RIGHT EFFORT
Abandoning Arisen Unhealthy States
Whatever a person frequently
thinks about and ponders, that will become the inclination of their
mind. If one frequently thinks about and ponders unhealthy states, one
has abandoned healthy states to cultivate unhealthy states, and then
one’s mind inclines to unhealthy states. (MN 19)
Abandoning worldly sense desire, one abides with a mind free from sense
desire, one purifies the mind of sense desire. (MN 51) Just as a person
who had taken a loan would pay off their debts and have money left over,
so would one rejoice and be glad about the abandoning of sense desire.
(DN 2)
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When an
unhealthy state arises, what do you do? First, acknowledge it rather
than try to ignore or suppress it, and then understand that it is
unhealthy and likely to bring harm to yourself and/or others. Finally,
let it go. Letting it go is simply aligning yourself with the law of
impermanence. All mental and emotional states will pass away naturally;
the trick is not to encourage the unhealthy ones by getting caught by
them.
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Practice
experiencing a stream of sensory inputs—sights, sounds, and the
rest—without being entangled in them. When you abide in your experience
with equanimity rather than desire or aversion, you are free. Even if
these moments are brief, they are compared in this text to the freedom
of being liberated from debt. The mind is unencumbered, without anxiety,
and feels light and at ease. This feels good.
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Tomorrow: Establishing Mindfulness of Feeling and Abiding in the Second Jhāna
One week from today: Developing Unarisen Healthy States
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