Over the last weekend, while doing my business in the toilet, I observed that even when I do not express my thoughts, in words or deeds, they exist. Whether Good, Bad, or Ugly, mind appear to jump in front of any stimulus, to tell me what it thinks.

Nope, the stimulus had nothing to do with the business in the toilet, I just felt like mentioning that even the toilet isn’t a bad place to practice observing the mind!

Over the years, any thoughts that encapsulates “ill will” have reduced, and now quite a rarity. But anger as an emotion isn’t such a rarity, and my mind likes to sit there and justify.

It is almost like a flick of a switch of a path within us, a path to conciously choose for our mind, until practice makes perfect.

This is when I remembered twin versas from the Dhammapada that I studied between the ages 14-16 in school.

Verse 1

Manopubbangama dhamma manosetta manomaya
Manasa che paduttena bhasahathi va karothi va
Tattho nam dukkamanveti chakkamma vha tho padam

Meaning of Verse 1

Mind is the forerunner of all Evil states , Mind is cheif ; mind made are they. If one speaks or acts with a wicked mind,because of that , suffering follows one , even as the Wheel follows the hoof of the draught Ox.

Verse 2

Manopubbangama dhamma manosetta manomaya
Manasa che passannena bhasahathi va karothi va
Tattho nam sukamanveti chayawa anpaiyni

Meaning of Verse 2

Mind is the forerunner of all good states , Mind is chief mind made are they . If one speaks or acts with a pure mind, because of that,happiness follows one , even as one’s shadow that never leaves.

References:

http://buddhisam.blogspot.com/p/selected-pali-vers.html?m=1

– Nim –