The primacy of the mind

BY DAYA Sirisena

President, Board of Trustees, Sirisena Dharmamandiraya Meditation Centre, Moratuwa

"Mano Pubbangama Dhamma Mano Settha Manomaya"

"MIND is the forerunner of all phenomena; mind is chief they are all mind created. Guard therefore the mind, purify the mind four out of the intention all things came to be." Neither do you look to any external aid, "for Self is the Master of Self; What other master could there be?"

The long night was ended and a new light flooded the world when the Enlightened One began his ministry of teaching, which he was to continue for forty-five years.

Great were his supernormal powers gained that night under the Bodhi Tree at Buddha-Gaya, when he attained omniscience; but first and greatest of all he used the power of teaching.

He rarely performed miracles, but when he did they were of such kind as to stagger the mind and confound his opponents. Most of all he desired to convince people by the power of truth alone.

So that of their own free will they would accept what he had to tell them and act upon it. His Dhamma is "Ehipassiko" - that which bids us come and see for yourself."

To defined religion is very difficult most men resorted to faith. Buddha saw this weakness of the human mind in its efforts to understand the true nature of things. He found this weakness as craving and ignorance.

The mind can travel beyond the cosmic process, and out of our own boundaries.

The uniqueness of Buddha never rested upon miracles.

The Buddha never demanded.

Never commanders.

Never exercising authority, He gave all the freedom to the mind to grasp the true nature of things.

Buddha went on to say that there are four kinds of people in this world: there are people who go from darkness to light, there are people who go from light to darkness, there are people who go from darkness to darkness, and there are people who go from light to light.

Buddha never converted people, he only convinced people, explaining the profound truth what he has so strenuously discovered. Not only for himself but everyone who could benefit and profit by it. Most of our present day.

Problems including the great problems of social organisation and of war, have come in to being through the lack of a clear cut and compelling philosophy of life.

We do not know what if anything is life's ultimate purpose; whether it is to make the best we possibly can of a single life here on earth, or whether it is to strive for some higher and more lasting achievement.

The major religions of the world. All dipper are certain points of conduct: and when it comes to a question of the basis of moral rules, the particular world view from which they spring, there is hopeless disagreement.

This is impossible to resolve because there is no manifest common fact of revelation to which they can point as their authority. Such authority as they claim valid for themselves does not convince anyone else. And nature does not help them for it is, the most neutral factor of all in the conflict of religious ideas.

If we divide mankind into the followers of the two Major Creeds, Materialism and Theism, we find former are much more centralised in their world view, and in. Sense more united than the latter.

They have in fact much more solid basis on which to think and act. Faith can be very strong and when it becomes strong enough to exclude reason, it becomes bigotry. That is precisely the defect of those world views that are established entirely on faith.

When they cannot accommodate reason or adjust themselves, to particular aspects of knowledge they are bound to become immoderate. The course of conduct laid down by necessity for those who see nothing to hope for beyond this present existence is fairly clear and straightforward.

It is obviously to work solely and single-mindedly for earthly benefit. The more civilised and altruistic people who hold this view devote themselves to activities that shall benefit others.

The law of nature appears to be that each individual should take care of his interests, irrespective of the welfare of others.

And in fact subject to the laws of society, this is just what a materialistic ally-oriented person does. His instincts prompt him to it and there is nothing whatsoever in nature to suggest to him that it is a harmful course.

So while the rationalistic mode of thought is seen in a handful of people who are disinterestedly virtuous, who love goodness for its own sake without any desire for reward, there is a far greater number who follow no principle except their own selfish.

Will with the natural law apparently on their side.

Nature itself seems to favour those who can get away with it. 2549 years ago Buddha as a peerless Teacher of Gods and men explained in detail in an explicit manner what he discovered:

"Mind is the forerunner of all phenomena".

Guard therefore the mind. Purify the mind.

Neither do you look for any external aid for self is the master of self."