The Monkey Mind

dennis60

[FONT=Tahoma, sans-serif]The monkey mind (kapicitta) is a term sometimes used by the Buddha to describe the agitated, easily distracted and incessantly moving behaviour of ordinary human consciousness (Ja.III,148; V,445). Once he observed: 'Just as a monkey swinging through the trees grabs one branch and lets it go only to seize another, so too that which is called thought, mind or consciousness arises and disappears continually both day and night' (S.II,93). Anyone who has spent even a little time observing their own mind and then watched a troop of monkeys will have to admit that this comparison is an accurate and not very flattering one. On another occasion the Buddha said that a person with uncontrolled craving 'jumps from here to there like a monkey searching for fruit in the forest' (Dhp.334). In contrast to this the Buddha asked his disciples to train themselves so as to develop 'a mind like a forest deer' (miga bhūtesu cetasa, M.I,450). Deer are particularly gentle creatures and always remain alert and aware no matter what they are doing.

found at .......[/FONT]http://buddhismatoz.com/m/MonkeyMind.html

Dazzle

Mental proliferation =






.

pegembara

Like trying not to imagine or visualize pink elephants or flying pigs.

Disney

As your signature goes "it is no-effect-producing, and yet it functions with the utmost freedom: the Buddha-nature is all-inclusive."

DairyLama

dennis60 wrote: »

Anyone who has spent even a little time observing their own mind and then watched a troop of monkeys will have to admit that this comparison is an accurate and not very flattering one.

It's very unflattering to the monkeys.

P