Description
Book Synopsis'We often say: My mind, my mind. But if someone were to ask us: What is your mind? We would have no correct answer. This is because we do not understand the nature and function of the mind correctly.' - Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche. How to Understand the Mind offers us deep insight into our mind. It shows us how an understanding of our mind's nature and functions can be used to improve our lives practically, in our everyday experience. It begins by guiding us to develop and maintain a light, positive mind. It then explains how to recognize and abandon mental states that harm us, and shows us in how to replace them with peaceful beneficial states. The book goes on to describe different types of mind in detail, revealing the depth and profundity of the Buddhist understanding of the mind. The book concludes with a detailed explanation of meditation, which we use for controlling and transforming our mind until we attain a lasting state of joy, independent of external conditions.
Trade Review'Astonishingly, what has been produced here is actually a new and self-explanatory Buddhist commentarial text composed in English.' - Buddhist Studies Review
Table of ContentsIntroduction PART ONE: What is Our Mind?; How the Mind is Able to Move The Gross, Subtle and Very Subtle Minds; Primary Minds and Mental Factors; The Five All-accompanying Mental Factors; The Five Object-ascertaining Mental Factors; The Eleven Virtuous Mental Factors; Virtue, Non-virtue and Delusion;The Six Root Delusions; The Twenty Secondary Delusions; The Four Changeable Mental Factors; PART TWO: Conceptual and Non-Conceptual Minds; Sense and Mental Awarenesses; Direct Perceivers; Subsequent Cognizers; Re-cognizers; Correct Beliefs; Non-ascertaining Perceivers; Non-deluded Doubts; Wrong Awarenesse;s Valid and Non-valid Cognizers; Meditation: Meditation of a person of initial scope; Meditation of a person of middling scope; Meditation of a person of great scope; Conclusion; Dedication; Appendix I - The Condensed Meaning of the Text; Appendix II - Sadhanas 'Liberating Prayer', 'Essence of Good Fortune'; Glossary; Bibliography; Study Programmes of Kadampa Buddhism; Tharpa Offices Worldwide; Index
