Buddhism As Education

Does the mind have a form or is it formless? Can it be identified with the chemical mechanism of the brain or is there something more to it than that? What are its causes? Is it hereditary? These are some of the questions that we are going to probe in the course of our investigation here. In Buddhist writings, the mind is defined as a phenomenon which is formless and possesses the dual nature of clarity and knowing. The first characteristic (clarity) speaks of its quality of being luminous and clear; clear in the sense that its fundamental nature could never be defiled or polluted by negative influence. Emotions, such as desire, hatred and anger contaminate the mind and hold constant sway over it as our own personal experiences testify; the pollution is, however, only at a superficial level, for they do not penetrate into the core of the mind. In other words, these negative emotions are not part of the intrinsic nature of the mind. Irrespective of how forceful one's experi...

We also need to cultivate the spirit of sympathetic joy, with this joy and happiness to others. We also have the need to develop the spirit of joyfulness and good cheer within ourselves. Deep down in our nature, at our very base and foundation, there is a spring of unbounded joy and happiness and we have to release its life giving waters and bathe ourselves in it daily. Unless we have the feeling of happiness within ourselves, we cannot grow infectious in this virtue and communicate it to others. To make others happy, we have to be happy in ourselves, for it, the sources of happiness are dry in ourselves, we cannot radiate happiness to others. there is always some joy, some happiness abroad, in this very wide world. Rejoice in the thought of this happiness. Let this sustain us in our faith and even in hours when darkness surrounds us from all sides and there be just one streak of light. Break down all barriers, suffuse the whole wide world and all beings with sympathetic joy and...