October 2022, Dhamma Modana

Questions and Answers

What is the mind?

The mind is what thinks! The entire thought process is due to the mind. It is the mind that is constantly involved in the various actions of thinking, reading and pondering over what has been read, etc. During its course of thinking, the mind may act beneficially or harmfully. If it adopts the wrong habit pattern, then it will generate feelings of ill will and animosity for others. If instead, the mind reforms itself, then although it will still have thoughts, they will now be thoughts for the wellbeing of others. If someone has shortcomings, the mind will want that person to overcome his shortcomings because now the mind knows that due to his shortcomings, that person will perform wrong actions which will make him more miserable and unhappy. So, the mind will harbour thoughts of goodwill towards that person. It will want the person to refrain from doing bad deeds and thus save himself from burning in the fires of suffering. We observe that it is the nature of the mind to generate thoughts all the time. Therefore, our most important duty is to guide the mind towards a healthy thought process and prevent it from taking the path of unhealthy thinking patterns. Our entire effort is aimed towards understanding this nature of the mind and correcting it if it goes on the wrong path.

Centre Updates

Old Student Submission, Between Course Service Period - Fall 2022

Old Student Submission:  I had a wonderful time planting the Garry oaks, and I could plant at least another 10! I planted 4 along the path near the patch of chocolate lilies, two near the lookout at the women's side and five on top of the hill. I put blue flagging tape on or above the trees to mark where they are. Would you like me to make a little map marking them? Every shovel I took turned up rice root or chocolate lily bulbs at the top of the hill so I would recommend heading up there in the spring to see them in bloom.
 I have been aching to prune the apple trees since we bought the property so I went to town on the one by the kitchen and fear I may have pruned it too hard. I wasn't able to get to some of the shoots at the back due to the slope but most of the shoots/branches are cut back. It will likely take a year to recover but hopefully produce some nice fruit at the end. The second tree is on the path to the right of the other one and is already half dead - literally- but I left the dead branch on it- and took off the largest shoots that I could reach. I didn't do a hard prune for fear of killing it. We may need to remove it altogether at some point although we have some old apple trees at my parents' place that were planted in the 1950s and still limp along and produce nice fruit. 
The kidney bed in the courtyard was cleared out and the calla lilies planted with the echinacea and the other perennial whose name is escaping me right now. I tried to pull all of the weeds out but those little clover-like weeds have deceptively large root systems so they will be back again in the spring when I will try again.
I didn't prune the roses as it's not the right time but will do a hard prune in the spring as they have grown enormously over the summer.