Sense Objects and the Mind
For the most part, our thinking follows sense objects and wherever thought lead us, we follow. However, thinking and wisdom are different; in wisdom, the mind becomes still, unmoving and we are simply aware, simply acknowledging. normally, when sense objects come, we think about, dwell about, discourse over and worry about them. Yet, none of those objects is substantial; all are impermanent, unsatisfactory and empty. Just cut them short and dissect them into these three common characteristics. When you sit again, they will rise again, but just keep observing them, keep checking them out.
This practice is like caring for a buffalo and a rice field. The mind is like the buffalo who wants to eat the rice plants, sense objects; the one who knows is the owner. Consider the comparison. when you tend a buffalo, you let it go free but you keep watch over it. You cannot be heedless. If it goes close to the rice plants, you shout at it and it retreats. If it is stubborn and refuse to obey your voice, you will take a stick and hit at it. Do not fall asleep in the daytime and let everything go. If you do, you will have no more rice plants left for certain.
When you are observing your mind, the one who knows constantly notices all. As the sutras say, "He who watches over his mind shall escape the snares of Mara the Evil One". Mind is mind, but who is it that observes it? Mind is one thing the one who knows is another. At the same time mind is both thinking process and the knowing. Know the mind, know how it is when it meets sense objects and how it is when it is apart from them. When the one who knows observes the mind in this way, wisdom arises. If it meets an object, it gets involved, just like the buffalo. Whenever it goes, you must watch it. When it goes near to the rice plants, shout at it. If it refuses to obey, just give it a stick.
When the mind experiences sense contact, it grabs hold. when it grabs hold, the one who knows must teach it, explaining what is good and what is bad, pointing out the workings of cause and effect, showing that anything it holds on too will bring undesirable results, until mind becomes reasonable, until it lets go. In this way, the training will take effect, and the mind will become tranquil.
The Buddha taught us to lay everything down, not like a cow or a buffalo but knowingly with awareness. In order for us to know, he taught us to practice much, develop much, rest firmly on principles of the Buddha, the Dharma and Sangha and apply them directly to our own life.
If the mind is not yet free, contemplate the cause and effect of each situation until the mind sees clearly and can free itself from its own conditioning. As the mind becomes attached again, examine each of the new situation, do not stop looking, keep at it, drive the point home. Only then the attachment will find nowhere to rest. This is the way we should all practice.
If you are practising like this, true tranquillity is found in the activity, in the midst of sense objects. At first, when you are working on your mind and sense objects are coming, you cling to them or avoid them. You are then disturbed, with no peace at all. When you sit and wish not to have sense of contact, not to have thinking the very wish not to have is desire.
The more you struggle with your thinking, the stronger it becomes. Just forget about it and continue to practice. When you make contact with sense objects, contemplate; impermanence, unsatisfactory and not self. Throw everything into these three pigeon holes, file everything under these three categories and keep on contemplating.
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