Culture of the Mind

"Culture of the mind" refers to the shared cognitive patterns, beliefs, values, and ways of thinking that are shaped by a particular culture and influence how individuals within that culture perceive, understand, and interact with the world around them; essentially, how a culture molds the way people think and process information, often deeply ingrained through socialization and experience. 

Key points about "culture of the mind":

• Interplay between culture and cognition: This concept highlights how cultural norms, symbols, and practices actively shape an individual's cognitive processes, impacting their decision-making, problem-solving, and perception of reality. 

• Social context matters: A "culture of the mind" isn't just about individual thoughts, but also considers the social context in which those thoughts are formed and expressed. 

• Impact on behavior: The way people think based on their cultural background can influence their behavior and interactions with others. 

• Field of study: Cultural psychology is a field that specifically studies the relationship between culture and the mind, exploring how cultural factors shape cognitive processes. 

Example applications:

• Individualism vs. collectivism: Cultures that emphasize individualism might prioritize personal goals and independent thinking, while collectivist cultures may focus on group harmony and interdependence, reflecting different "cultures of the mind". 

• Perception of time: Some cultures may perceive time as linear (past, present, future) while others may view it as cyclical, demonstrating how cultural influences shape our cognitive understanding of time.  

Q.11. Is it easy to control the mind? Why? Should we culture the mind?

           An. No, it is not easy to control the mind because the mind is constantly agitated by these five hindrances (nīvaraḷas) such as sense desire, ill-will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and remorse, and special doubt. The Buddha said in Dhammapada that it is very difficult to control the mind for very subtle and very fast and it moves swiftly from sense object to another, landing on any sense object it desired. But we should exert all our efforts to control and culture the mind, because, once cultured, it will bring about human happiness, celestial happiness and Nibbanic happiness.

           The Buddha has warned us that it is very difficult to control the mind for it is very subtle and very fast, and the hindrances (nīvaranas) are out there to agitate and distract it. But we should exert all our effort to control and culture it, because, once cultured, will bring about human happiness, celestial happiness and even Nibbanic happiness.

           So he is culturing and developing his mind while he keeps it focused on the in-breath and the out-breath at the point of contact with either the nostrils or the upper lip. He strives to keep his meditating mind fixed calmly on the breath for half an hour, one hour, etc. if the meditating mind always remains fixed at the in-breath and the out-breath for about and hour at every sitting for meditation, he can proceed to the second step, that is, noting the length of breath as long or short.

           In case the meditating mind does not remain fixed calmly one the object of the in-breath and the out-breath and is very restless, the Counting Method should be used as directed in Great Commentaries. 

 

Q.12. How does meditator undertake Ānāpānāssati by the counting method?

           An. In cases the meditation (when the meditator) mind does not remain fixed calmly on the object of the in-breath and the out-breath and is very restless, the counting method should be used as directed in Great Commentaries.

           The meditator should count his breath as follows:

1.    ‘In-breath, out-breath’- one,

2.    ‘In-breath, out-breath’-two, just count from up to 8.

He may count not less than five and not more than ten. But he is advised to count up to eight in reverence to the Noble Eightfold Path which he is trying to develop. He should make a determination to keep his mind calmly fixed on the in-breath and the out-breath while counting from one to eight without letting the mind to wander away towards various external objects.

As he reflects on the breath by counting, his meditative mind will gradually remain fixed calmly on the object of the in-breath and the out-breath by the power fixed on the meditation subject for about half an hour to one hour at every sitting, he can stop counting and continue to be aware of the breath.

 

Q.13. How should a meditator of Ānāpānāssati be aware of the in-breath and the out-breath like a gate-keeper?

An. A gate-keeper does not examine people inside and outside the town for they are not his concern. But he does examine each man as he arrives at the gate.

Similarly the meditator pays no attention to the in-going breath that has gone inside the nose and to the out-going breath that has gone outside the nose, because they are not his concern. But they are his concern each time they arrive at the nostril gate. He should be aware of the in-breath and out-breath at the point of distinct contact of the breaths with the nostrils of the upper lip. 

 

Q.14. How should a meditator of Ānāpānāssati be aware of the whole breath like a sawyer?

An. All he needs to do is to be mindfully aware of the whole breath from the beginning to the end by its touch at the tip of the nose or at the nostrils or on the upper lip.

He should not follow the breath as it goes into the body or out of the body. He should not take the breath that touches the nostrils as the beginning, the breath that reaches the chest as the middle, and that which arrives at the navel as the end when he breathes in.

Similarly, when he breathes out, he should not regard the navel, the chest and the nostrils as the points to mark the beginning, the middle, and the end of the breath. He must focus his mind only on the breath that is touching or brushing the tip of the nose, the nostrils or the upper lip, thus keeping his mind at one point, that is, the point of contact. Suppose a man is cutting a log with a saw. The man’s mindfulness is established at the saw’s teeth where they cut the log, without his giving attention to the saw’s teeth as they approach and recede, though they are not unknown to him as they do so. In other words, he focuses his attention only on the teeth of the saw that cut the log; his eyes do not follow the saw as it moves forward and backward.

Yet he knows from the teeth of the saw that cut the log whether the saw is moving forward or backward and whether it moves through a long distance or a short distance. Moreover he also knows the beginning, the middle, and the end of the saw-teeth that have cut through the log.

Similarly the meditator establishes mindfulness at the nose tip or the upper lop, without giving attention to the in-breaths and the out-breaths as they approach and recede, though they are not unknown to him as they do so. By focusing his attention on the breath at the point of contact, he is aware of the beginning, the middle, and the end of the in-going breath as well as the out-going breath.

 

Q.15. What should a meditator of Ānāpānāssati do when his breaths become more and more subtle and finally un-manifest?

An. When his concentration rises, his breath usually becomes calm and subtle. Then he will need more powerful mindfulness to concentrate his mind on that subtle breath very attentively. At this stage very powerful mindfulness that fixes the mind on the meditation subject and very powerful wisdom that clearly apprehends the subtle breath are very essential.

While he is striving so, sometimes the in-breaths and the out-breaths are no longer distinct. He can no longer find the breath which seems to disappear. In that case, he should fix his mind at the place where he has apprehended the breath, bearing in mind that he is breathing.

As he gives his attention in this way the breaths reappear after no long time, as the oxen did at the drinking place. So he can secure them with the rope of mindfulness, and yoking them in that same place and prodding them with the goad of understanding, he can keep on applying himself to the meditation object. He continues his meditation by focusing meditation mind on the gentle get again.