Reflective Mind

I was recently on vacation with my husband in Jasper. It was my first trip to Japser. Lakes in Jasper are so beautiful, so still and so vivid. I guess the weather helped it too. During our trip we went kayaking one morning in lake Patricia. It was the first time that we had gone tandem kayaking. So we were able to take turns to enjoy the scenery and the quietness surrounding us. We were amazed by how still the water in the lake was. The water was so still that it reflected the surrounding trees and mountains with such clarity.

It was then that I realised that this must be what the mind of a Buddha is like. I recalled reading in a book somewhere that the Buddha/enlightened beings had reflective minds. The mind of a Buddha or an enlightened being do not identify with or grasp at sensory impressions/objects. All sensory impressions/objects upon such minds are mere reflections. Their minds are so still that any impressions that arise of the six senses or encountered by the six senses get reflected in the mind. Think about it.....the lake without any ripples reflects all that it surrounds with such clarity that you can look at the water and know what was around. The lake was not the object nor did it hold the object but it was like a mirror that reflects what was around.

Then I contemplated a little bit more. So what was the big deal.

Well I have come to understand that when one identifies with sensory impressions/objects that one loses the balance of the mind becasue it becomes I, me and mine. The moment this happens we get into the duality of "I like" or "I don't Like". Once this happens all our actions become conditioned upon "I like" or "I don't like". Therefore, our actions become biased based on a personal view rather than the actual reality. It becomes our 'individiual reality'. However, if one had a reflective mind, then one will see/look at an object without the duality of "I like" or "I don't like". When this happens the mind does not move in the continum of 'I like" and "I don't like". Therefore, it sees things as they are rather than the way one would like to see things i.e. either in a positive frame or a negative frame.

I have come to understand that perhaps this is the reason why we are so moved by the vicissitudes of life and a Buddha or an enlightened being is not. I also realise that if we are mindful we maybe able to identify moments in our life that we are not moved by the duality of "I like' and "I don't like" and vice versa. If we are mindful we will realise that when the mind does not move in the duality that it gives us a sense of clam, peace and an acceptance of things as they are. I believe that in this lies a tiny glimpse of Nibbana that Buddha expounded.

With Metta