In the Ball of Honey Sutta (MN 18), the Buddha stated that the cause of “conflict lies within, in the unskillful habits of the mind, rather than without.” He identified this unskillful habit of the mind as papanca.
The Pali term papanca does not have direct English equivalent and is often translated as proliferative thinking or conceit of self. This week Denise shared a talk given by Christina Feldman on papanca and how we might work with it while meditating and as we go about our daily lives.
You can listen to Christina’s talk here: https://www.dharmaseed.org/teacher/44/talk/14581/
Prior to our sitting, Denise read the first verse of the Dhammapada, as translated by Gil Fronsdal:
All experience is preceded by mind,
Dhammapada
Led by mind,
Made by mind.
Speak or act with a corrupted mind,
And suffering follows
As the wagon wheel follows the hoof of the ox.
All experience is preceded by mind,
Led by mind, Made by mind.
Speak or act with a peaceful mind,
And happiness follows
Like a never-departing shadow.
Denise also read the following poem to close our gathering:
Forget About Enlightenment
John Welwood
Sit down wherever you are
And listen to the wind singing in your veins.
Feel the love, the longing, the fear in your bones.
Open your heart to who you are, right now,
Not who you would like to be,
Not the saint you are striving to become,
But the being right here before you, inside you, around you.
All of you is holy.
You are already more and less
Than whatever you can know.
Breathe out,
Touch in,
Let go.
Burlington Buddhist Sangha 