THE Concept of the Mahāyāna’s Close Placement of Mindfulness on the Mind (Citta-smṛtyupasthāna) According to Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra
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Abstract
This study is about how to meditate on the Mahāyāna’s close placement of mindfulness on the mind (citta-smṛtyupasthāna) in daily life according to Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra. The practice focuses on understanding the mind’s nature—defined as the unity of cognition, luminosity, and emptiness—through the unification of conventional and ultimate truths. The objectives of the research are: 1) to study the concept of the Mahāyāna’s close placement of mindfulness (smṛtyupasthāna) according to Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra. 2) to observe the Mahāyāna’s close placement of mindfulness on the mind (citta-smṛtyupasthāna) according to Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra. 3) to apply the Mahāyāna’s close placement of mindfulness on the mind (citta-smṛtyupasthāna) in daily life according to Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra.
The data was obtained from the Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra and Mahāyāna’s scriptures, Commentaries and Sub-commentaries. As well as the secondary source of Buddhist textbooks, research works,dissertation, dictionary, newspaper, and journals respectively, together with the later interpretation from modern scholars, e.g., Yeshey Rinchen (H.E Leytsho Lopen of Bhutan) in Bhutanese languages, English languages, Sanskrit and Pali.
The research findings indicate that the practice aims for individuals to recognize the nature of the mind, and as a result, it encompasses various other practices. Wearing leather only on the soles of shoes is akin to covering the entire earth with it. Therefore, researchers opted for Mahāyāna’s emphasis on placing mindfulness on the mind (citta-smṛtyupasthāna) over other Buddhist spiritual traditions. Unlike other traditions where mindfulness meditation is seen as a means to avoid the defilements of the mind, Mahāyāna emphasizes a more integral connection with the mind. The study reveals that the Practicing Mahāyāna’s approach to mindfulness on the mind can lead to an understanding of the mind’s nature. This understanding, in turn, allows defilements to naturally fade away, revealing the true characteristics of the mind. In the absence of a polluted or defiled mind, societal problems diminish.
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