Post #1345

"The Mind-only (Skt. Chittamatra) followers teach that all external appearances, including one's own body, are created by and are part of the mind. Objects do appear and we do perceive them, but none of the things that appear have any external existence; they all arise within the mind itself. How can this be? They give the example ofwhen we are asleep and we dream of a mountain, a house, animals, people, friends, enemies, and so forth, we see various things exactly as we would see them while awake. But, none of these things actually exist; they are all appearances arising from our mind. In the same way, all appearances that we normally perceive while awake also arise in the mind. They are nothing else but mind. This is why this tradition is called "Chittamatra," which in Sanskrit means "mind-only," that is, everything is "only" mind. First, there are tendencies or latencies (Tib. bag chag) that are created in the mind. If the mind is habituated to something that is positive, gradually the mind gets better and better and one's thoughts become more and more virtuous. If, on the other hand, the mind becomes habituated to something that is negative, gradually the mind gets worse and worse and one's thoughts become more and more unvirtuous. For example, slight anger may arise within us. If we take control of that anger and get rid of it, then it will not remain in our mind as a latency. If, on the other hand, we do not take control ofthat anger, it will become stronger and stronger. In the beginning we are stronger than the anger, but if we don't control it, the anger becomes stronger and we cannot get rid of it. In this process, what the mind allows to become a habitual pattern becomes more and more powerful. This applies as well to positive emotions such as love, compassion, and the wish to benefit others. These thoughts can be small in the beginning, but if we cultivate them and habituate ourselves to them, they will increase and become more and more powerful. The mind is therefore said to be dependent upon these latencies within it. In the Mind-only view, this mind is said to really exist, whereas appearances both in the outer world and in the mind itself are "imaginary," or, we could say, are creations of the mind or delusions." Thrangu Rinpoche