Question 57: WHY SHOULD WE CONSTANTLY REMIND OURSELVES THAT DEEP WITHIN OUR MIND THERE IS STILL IGNORANCE AND SINS?

Answer: This reminder is meant for practitioners who have attained a relatively firm state of inner tranquility.

When the mind reaches a state of tranquility, subtle thoughts of arrogance may unexpectedly arise with great force, strong enough to potentially lead the practitioner to hell in the future, undoing all the progress made in meditation. The self-reminder varies according to the state of the practitioners’ mind:

If the mind is firmly well-settled, occasionally remind ourselves: “Deep within this mind, there is still ignorance and faults.”
If the mind still occasionally loses mindfulness, sometimes calm but other times distracted by arising thoughts that lead it astray, we should remind ourselves: “This mind is still ordinary, with many hidden faults.”
If the mind lacks mindfulness and is easily disturbed by wandering thoughts, we should remind ourselves: “This mind is filled with deep-seated faults and heavy karmic burdens.”

These self-reminders function like passwords for different states of mind, helping to unlock the door to meditation, enhance mindfulness, eliminate arrogance, and ensure long-term progress on the spiritual path. In the practice of meditation towards enlightenment, humility is of utmost importance.

Wise practitioners will choose the “password” that best matches the condition of their state of mind, which helps reduce faults and allow mindfulness to emerge.

The Author

JANNA is the pen name of a certain monk who does not wish to use his real name. He is likely mature enough to understand that fame, wealth, and glory are as fleeting as morning mist.

In Pali, “JANNA” means purity, so it’s unclear which country he’s from. However, he seems to have studied the Nikaya scriptures.

Although he writes about Buddhism, he appears to desire unity with other religions to contribute to the cause of world peace. He attempts to demonstrate how differences can complement one another…