Buddhism Seminar- Mind Nature VS Mind Consciousness

17th July meant another session of FGS South Island’s weekly Buddhism Seminar. Those who attended included BLIA South Island Vice-president Mei-Hua Chen, North-one Sub-chapter President Gui-Hua Yang, BLIA committee members Louisa Guo, Si-Yin Wang and other BLIA members, totaling about 20 people.

Venerable Juexi explained the difference between mind consciousness and mind nature. Mind nature, or in other words the Buddha nature, is pure. Mind consciousness is the ordinary mind. Venerable Juexi used the seven symptoms of the mind to explain the things the mind cannot find. The Venerable also quoted from the Buddhism series “The Reasons”: 1. The mind is unsettled like a wild monkey. 2. The speed of the mind is like lightning. 3. The mind is immoral like a wild deer. 4. The mind is the thief of merits. 5. The mind is like one’s adversary. 6. Mind is like a slave.7. The mind is like a king who orders people around. 8. The mind is like water, it never stops. 9. The mind is like an artist’s colour painting depiction. 10. The mind is boundless like space.

With the 10 examples, Venerable Juexi elaborately explained the purpose and characteristics of the mind. Through meditation and daily cultivation, one can turn consciousness into wisdom. During the class, everyone shared their perspectives and discussed the topic being learnt. Through the Sutras and the Venerable’s discourse, everyone received accurate explanations, for which they will have benefited profusely from.