Mind That Heals, Mind That Hurts

1.1 Introduction

This is a summary of a talk given at Brickfield Maha Vihara Buddhist Temple regarding the mind and how it can heal as well as hurt us physically, emotionally and mentally.


1.2 Mental cultivation is the core of the Buddha’s teachings.

In the Noble Eightfold Path, the Buddha emphasized on the cultivation of

  • Sila (morality)
    • Right Speech
    • Right Actions
    • Right Livelihood
  • Samadhi (mental cultivation)
    • Right Effort
    • Right Mindfulness
    • Right Concentration
  • Panna (wisdom)
    • Right Understanding
    • Right Thoughts
Most people assumed that the practice of mental cultivation is done only during meditation, and that the practice of all three aspects of the Noble Eightfold Path is only for those who aimed for the final goal of Nibbana.

So most lay practitioners concentrate only on the cultivation of morality, and leave the cultivation of samadhi and panna to the monks and serious pratitioners. In so doing, they do not put in sufficient effort to increase their day-to-day mindfulness or self-awareness. This day-to-day, moment-to-moment, self-awareness is important because it is the key to our well-being and happiness. With it, we can achieve happiness, health and wealth in this very life.

Understanding how our mind affects our life and health makes it possible for us to use this knowledge to improve our life and our health.

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