Ways Of Thinking: To What Extent Can We Change Who We Are? - Buddhist Insight

In early February 2020, I joined 80 people from all corners of the world at Kopan Buddhist Monastery, Kathmandu, for a 10 day 'Introduction to Buddhism' course. 

My previous blog gives an overview of the course whilst this one delves into what we learnt and what I took away from it.

There are many different types of Buddhism. My course, and hence this post, refers to Tibetan Buddhism also known as Mahayana. 

Also, this is based on only 10 days of learning so for clearer and deeper understanding, I refer you to any books by His Holiness the Dalai Lama!

During the course I did a painting based on my key learnings. I will use the painting as a way to explain some elements of what we learnt. 

It's called... 

" Who am 'I'? " 

Buddhists believe in reincarnation whereby we have already had many previous lives to this current one and will have many future lives. We may have been a soldier, a dancer, a dog or a fish in our previous lives but it is our actions, or Karma, in this life that will determine the body that we are reborn into in our next life. When we die we leave our body and then start life in a different body carrying forward our Karma and some very subtle aspects of our mind. 

The body is a vessel for the mind which moves from one body to the next. In this sense, I am more my mind than my body and so the focus of 'who am i?' can be on the mind. Hence came the title of the painting and the 'mind'/brain in the middle. 

"We are nothing more than our body and mind, and the mind is the sole motivator of all our actions and the creator of all our happiness and suffering. " Geshe Tashi Tsering, Buddhist Psychology

So, to what extent can I change my mind and change who I am?!

Mental qualities make us who we are

In the painting, the colours and patterns which stem outwards from the centre represent mental qualities. By cultivating positive qualities we can diminish the negative ones to live happier lives with less discomfort and hurt; which Buddhism refers to as 'suffering'. 

What the colours represent:

In the top right corner there is anger, in the bottom right is attachment and the bottom left (black line) is ignorance. According to Buddhism, these 3 Mental Afflictions are the main threats to our well-being and happiness. 

In the top left corner in pink is love and compassion. In Buddhism, love is the wish for others to be happy whilst compassion is the wish for others to be free from suffering and both are key qualities to cultivate. 

The rest of the colours represent the Six Perfections, important for developing compassion. Moving clockwise from top they are: 

wisdom, top green with spiral, 

ethics, top green next to anger, 

patience, far right light blue, 

joyous effort, yellow bottom, concentration, bottom line, 

generosity, yellow and orange bottom.

On the left in dark blue is courage and determination. 

Cultivating who we want to be through meditation

The word meditation is translated from the Sanskrit word bhavana, connoting 'cultivation', and the Tibetan word gom, referring to 'familiarisation'. In the course we practised two forms of meditation: analytical and absorptive. The second is more related to mindfulness where the meditator concentrates on an object or objective, such as the breath. Mindfulness is increasingly practiced in Western societies and known for its benefits of relaxation without religious attachment.

Analytical meditation, on the other hand, is an analytical process in which the meditator engages in a series of reflections, such as acknowledging the suffering of another. 

During the course our teachers guided us through a combination of these meditations and many were incredibly strong, particularly one in which we visualised our own death!

It is through meditation that we can cultivate positive qualities within us as well as the skill of concentration and focus.  

Of course, changing our habits, instinctive thought patterns and behaviours takes effort, time, hard work and dedication. Starting a regular meditation practice is also difficult and requires commitment and perseverance. It also requires a desire to change oneself and not everybody wants to change or is ready to work on their mind.

Who do I want to be?

As humans with minds, we are all capable of demonstrating different qualities; the ones I highlighted in the painting and more. We are capable of being deeply angry, capable of showing love, capable of being patient. One day, our minds could look like a firey red/orange as we are deeply angry about something and the next it could be a blue wash of patience...perhaps! These states are impermanent, they can last for minutes, days but can also keep reoccurring for years and years unless we address then.  

Understanding this perspective, I asked myself what of these qualities I want to demonstrate in life and what my mind would look like if I were to paint it each day or hour. How could I change myself through regular meditation that serves me?

An empowering perspective 

The idea is that we are more our minds than our bodies and it is our different mental qualities which dictate how we experience life and what happens to us. 

I think it is a helpful and empowering perspective. It shifts us from a state of apathy and helplessness to a place of empowerment where we have control over who we are and how we experience our life.

It has reminded me that lasting happiness is not found outside of myself and to go chasing power or excessive wealth in the pursuit of happiness maybe futile or risky. After all, some of the wealthiest, famous or powerful people are also deeply unhappy. 

Equally, we can't run from our problems when they originate in our minds. Coming away to Nepal doesn't magically erase any problems or difficulties!

Instead, being content is about looking inwards and understanding how we perceive and are perceived in the world. Buddhism reminds us of the sobering idea of impermanence: how our friends, family, jobs and possessions will inevitably leave us. Knowing this is true, we can say that, in this life, we only ever have ourselves and our minds. This reminds me to work on myself and my mind so that I may experience this life in the best way possible and be the person I want to be. 

This was really just a snippet of what we learnt on the course and there are many other concepts that link into what I have covered here, particularly Karma. However, I hope it's been an insightful introduction that perhaps helps you think about your own mind and the resulting actions and speech in a new way. 

Reading material

Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World, Dalai Lama

When the Chocolate Runs Out, Lama Yeshe 

Photos

Photo 2: Omid Admin, unsplash.com, instagram.com/itsomidarmin

Photo 3: Lina Trochez, instagram.com/lmtrochez