indi.ca

I’ve started reading a verse of the Dhammapada every day before I meditate. As I do it, I thought I’d share some thoughts here. For reference, the version I’m reading is E.W. Adikaram’s translation.

In order to write about it, I’ve gone back to the beginning. This is the first verse of the Dhammapada:

All states have mind as their forerunner; to them mind is supreme and of mind are they made.

Therefore, if one, with defiled mind, speaks or acts, on account of that does suffering follow one as the wheel follows the foot of the wagon-bearer.

Let’s unpack this:

All states have mind as their forerunner; to them mind is supreme and of mind are they made.

The first part of this is objectively true. Everything that happens to you actually is a sensation created in your brain. All pain, joy, boredom, anger – everything. Everything you feel may be influenced by the outside world, but it’s ultimately created in your brain.

I can say this is ‘objectively true’ now because humans have developed the science to look inside the brain. You can understand it relatively easily because we have computers as a shared metaphor. 2,600 years ago, however, this insight of the Buddha’s was quite revolutionary. Honestly, it still is.

As much as I logically accept what he’s saying, I still very much feel like the world is causing me to feel things. I feel like my anger, my fear, my joy – they come from outside. I can know that these sensations are created by my brain, but the connection is so instant and strong that I don’t perceive it.

And honestly, try to tell someone with glass in their foot that ‘it’s all in your mind’. They’d be like, ‘no, it’s in my foot!’

But let’s take this as truth that feels false and move on to the next part:

Therefore, if one, with defiled mind, speaks or acts, on account of that does suffering follow one as the wheel follows the foot of the wagon-bearer.

The ‘therefore’ in this verse is where you get into the Buddha’s hypothesis. If you purify your mind (in ways to be explained) you will be free from suffering. Nirodha, the third noble truth.

It makes sense, but I don’t know what’s meant by ‘defiled’, nor is there a clear definition of ‘suffering’. Yet. It’s only been one verse.

The basic premise I think I get. If you start with a bad perspective, everything you see will be bad. If you start with a defiled mind, your speech and actions won’t help. Indeed, they’ll make things worse.

This is the struggle, and the path. Other religions or even self-help books give you the option of faith, or following a few steps, or joining a community. The Buddha is like, ‘no, your whole mind is a mess, we need to fix that’. Which seems like a lot of work.