Mapping the Mind: A Model Based on Theravada Buddhist Texts and Practices

Abstract

We propose a functional model based on Theravada Buddhist texts and practices to show how the mind works in relation to both our senses and how we perceive the external world. Our model suggests that the mind acts as a common internal sense organ, receiving all sensory data from the five external senses. It shows how contact plays a central role in both the generation and continual reconstitution of feelings, perceptions and thoughts. This model suggests how previous memories can influence one’s thoughts, by actively editing each cognitive pathway to create a distorted perception of what is experienced in the present moment. We also illustrate how individuals proliferate and cling to thoughts as a result of craving, and address how this can lead to suffering within the context of dependent origination. We believe this model could function as a basic conceptual map of the mind to facilitate a deeper phenomenological understanding of ongoing, complex mental interactions, within the context of Theravada Buddhist theory and practice.

Acknowledgement

Authors gratefully acknowledge the online resources Sutta Central (https://suttacentral.net) and Access to Insight (http://www.accesstoinsight.org).

Notes

1. Some authors have alternatively translated dukkha as ‘stress’ or ‘unsatisfactoriness’, to mitigate the profoundly negative tone implied by the word ‘suffering’ and to maintain even the experience of the most subtle dis-ease in their definition.

2. The Eightfold Path is comprised of eight factors: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration. The word ‘right’ is found as a prefix for each of these path factors. This word signifies a specific technique, producing a desired result, rather than ‘right or wrong’ in a rule-based moralistic sense. Thus, insofar as it relates to ethical action, it is ‘right’ in the contextually governed, rather than rule based (i.e. deontological), sense.

3. Pali: sammāñāṇaṃ and sammāvimutti.

4. Form, feeling, perception, volitional formations and consciousness (Pali: rūpaṃ, vedanā, saññā, saṅkhārā, and viññāṇaṃ, Bodhi 2000, SN 22. 48). We have used the term thoughts instead of volitional.

5. Pali: saṃkhittena pañcupādānakkhandhā dukkhā.

6. (1) Eye and forms (objects), (2) ear and sounds, (3) nose and odours, (4) tongue and tastes, (5) body and tactile objects, (6) mind and mental phenomena (mind objects).

7. Pali: diṭṭhe diṭṭhamattaṃ bhavissati, sute sutamattaṃ bhavissati, mute mutamattaṃ bhavissati, viññāte viññātamattaṃ bhavissatī’ti.

8. Vipassanā is translated as inward vision, insight, intuition, introspection (Rhys Davids and Stede 1999). Vipassanā is derived from two roots. Passanā means seeing or perceiving. Vi- is a prefix with a complex.

9. ‘This vast body of scriptures, recorded in the ancient Indian language known as Pali, is regarded by the Theravada school of Buddhism as the definitive recension of the Buddha-word, and among scholars it is generally considered our most reliable source for the original teachings of the historical Buddha Gotama’ (Nanamoli and Bodhi 2001, Preface).

10. Pali: Kiñca bhikkhave sabbaṃ: cakkhuñceva rūpā ca sotañca saddā ca ghānañca gandhā ca jivhā ca rasā ca kāyo ca phoṭṭhabbā ca mano ca dhammā ca idaṃ vuccati bhikkhave sabbaṃ.

11. Pali: imesaṃ tiṇṇaṃ dhammānaṃ saṅgati sannipāto samavāyo, ayaṃ vuccati .

12. Pali: Phuṭṭho, bhikkhave, vedeti, phuṭṭho ceteti, phuṭṭho sañjānāti.

13. Pali: Cakkhuñcāvuso, paṭicca rūpe ca uppajjati cakkhuviññāṇaṃ, tiṇṇaṃ saṅgati phasso, phassapaccayā vedanā, yaṃ vedeti taṃ sañjānāti, yaṃ sañjānāti taṃ vitakketi, yaṃ vitakketi taṃ papañceti, yaṃ papañceti tatonidānaṃ purisaṃ papañcasaññāsaṅkhā samudācaranti atītānāgatapaccuppannesu cakkhuviññeyyesu rūpesu.

14. We have used the term mental proliferation to translate the word papañca so as to be consistent with the sutta text passages we have quoted from Bhikkhu Bodhi’s translations.

15. ‘Bhikkhus, there are taints that should be abandoned by seeing. There are taints that should be abandoned by restraining. There are taints that should be abandoned by using. There are taints that should be abandoned by enduring. There are taints that should be abandoned by avoiding. There are taints that should be abandoned by removing. There are taints that should be abandoned by developing’ (Nanamoli and Bodhi 2001, MN 2). Three categories of taints (mental corruptions) are described in the sutta texts. Taints of sensual desire, taints of becoming or desire for future life, and taints of ignorance.

16. Pali: Vedanā, saññā, cetanā, phasso, manasikāro—idaṃ vuccatāvuso, nāmaṃ.

17. The body and the six senses are called the rūpa.

18. Pali: Katamo ca, bhikkhave, dukkhassa nidānasambhavo? Taṇhā, bhikkhave, dukkhassa nidānasambhavo.

19. ‘With ignorance as a condition volitional formations (come to be); with volitional formation as condition, consciousness; with consciousness as condition, name-and–form; with name-and-form as condition, the six sense bases; with six sense bases as condition, contact; with contact as condition, feeling; with feeling as condition, craving; with craving as condition, clinging; with clinging as condition, existence; with existence as condition, birth; with birth as condition, ageing-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair come to be. Such is the origin of this whole mass of suffering. This, bhikkhus, is called the dependent origination’ (Bodhi 2000, SN, 12.1, 12.2).

20. Pali: Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

21. Material or substratum by means of which an active process is kept alive or going, fuel, supply, provision (Rhys Davids and Stede, 1999).

22. Pali: 1.Kabaliṅkāro, 2. Phasso, 3. Manosañcetanā, 4. Viññāṇaṃ.

23. Pali: viññāṇaṭṭhitiyo.

24. Pali: Saṅkhārā.

25. Pali: Yadaniccaṃ taṃ dukkhaṃ.

26. Pali: yathābhūtaṃ.

27. Pali: satisampajaññāya.

28. Pali: Cakkhusamphasso, bhikkhave, anicco vipariṇāmī aññathābhāvī.

29. Pali: ‘nippapañcārāmassāvuso, sā niṭṭhā nippapañcaratino, na sā niṭṭhā papañcārāmassa papañcaratino’ti.

30. Pali: Chayime, bhikkhave, phassāyatanā adantā aguttā arakkhitā asaṃvutā dukkhādhivāhā honti.