Buddhist Talks
OUR MIND IS OUR BEST FRIEND
(Excerpt from
a talk by Bhikkhu Bodhi - August 2, 2002)
Whatever an enemy might do to an enemy,
a
foe to a foe, a badly directed mind inflicts
worse harm upon
oneself.
Neither mother, nor father, nor any other
relative can bring one greater benefit than
one's own
well-directed mind.
Dhammapada, vv. 42-43
In our lives we often distinguish people as enemies and friends.
We consider as enemies those people who are bent on harming us,
on doing some damage to us or to our loved ones. And we consider as
friends those people who wish to benefit us, to provide for our
welfare and the well-being of those close to us.
Now let us consider what kind of harm an enemy can do to us.
An enemy might slander us by spreading false rumors about us;
but if we know that we are not guilty of the fault he ascribes to us
we have no need to worry. An enemy might even harm us physically; in
the worst scenario, he might kill us.
But even if the enemy kills us, we need not be overly despondent.
For if we have a good mind, a strong mind, a well-developed and
virtuous mind, then although the body dies, the mind will go on to
some fortunate state of existence in the future. But if our mind
strays from the path of Dhamma, if we surrender to the impulses of
selfishness, greed, and hatred, then we will suffer far more in life
after life than we would when the enemy takes our life. So long as
the enemy is not able to harm our mind, we can still consider
ourselves secure.
We consider as friends or benefactors the people who benefit us.
Of all the people in our lives who benefit us, the most
important, from the worldly point of view, are our parents. Yet,
even if our parents look after all our material and social needs,
they wouldn't be benefiting us as much as they would if they give us
moral instruction, give us guidance in the right way of life. When
they give us wise instruction in the proper conduct of life, whether
we accept it or not depends upon ourselves, and that means that it
depends upon our own minds.
This is why the Buddha makes the mind the focal point of his
entire teaching. The mind is the central force in our lives, and the
whole quality of our lives is just a reflection of the quality of
our own minds.
The Buddha teaches the way to develop the mind, to elevate the
mind.
His teaching isn't intended for those who are already
enlightened sages, but for ordinary people living very ordinary
lives. What he teaches is how to transform the defiled mind, the
mind troubled by afflictions, desires, sorrow, pain and suffering,
into the enlightened mind, the liberated mind, the mind that is
radiant with wisdom, loving-kindness, and compassion, into a mind
that is peaceful and content under any circumstances.
This is illustrated by the famous simile of the lotus flower.
The lotus begins growing at the bottom of a muddy pond, but it
rises up through the muddy water until it emerges from the pond,
unfolds its petals, and reveals its sublime beauty. In practicing
the Dhamma, we begin with our ordinary mind, which is like the lotus
seed in the mud, the mind soiled by desires and delusions. By
following the Buddha's instructions step by step we elevate the mind
above the mud of the world, we unfold its petals of virtuous
qualities, until it opens fully and displays its radiant beauty.
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