Everything Comes from the Mind

My dear one,
I had difficulty finding the quotations, but after Holly found them in English, then I also found them in my book, only after that. So, this is the quotation for you to know by heart, to know the meaning by heart. This verse from the bodhisattva Shantideva is incredible, unbelievably logical.

In A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life (Bodhicaryavatara), the great bodhisattva Shantideva taught the most unbelievable technique for getting rid of anger. So, please concentrate on this.

Shantideva said:

[6: 73] If I am unable to endure
Even the mere sufferings of the present,
Then why do I not restrain myself from being angry,
Which will be the source of hellish misery?

This is incredible logic. It is unbelievable. It means that if we can’t bear this present suffering, if we can’t stand it—for example, just some bad words—and we get angry, this becomes the cause of our hell suffering. Therefore, why not put all our effort into getting rid of anger, the cause of our hell suffering?

There are more meditations in the Kadampa geshes’ advice on patience, and there is an extensive explanation of patience in chapter six of A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life. You should study these texts and meditate on them.

Basically, the idea in Buddhism is that everything comes from the mind. “I” comes from mind; action comes from mind. All phenomena—I, action, object—come from the mind.

So, all the objects, all the appearances, all the objects of the eye sense, come from the mind. All the objects of the ear sense come from the mind. All the objects of the nose sense come from the mind. All the objects of the tongue sense come from the mind. All the objects of the body sense (soft and hard), everything comes from the mind. Even the sixth one, the objects of mental consciousness, their existence come from the mind.

I don’t think there’s another religion that says that. This is special, very basic Buddhism.

So, our enlightenment comes from our mind; our hell comes from our mind; our samsara comes from our mind. Our nirvana comes from our mind and our happiness comes from our mind. Every day, every hour, happiness comes from our mind. Every day, every hour, all the problems come from our mind. 

This is a healthy way, a positive way, a correct way, a virtuous way of thinking, all that, then the result is happiness and peace in the life, now and in the future.

Then, you see, we are reborn as a deva or human in the next life, and even higher than that is liberation from samsara, everlasting happiness. Even higher than that is great nirvana, enlightenment, the total cessation of obscurations and completion of realizations. So it all comes from that.

When the mind is thinking in a wrong way, a mistaken way, an unhealthy way, a negative attitude, all that produces is suffering. It produces suffering for ourselves and also suffering for others.

The positive mind, especially the good heart, creates happiness for others up to enlightenment.

Buddha said in the Heap of the teachings (Tib: Tsom; Skt: Dhammapada),

All existents are created by the mind.
The mind is principal and goes before actions.
For example, if with the thought of benefiting others, you talk to somebody,
Happiness follows after that, like a shadow follows the body.

Actions of body and speech also come from the mind; that means the motivation.

In another verse in the Dhammapada,

Phenomena are created by the mind,
The mind is principal and goes before.
If, with the thought to harm, you talk to somebody,
The result of suffering follows after that, like a heavy cart follows an ox.

In India, oxen carry such heavy loads like iron bars, then people sit on top of that. Then they whip the oxen, [forcing them] to pull the cart and carry the load, no matter how heavy it is. There is not one single freedom, no matter how much the oxen suffer or are tired. Even if they can’t walk or stand up, they still get beaten.

In Letter to a Friend, Nagarjuna said,

Actions born from non-ignorance, non-anger and non-attachment are virtue;
From that, all the happy transmigratory beings arise.

“All the happy transmigratory beings” means rebirth in the next life as a human being or deva, also in a pure land, and from there, up to everlasting happiness, freedom from samsara and full enlightenment.

Actions born from ignorance, anger and attachment are nonvirtue;
From that, all the suffering of transmigratory beings arises.

We have to understand these things, how everything comes from the mind. From our good mind all the happiness comes, beyond this life. From our bad heart, all the suffering comes, up to death and even in this life.

The great bodhisattva Shantideva said in A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life,

[6:42] Previously, I must have caused similar harm
To other sentient beings.
Therefore, it is right for this harm to be returned
To me, who is the cause of injury to others.

[6:47] Having been instigated by my own actions,
Those who cause me harm come into being.
If by these (actions) they should fall into [the hole of] hell
Surely isn’t it I who am destroying them?]

All that we experience, happiness and suffering, comes from our mind. Anything good that happens up to enlightenment, all happiness comes from our mind. This is the basis of Buddhadharma.

So, you can see there is no point in getting angry with God or Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. For those who believe in God, there is nothing to be angry toward God, and for those who believe in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, there is nothing to be angry toward Buddha, Dharma, Sangha. We can get angry about karma; we can get angry with that, but this means we created the negative karma, and the result is rebirth in the lower realms for eons and eons.

If we plant poisonous seeds, then they grow into poisonous plants and poisonous fruits. If we plant medicinal seeds, then they grow into medicinal trees, with leaves, flowers and fruits.

This is my gift to you and to other people in Russia. Practice using this situation. You can get the whole idea of where this situation came from, or anything pleasant or unpleasant.

It came from your mind, so you have to change your mind. You have to change your mind. You have to keep your mind healthy, virtuous, correct, a good heart in Dharma. So that’s the answer.

With much love and prayers ...