The Mechanics of Right Meditation
When we mull over the subject of mind, we must firstly understand that the mind is not a permanent thing already in existence. In reality, its existence is a result or effect of what is in play or happening. For example, a river is not a thing but an ongoing process that we conveniently call a "river." There isn't a permanent river that holds the water coming through. Rather, "river" is a name or label given to the process of what is occurring. The mind is a madeup of ongoing processes, of which each moment is a variation of the many processes happening. For example, when upset is this moment's mental process, within the next moment or hour, many other processes would have taken place and upset would probably no longer be happening.
Can we then say that this present mind is the same as the next? Definitely no. Yet, conceptually, we say it is a continuation of the previous. One moment of a river is a different river of the next moment. But due to its ongoing movement, we took it as the same river continuing. Similarly, each moment, the mind is new. It holds the golden key to understanding how to have awareness of the mind—by not seeing it as something that continues but rather as a realtime happening. The danger of not seeing the mind as ongoing processes is detrimental because it may mislead one to see nature as personal. From there, the tendency of liking and disliking arises.
The danger of not seeing the mind as ongoing processes is detrimental because it may mislead one to see nature as personal.
If we can comprehend this fact, then becoming aware of our mind activities can be rightly achieved. The job of being aware is simply to notice what mind processes are happening—recognizing each exactly as it is. The right information is absolutely pertinent here as it enables awareness to meet the mind processes, as they are, with the right attitude. It is the right information with regards to the mind that enables right awareness to occur. Without it, being aware of the mind may stir up the wrong attitude instead. In this way, if the upset mind is seen with the right awareness, it will be seen plainly and clearly as such. Rather than with a dislike attitude towards the upset mind or worse, proliferation of the upset even further. The comparison of liking or disliking becomes redundant as each moment is understood to be just as it is.
It is a shift enabled by wisdom-based awareness, through understanding the right information, and with exploration of the mental happenings, transcends the way one relates to the mind from just experiencing and using it, to understanding the nature of the ongoing mental processes. Thus, when we talk about the 3 Meditator's Jobs, we are talking of the journey of right understanding that leads to the right thought and right effort in developing the right awareness in meditation. As such, the right kind of stability of mind will naturally occur. This is what right meditation is essentially about.
The 3 Meditator's Jobs is a journey of right understanding that leads to right thought and right effort in developing right awareness in meditation.
Hor Tuck Loon
18 Jul 2023