The World Shaped by the Mind: Yogācāra and Existence
The World Shaped by the Mind: Yogācāra and Existence Everything is created by the mind. 🙏 “All is mind-made” (Yogācāra) means that everything arises solely from the mind. The Avataṃsaka Sutra and Śūraṅgama Sutra state, “All phenomena never depart from the mind.” The world is like a mirror of the mind: a clear mind reflects brightly, while a clouded mind distorts. Even the same road may feel nearer or farther depending on one’s state of mind. 🙏 Matter and Consciousness: Different Perspectives Materialism holds that the foundation of all things is matter. It claims that every mental phenomenon is simply a product of the brain or physical processes. Mechanical materialism denies consciousness as an independent reality, regarding human actions as mere extensions of material motion. In contrast, Yogācāra places the mind at the root: without the mind, there is no reflection of the world. 🙏 Existence, Good and Evil as Creations of the Mind What we call “existence” is ultimately a concept born within the mind. What matters is not how things exist in themselves, but how we perceive them. Liking and disliking do not reside in objects; they are judgments formed by the mind. For example, longing for someone brings loneliness, comparing with others gives rise to competition, small hopes bring joy, and heavy worries bring anxiety. All of these are but shadows cast by the mind. 🙏 The Mirror of the Mind and Everyday Insight The mind is like a mirror: clear, it shines; clouded, it distorts. The mind is like a lens: the color it takes shapes the world. The mind is like a wave: emotions rise and fall, only to fade away. Even the same situation feels different depending on one’s heart. In the end, everything is a shadow painted by the mind. This realization is the very truth conveyed by Yogācāra.
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