How to spend the day without experiencing suffering

How to spend the day without experiencing suffering  

                                                                                                                                                     (Part 2)

How to get over this situation and have a peaceful state of mind at all times? Whenever a painful, stressful thought arises in the mind, one needs to investigate one’s mind to see the presence of these five negative qualities. Pain arises as a result of a desire (raga). The pain aggravates as a result of anger, aversion (dosa) resulting from the inability to fulfil this desire. Anger accelerates to higher degree due to non-awareness (moha) of one’s angry mind. This further aggravates due to the presence of conceit (mana) and the belief (dittthi) that one can find happiness from object one desires. When one observes the mind whenever a pain thought arises in the mind, one would be able to unravel a hidden secret. When the mind is observed from an analytical perspective based on the presence of these five negative qualities, the mind begins to purify itself from negative qualities and function with a happy state. If one can apply this analytical approach all day long, the duration of stressful thoughts begin to diminish while the duration of happy feelings begin to rise.

The inherent five negative qualities of a mind are named as “panca sangati”. One who explores the “panca sangati” arising in mind is referred to as “bhikkhu”. Such a bhikkhu is able to cross the flow of suffering arising continuously in the mind. The Buddha advised on this state with the verse,”pance sangatigo bhikkhu ogha thinnoti vuccati…”, meaning that one who intends to lead a life without suffering should begin to analyse all the feeling arising in the mind in terms of the five negative qualities (panca sangati). This is not a difficult task. The most difficult task would be to bear the uncomfortable feelings in the mind. When these uncomfortable feelings cannot be tolerated in the mind any more, one begins to react in different ways. One who is in a similar situation may scold someone; assault someone; strike with a weapon; injure someone; mutilate or kill someone. This is how one painful feeling could lead to serious incidents. Therefore, an intelligent person does not succumb to mental impulses capable of bringing about disasters. He begins to analyse mental impulses. Then, he would begin to see the five negative qualities inherent in the mind. When he identifies these inherent negative qualities, his agitated mind begins to ease and becomes peaceful. This mental state is felt as a feeling of happiness (sukha vedana).

When one achieves this peaceful, happy mental state, the mind tends to make every attempt to maintain this blissful state continuously. Mind’s tendency to be associated with these wholesome, blissful states is referred to as “faith” (saddha). The way to practice saddha is to watch the feelings in the mind with mindfulness (sati). When one engages in the practice of watching the mind with mindfulness for some time, it becomes an involuntary habit known as “energy” (viriya).

When one keeps watching the mind with mindfulness, mind distances itself from unhappy, uncomfortable feelings and reach the state known as “Samadhi” (concentration). Samadhi is a mental state associated with lucidity, serenity and unification of mind. 

Samadhi is a mental state that every Buddhist should experience and could experience. When one observes the mind with mindfulness, one is able to distinguish between wholesome and unwholesome mental changes followed by happiness and unhappiness. This enables one to determine the wholesome thoughts that need to be cultivated and maintained at any cost. This particular knowledge resulting from the exercise of watching the mind is referred to as “wisdom” (paññā).

When the Mind is analytically observed to understand the existence of raga (greed), dosa (hatred), moha (delusion), mana (conceit), and ditthi (wrong view), mental suffering begins to subside gradually. Saddha (faith), sati (mindfulness), viriya (energy), Samadhi (concentration) and paññā (wisdom) begin to arise in the mind instead. Happiness begins to take a firm hold on the mind. Anyone has the potential to establish a happiness-based mind in this manner and engage in day to day affairs. The only approach to achieve this mental state is to observe and analyse any negative thought arising in the mind without acting in response to them. One does not need a specific spot or time to do this. Whenever a negative thought arises in the mind, one has to observe and analyse it right away as a fire needs to be extinguished instantly.  This way one is able to turn one’s “bad” days in to “good” days. One is able to spend the day with happiness.  

One who goes on experiencing happiness through the observation and analysis of one’s thoughts realise one day that happiness and suffering are merely feelings emerging in the mind and it would be prudent to eliminate any feeling associated with happiness or unhappiness. Until one reaches this stage, one needs to continue with the approach of observing and analysing the thoughts with patience.  This is the only way for true happiness.