things; flowers, fruits, junk, debris, wood from upstream and sometimes even the carcass of some dead animal. As these things flow by we don't try to GRAB them, we just watch them flow by. We don't say those things are OURS or they are MINE or are of ME, nor do we say I AM the stream or the stream is ME.
In the same way the stream of thoughts that flows through our minds is not ours; there is nothing there to identify with, it is changeable, impermanent, giving rise to stress, suffering, unsatisfactoriness and not part of or belonging to us.4 The thoughts themselves flow on their own accord much like the 'real' stream, and in the same way as we don't identify with the objects (junk, debris, flowers, etc) that flow through in the 'real' stream, we should not identify with the thoughts objects (thoughts giving rise to anger, lust, happiness, sadness) that flow through in our mental stream as "I", "MINE" or "ME".5 We certainly should not grab onto and collect the junk that flows by, not even for a little moment if it can be helped.
The wise thing to do is to become an OBSERVER or SPECTATOR rather than a PLAYER in relation to this stream of thoughts. As thoughts constantly flow by watch how they also give rise to various feelings, and how these feelings also fade away with the passing of the thought but increase when we engage in and grow more of that thought. This will make us realize how changeable our mind and also everything is, which gives rise to suffering when clung to and also how none of these things are really ours. 4 So just watch the stream flow by; don't get washed away by it!
May you attain Nibbana!
1. Where thinking is the action in this case. The other two classes of action are verbal and physical actions.
2. In a fraction of a second most of the time without even realizing it.
3. In Pali the ana-pana-sati bhavana
4. In Pali anicca (impermanent), dukkha (causing suffering because it is anicca) and anatta (without a self because of anicca and anatta).
5. We can then begin to realize that its all just one big illusion and that the mind is constantly playing tricks on us, how we constantly get fooled by these tricks and believe whatever the mind says. Then it becomes clear that our own minds and its thoughts cannot really be trusted.
1. Buddhist Positive Thinking by Rasika Wijayaratne [ http://vihara.org.au/go?to=posthink ]
2. Mental Purity by Rasika Wijayaratne (on subduing anger, etc) [ http://vihara.org.au/go?to=vitakkasantana ]
3. Equanimity by Rasika Wijayaratne [ http://vihara.org.au/go?to=equanimity ]
4. Metta Meditation by Rasika Wijayaratne (basic instructions on the meditation on loving-kindness)
[ http://vihara.org.au/go?to=mettamed ]
5. Delusion by Rasika Wijayaratne [ http://vihara.org.au/go?to=moha ]
6. Four Noble Truths by Rasika Wijayaratne (a summary of) [ http://vihara.org.au/go?to=fourtruths ]
7. Noble Eightfold Path by Rasika Wijayaratne (on ending suffering) [ http://vihara.org.au/go?to=noblepath ]
1. SN 45.8, Magga-vibhanga Sutta, An Analysis of the Path, Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
[ http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn45/sn45.008.than.html ]
2. SN 56.11, Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion, Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu [ http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn56/sn56.011.than.html ]
1. The Four Noble Truths - A Study Guide by Thanissaro Bhikkhu [ http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/study/truths.html ]
2. The Noble Eightfold Path - The Way to the End of Suffering by Bhikkhu Bodhi
[ http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/waytoend.html ]
3. Nibbana by Thanissaro Bhikkhu [ http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/nibbana.html ]
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