Look at the Nature of Your Mind
Mind itself does not Exist; This Non-existent Mind is the Great Wonder of the Variety Appearance
In essence, all traditions of Buddhism focus on looking at the mind. What binds it, what frees it? Understanding the mind gives us the key to transforming it. We have a lifetime of experience with our own mind, yet there are many aspects of mind of which we may be unaware. In this course we will explore the Buddhist view of the mind as presented in the traditions of Abhidharma, Valid Cognition, Yogacara, and Vajrayana. These can help us to see how mind functions and understand the nature of confusion, how it is created and maintained moment to moment, and the role of habitual patterns. Sourcebook of readings will be provided (at cost).
The great mind of the Buddhas of the three times, the intention of the holy ones, highly reputed as dharmakaya Mahamudra, that which Is greatly renowned, simply refers to one's mind. If you do not understand the essence of mind, then you experience the thought process of not thinking and thinking a lot, which is called, "my mind, my mind." All the dharmas of samsara and nirvana are not beyond this very thought process.
Rangjung Dorje, the 3rd Karmapa
Core Materials
Supplemental Materials
"Mind in Indian Buddhist Philosophy" from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
"Philosophy of Mind in Buddhism" from A Companion to Buddhist Philosophy
"Mind in Theravada Buddhism" from A Companion to Buddhist Philosophy
'"Mind" as a Self-Structuring Process' from From Reductionism to Creativity
"On the Nature of Mind" from Meditation on the Nature of Mind
"Three Types of Ignorance" from Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism