Do You Have a Monkey Mind?
The mind does not move, awareness moves within the mind, so what people call a monkey mind is really a monkey awareness bouncing from one area of the mind to another.
Dandapani corrects the common idea of the monkey mind. The mind is stationary and awareness is what travels within it, and at any moment either you are directing that awareness or your environment is.
What this talk covers
- People say they have a monkey mind, meaning their mind is jumping all over the place.
- The mind does not move. It remains stationary, and awareness travels within it.
- At any given point in time, either you are in charge of where your awareness goes within the mind, or your environment, the people and things around you, dictates where it goes.
- When you do not have control over your awareness, your environment can drive it into areas of the mind that produce experiences that are pleasant or extremely unpleasant.
- What you have is not a monkey mind but a monkey awareness.
Your mind does not move. It's awareness that moves within the mind.Dandapani
Questions
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It is the term people use when their mind seems to jump all over the place. He says the description is inaccurate: the mind is not moving, your awareness is moving within it.
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Because your awareness is being moved, and if you are not the one directing it, the people and things around you are. That is what determines which areas of the mind you end up in and what you experience there.
Transcript
179 words · 1:04
Have you heard the term monkey mind or hurt people say I have a monkey mind What does that mean? Is it that your mind is jumping all over the place? Is that what they're trying to say? Well, I have to tell you the mind doesn't move It's your awareness that moves within the mind your mind remains stationary awareness travels within the mind and in any given point in time
either you are in charge of where your awareness goes within the mind or Or your environment, which I define as the people and things around you, dictates where your awareness goes. And when you don't have control over your awareness, then your awareness can be driven to various areas of your mind, having various experiences, some pleasant and some extremely unpleasant, dictated by your environment.
And that's when people say, I have a monkey mind. But what you do have is a monkey awareness, and it's your awareness that's bouncing around in your mind. Your mind does not move.
It's awareness that moves within the mind.