MIND STATES ―All experience is preceded by mind, Led by mind, Made by mind. Speak or act with a corrupted mind, And suffering follows As a wagon wheel follows the hoof of the ox. Speak or act with a peaceful mind, And happiness follows Like a never-departing shadow.‖ -
Dhp 1-2
The third foundation of mindfulness is mind states. The Buddha defined these in specific ways: the presence or absence of greed, hatred, and delusion. At SIM we teach this foundation as mindfulness of thoughts and emotions. Either practice is beneficial. Our ordinary experience is to be carried away by our mental states. In any given moment we can get lost in the memory of an interaction, rehearse a future dialogue, have a fantasy, get caught up in some strong emotion, or cogitate on some problem in our life. This is most often done without mindfulness and below the level of our awareness. For most of us an endless stream of mental chatter occurs almost every waking moment. There can be a ruminative and limiting nature to our mental states. What we think and feel is a result of and forms further habits of mind. There is a repetitive nature to our mental patterns. Unfortunately, due to a lack of mindfulness,
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