Existential Jujitsu
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Extracts from the Mahayana teaching on the seven points of mind training [Sources]
You are what your think. Think different, be different. The purpose of mind training is to blow away the clouds of your ‘ordinary’ mind so that the fearless and compassionate sunshine of your ‘real’ mind becomes the primary engine of your being in the world.

Whatever turns up in mind whether good, bad or indifferent can be used as fuel for mind training. For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, the more powerful the thought and the stronger the emotion then the greater its potential as an aid to turning your mind around.

Think different, be different

Don't let your mind wander outward

If you follow any thought or emotion, major or minor, and let your mind wander outward, your work is in error and you’re no different from an ordinary person.

Turn your attention right in and look right at your mind. When your look at it, nothing is seen. Relax completely, let everything go, and rest in that state of emptiness.

No matter how many thoughts or emotions there are, when they aren’t held, they go freely on their own and become the accumulation of pristine wisdom. [JK]
In the course of awakening to the nature of the world, there is a natural increase in your sensitivity and perception of the many influences that shape and determine your personality and environment. These influences may be experienced at the point of sleep, or in actual life as
  • an intangible presence or feeling associated with a certain locality,
  • disturbances in physical or mental well being, or
  • images and patterns encountered in dreams.

These experiences may be heavenly (pleasurable and enjoyable) or demonic (horrific and terrifying).

The approach to mind training to such disturbances is to accept the situation as it is and use it, however positively or negatively flavoured, as a stimulus to wakefulness and an opportunity to express compassion. [KM]

 

accept the situation as it is and use it

Relatively and ultimately real

From time without beginning, mind, based on the incidental impurities of lack of awareness, arises as various appearances, which, if not investigated or examined. are like the bewildering appearances in dreams. When these appearances are examined, they do not exist as anything and are empty by virtue of what they are. Hence, all appearances are simply creations of the mind.

Consequently, the mode of being of the relatively real is that appearances, which are held to arise externally, have no inherent nature and are like the reflection of the moon in water.

appearances have no inherent nature

That which simply is, the pristine awareness or wisdom that is empty of fixation or grasping, is present in all beings …; it is the potential for buddhahood and is, by nature, totally luminous and has never been blemished by incidental impurities. This is the mode of being of the ultimately real.

A magician knows that the illusions he creates … are illusion. In the same way, one should know that the experiences that arise in life are simply appearances that arise in the mind and have no substantial existence. [JK]

Because I let mindfulness slip, disturbing emotions arose without my noticing them. The person/event has warned me of this and I am grateful because he/it has stimulated me to return to mindfulness. A thousand thankyous.

Three objects

Three Poisons

Three seeds of virtue
objects that are pleasant or useful compulsive attachment being free of attachment
objects that are unpleasant or harmful aversion being free of aversion
other objects stupidity or ignorance being free of ignorance

Adverse conditions are spiritual friends.
Devils and demons are emanations of the victorious ones.
Illness is the broom for evil and obscurations.
Suffering is the dance of what is.
These four teachings are for the really disruptive emotions.
You will need them to subdue the uncivilized.
In these degenerate times, they are needed to cope with evil associates and mistaken practices. [JK]

     

Two aims of those who would engage in mind training:

  • to become free of suffering and confusion - realized through the understanding of emptiness
  • to help others become free – realized through compassion

Sources:

Kongtrul, Jamgon (JK) (1987) The Great Path of Awakening – a commentary on the Mahayana teaching of the seven points of mind training; Translated by Ken McLeod (KM); Shambala; ISBN 0 87773 420 8

Trungpa, Chogyam (1993) Training the Mind and cultivating loving-kindness; Shambala; ISBN 0 87773 954 4

Buddhist pictures from Indonesia and also also used by the Satori Foundation

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