Foundations – The Four Mind Changes.

 It is difficult to keep one’s mind focused on spiritual practices because of all the distraction that are both around us and in our minds. Also, we have been caught up in distractions for so long, this has become a habit. And so the mind has to be convinced, by considering and remembering the four mind changes.

 The Four Mind Changes
1 Appreciating the precious human life: how rare and short it is.

2 Considering death and impermanence: that the opportunities that we have now with this precious existence are not going to last.

3 Recognising the laws of karma and cause and effect: in other words how our behaviour affects what we experience.

4 Understanding the disadvantages of samsara, of uncontrollably recurring rebirth.

The following is taken from a talk given by Tsoknyi Rinpoche:

Question:
With regard to appreciation: Patrul Rinpoche speaks of the 4 mind changes and disgust at samsara…how can this be reconciled?

Reply by Tsoknyi Rinpoche:
You have to start from the standpoint of being a healthy human being – develop that sense of appreciation and faith. Then, from there, you can start to proceed, to understand the true nature of all things, and their lack of reality.

Thus, you are approaching understanding from a healthy perspective, and not from the point of view of the habitual patterning you have in the subtle body.

You look into samsara: although it is very beautiful, it is insubstantial and it is from that point of view that you experience disgust (and not from your woundedness which makes the ego even more tight).

Once you have developed a healthy interest in and respect for the Dharma, then you can appreciate the beauty of the world while knowing it is transient. It is the defect of samsara that makes us disgusted, rather than the individual hurt that we have experienced.

Nihilism can be a cause for depression. The more you see the futility, the more confidence you will have to walk towards renunciation. Is the view of futility coming from our habitual patterning (sceptical, nihilistic, wounded) or from our understanding of the true nature of reality?

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