69. Mind-Heart-Wisdom
By Luang Pu Thate Desaraṅsī
February 5, 1989
Regarding the terms "mind" (citta) and "heart" (jai): "Mind" thinks in a confused way, thinks in a troubled way. It is restless, not stable. That is the domain of "mind."
As for "heart", understand it as the initial feeling that arises when external and internal sense bases contact each other. That initial feeling is called "heart." It has no self, no entity; it is merely a neutral feeling, a certain state. It is a knowing, a seeing, an understanding in accordance with reality. That state is a natural phenomenon (sabhāva dhamma) called the dhamma element (dhammadhātu).
Both "heart" and "mind" are, in truth, natural phenomena—mere knowing and understanding. Distinguish them like this: The first feeling when contact occurs—when the eye contacts form, the ear contacts sound—the initial stage of feeling is called "heart." It has not yet expanded. It is just the first feeling. What expands from that—thinking, pondering, concocting, fashioning—all worldly knowledge is "mind." To put it simply: "heart" is neutral, standing in the middle of all things. It is neither good nor bad, nothing at all.
"Mind" is the thinker, the ponderer, the concocter, the fashioner. The actions of thinking, pondering, concocting, and fashioning are all called "mind." All defilements arise from "mind," not from "heart." All kinds of knowledge and wisdom arise from "mind." Both good and evil, coarse and subtle, both demerit and merit arise from "mind." When you reach "heart," there is nothing—no thinking, no concocting. Please understand it this way: the terms "mind" and "heart."
Once you have reached the "heart," without thinking or pondering, it simply "is." You see it existing, know it existing, but without thinking or pondering.
"Mind" is that which "does not stay still." It goes off into countless directions, in all directions, thinking and pondering all day and all night without ceasing. Even when asleep, it dreams. That is the affair of "mind." There is no happiness, only trouble and confusion all the time. Without "mindfulness" (sati), you think all day long; you could die without ever being peaceful. But if you have "sati," you are careful, you observe and investigate: How is it thinking? Thinking bad or good, coarse or subtle, demerit or merit? You are constantly aware, constantly knowing that it is thinking. That is following to know and see. Let it think first, then follow along. When it reaches its end, then follow to see and know it thoroughly. Oh! So it thinks like this. It thinks of killing someone, thinks of hitting someone on the head. The intention to hit, the intention to kill is right here. You know it thoroughly, exactly in line with that thought, and then it stops. When you know it thoroughly, it stops. If you follow but don't stop, knowing it thoroughly makes it stop. It becomes "heart." Then "mind" turns back into "heart," and remains peaceful and at ease.
This matter of "mind" and "heart"—contemplate it a lot, pay close attention to it. When you have seen "heart," then if you want it to remain peaceful, go straight to "heart." The nature of "heart" is that we see it does not think or ponder; it is merely the initial feeling. Bring in "sati" to control it, to keep it still. You can keep it still for a long time, for an hour, even two hours.
As for "mind," it thinks, ponders, concocts all kinds of perceptions and mental objects. Follow in to know its affairs in all the countless directions. Know the affairs of "mind." When you know the affairs of "mind," it withdraws and turns back into "heart," remaining at ease. Training in this way, contemplating for many hours, it gradually becomes "heart." That "mind" which thinks and ponders—it's not that it lacks wisdom. Wisdom arises right from that. If you want wisdom to arise, it arises from that. But for wisdom to arise, you must have "sati" to control it until you thoroughly know what it is thinking—not too much, not too little, but exactly equal to it—then it stops right there. That is when we have wisdom.
Wisdom in the Buddhist sense: It is said that when you think, ponder, and concoct all sorts of things, having complete knowledge and understanding of everything in accordance with reality, then it stops. That is called wisdom. To make it stop requires a great deal of wisdom. Whether in terms of Dhamma or the worldly context, that which thinks and concocts, going around comprehensively in all directions—if there is "sati" to control it, with clear comprehension (sampajañña) being aware, it stops thinking. That is precisely "wisdom in the Buddhist sense."
As for "worldly wisdom," it thinks on endlessly without end. From the day you are born until the day you die, it never finds peace. It thinks and thinks again, going back and forth, circling around the same things. That is called "vaṭṭa" (the cycle of existence).
Try considering this: Every single person, observe and see—what do we have in a single day? What do we think about? Do we know what we are thinking? No, we don't know. Not knowing is not wisdom. If you think, ponder, and concoct all sorts of things, but if you are aware, it doesn't take much—it "converges" right away. That is when "wisdom" gradually arises.
This kind of "wisdom" does not need to be extensive. It is wisdom that knows, and that's it. Knowing, then stopping. All that is extensive in this world naturally has a stopping point. If it didn't stop, it couldn't survive. Cars, trains, airplanes, ships, even submarines—they are used, but they must have time to stop and rest. Only then can they survive, can they endure. Without rest, they cannot survive; they break down.
The human mind-heart is the same. Meditate, meditate—practice, train, cultivate, observe and investigate everything. Know thoroughly, know completely, know universally—then stop. That is "stopping." The affair of the heart is not like that of vehicles. It manifests within one's own heart—calm, still, settling down. The practice of meditation in Buddhism must be like this.