58. A Neutral Mind is Very Important
By Luang Pu Thate Desaraṅsī
July 28, 1988
During the Rains Retreat, the monks are allowed to take up residence in various places to strive in study and learning, to gain knowledge and understanding. In truth, it's not just during the Rains Retreat; other seasons are just as suitable. If one truly sets one's heart and makes an effort to learn, seeing the benefits of study and learning — having faith and confidence in the religion, then one ordains. After ordination, if one still doesn't understand the practice, one hasn't reached the heart of the religion. So we are now at a point of inconsistency. Think about the original intention behind our ordination, or even if there was no intention born of faith — most people ordain just for the sake of ordaining, living from almsfood as their measure. Those who truly intend to train and practice to free themselves from suffering are very few indeed. But nevertheless, now that we have ordained, if we set our minds to training, studying, and learning, we can gradually make progress and eventually see the benefits of ordination in the Buddha's religion.
The benefits of the Buddha's religion are beyond count. From day to day, throughout one's life as a monk living in the religion — one could say one lives relying on the religion as one's abiding place. If you do good, you get good; it's all beneficial. In the monastic life, one is instructed to contemplate the paṭisaṅkhāyō (the reflection on the four requisites) every day. Contemplating the paṭisaṅkhāyō — seeing the robe, almsfood, lodging, and medicines for the sick simply as requisites we rely on for basic sustenance — is beneficial. But if, while relying on them, one becomes agitated, desiring, ambitious, striving and struggling, then that becomes a danger, a great danger, a danger beyond description. And as for benefit, it is also great, beyond counting. Whatever we do, if we rely on it aiming for benefit, aiming for happiness, aiming for freedom from suffering, then it is all beneficial. Whatever we do without considering its true value, only indulging in heedless infatuation — that is called a danger, suffering. Danger and benefit exist together everywhere.
It's just like ourselves. Born with everything complete within us — that is, the six sense-bases: eye, ear, nose, etc. — they receive contacts. If heedless infatuation arises, that becomes a danger, not of any benefit to oneself. But the person misunderstands it as benefit, and thus becomes heedlessly infatuated with various sense objects. However, if one contemplates those things and sees that the sense-bases are the source of all sense objects — and having contemplated all sense objects, sees the danger in them — then that very same thing becomes a benefit. It's right here, in the same place, not anywhere else. Danger and benefit are in the very same place.
Because there is danger, the Buddha taught the Dhamma, with wisdom as the tool to subdue defilements so that danger does not arise. Seeing its danger, it becomes benefit. If one does not see the danger, but simply indulges in heedless infatuation and enjoyment, then it is danger all the time. It is not elsewhere, far away. All defilements are right here. That is why the Buddha taught us to turn inward to ourselves. We tend to focus only on the faults of others, such as forms. We see only external forms. But that does not arise externally. We see from within, looking outward, seeing beautiful and pleasing forms, forms that delight the mind. That seeing comes out from this mind of ours. It does not come from outside. Forms are just forms, as they are.
Those forms that are beautiful, pleasing, delightful — they are also just natural phenomena. If we do not grasp them as internal forms, they become beneficial. But what benefit could they be to us? That form is just a form, born of the four elements — earth, water, fire, wind — growing and developing in sequence. Sounds are the same. Smells are the same. Tastes and tactile sensations are the same. External things mix with what is within. Our mind goes in and concocts, fabricates, giving rise to delight, infatuation, and heedlessness. That is called defilement arising in the mind.
If we cleanse our mind, contemplating the one who is heedlessly infatuated, seeing the danger of heedlessness and infatuation, and then let go and release it, the mind abides with the heart. Sense objects are external things, they are objects of the mind. The mind is not the object; the object is external. It is the mind that goes and grasps. The mind goes and grasps, and then sense objects arise. When the mind does not grasp, then each remains separate, and the whole matter is finished.
What I'm talking about is "a neutral mind." When the mind is neutral, it sees the truth. External sense objects arise because the mind goes and grasps and holds on. This is called by many names: mind, mental factors, formations, consciousness — all these mental phenomena arise from the mind. When the mind remains neutral, there is nothing at all. If the mind is not neutral, it leans to the left or the right, into the past or future — that is when great and massive issues arise, and we forget ourselves. When sense objects overwhelm us, we follow after them, completely forgetting the original.
How do we forget? We cannot restrain ourselves. A neutral mind cannot be grasped; it becomes infatuated. Whenever the mind can remain neutral, then those things that arise at the mind and from the mind — one will see that this is mind, feeling, perception, formations — they arise separately from the mind. The mind dives in and binds itself to them. If we can let them go, it becomes neutral again, like before. A neutral mind is very important. Strive in meditation until the mind becomes neutral every time, all the time — that is the best. It allows you to know what is what. What are the defilements that come visiting like? And what is the neutral one like? You will know thoroughly and continuously. Whatever makes contact, it contacts the neutral one directly.
If you want to see the neutral one, try observing that neutral mind by holding your breath for a moment. What will there be? There will be nothing at all. You can try holding your breath. There is no thinking, no pondering — just a sense of knowing, remaining still. That is "the neutral one." But that is not yet the result of thorough and careful contemplation; it is only temporary. When you contemplate thoroughly and carefully, contemplating the four elements — earth, water, fire, wind — going through all the aspects until you reach impermanence, suffering, and non-self, then it will become neutral on its own. When it becomes neutral on its own, then the contemplation of the Dhamma of the Buddha reaches the neutral one, and that's the end of the matter. The Buddha's religion — when it reaches the neutral one, that's the end. There are no more symptoms to speak of. That's all. That is called the final end in the Buddha's religion.