<p>"Now suppose that a magician or magician's apprentice were to display a magic trick at a major intersection, and a man with good eyesight were to see it, observe it, &amp; appropriately examine it. To him — seeing it, observing it, &amp; appropriately examining it — it would appear empty, void, without substance: for what substance would there be in a magic trick? In the same way, a monk sees, observes, &amp; appropriately examines any consciousness that is past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near. To him — seeing it, observing it, &amp; appropriately examining it — it would appear empty, void, without substance: for what substance would there be in consciousness?</p>

<p><a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.095.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.095.than.html</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-05-29T04:54:50.100Z
2020-05-29T04:54:50.100Z
SarathW
<p>This is related to mental proliferation or <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/26819/471"><em>papañca</em></a> - also called reification or objectification-classification. Also, see <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/30898/471">this answer</a> and <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/30460/471">this answer</a>.</p>

<p>From Piya Tan's <a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/6.14-Madhupindika-S-m18-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">commentary on MN 18</a> (the <strong>bolded</strong> parts answer your question, on why not to trust your mental proliferations as being absolutely true):</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>3.2.1.1 The Madhupiṇḍika Sutta (M 18) gives us a very helpful
  explanation of the process involving mental proliferation: this is
  given in some detail in §§16+17, the Sutta's key passages. §16
  describes how mental proliferation tenaciously grips us as we
  unconsciously follow its dictates through our sense-experiences.
  Essentially, this domination begins any of our sense-experience: when
  a sense-faculty, and its respective sense-object and consciousness
  (attention) come together, there is contact (<em>phassa</em>), that is, a
  sense-experience. This, in turn, generates feeling (<em>vedanā</em>), how we
  see pleasure in something perceive as being attractive, pain in what
  is repulsive, and boredom in the neutral. This perception (<em>saññā</em>),
  in turn, generates thinking (<em>vitakka</em>), and when we think in this
  way, we mentally proliferate (<em>papañceti</em>). Notice that <em>papañceti</em> is
  a passive verb: we have no control over such an unconscious process. <strong>We
  simply explode into countless conceptions (<em>saṅkhā</em>) and perceptions
  (<em>saññā</em>) about the past, the future and the present
  sense-experiences. We run after the past, conjure up the future, and
  misconstrue the present, creating our own world of these misfits of
  thoughts and imaginings. We are being processed by our mental
  proliferation.</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p>And also:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>3.2.1.3  Mental proliferation (<em>papañca</em>) works hand in glove with how our sense-experiences, how we sense things. It is rooted in our
  unconscious mind, that is, the latent tendencies, so that we are not
  aware what is going on: we are deprived of our free will (in fact, we
  do not have it yet). The full term for mental proliferation
  (<em>papañca</em>) is <em>papañca</em>, <em>saññā</em>, <em>saṅkhā</em>, which gives us the key
  words for the working of mental proliferation. <em>Saññā</em>, although
  related to the “perception” of the 5 aggregates, here it is very much
  like consciousness (<em>viññāṇa</em>). It works like consciousness, basically
  aware of sense-objects, but it also evaluates and value-add them,
  "recognizing" them from our past experiences. In other words, we only
  allow the familiar into our lives, or perceive all or experiences as
  we desire them, not as they really are <em>Saṅkhā</em>, too, works like our
  consciousness but we are here attending to the perceptions we have
  been accumulating. <strong>Its only task is that of projecting notions and
  imaginings: what we desire, what we hate, what we are deluded with,
  what we fear. This is, in fact, how our “creative” minds work,
  measuring ourselves against others, creating problems for us, and
  lurking insidiously behind our thinking, and at the roots of all
  religions, including religious Buddhism.</strong> Mental proliferation, then,
  comprises of perceiving (<em>saññā</em>) and notion-forming (<em>saṅkhā</em>) or
  conceiving (<em>maññanā</em>) — is an explosion of mental constructs created
  by the power of the latent tendencies (<em>anusaya</em>) of craving
  (<em>taṇhā</em>), views (<em>diṭṭhi</em>) and conceit (<em>māna</em>).</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The list of latent or underlying tendencies are found in <a href="https://suttacentral.net/an7.11/en/sujato" rel="nofollow noreferrer">AN 7.11</a> (translated by Bhikkhu Sujato):</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>“Mendicants, there are these seven underlying tendencies. What seven?
  The underlying tendencies of sensual desire, repulsion, views, doubt,
  conceit, desire to be reborn, and ignorance. These are the seven
  underlying tendencies.”</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The "desire to be reborn" (<em>bhavarāgānusaya</em>) is translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an07/an07.011.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a> as "passion for becoming".</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-05-29T10:00:09.997Z
2020-05-29T10:18:22.543Z
2020-05-29T10:18:22.543Z
ruben2020
<p>Has Lord Buddha preached that we shouldn't believe our own minds?</p>

<p>If he did, what is the meaning of that saying? </p>

<p><strong>Update:</strong> Are there any meaning other than <em>ignorence</em>, <em>Ilusion</em> ? Like Uncertainty of mind, changing mind ?</p>

<reference-request><teaching>
Did Lord Buddha preach not to believe our own minds?
# Did Lord Buddha preach not to believe our own minds?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-05-29)

Has Lord Buddha preached that we shouldn't believe our own minds?

If he did, what is the meaning of that saying?

**Update:** Are there any meaning other than *ignorence*, *Ilusion* ? Like Uncertainty of mind, changing mind ?

**Tags:** reference-request, teaching


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-05-29. Score: 2

"Now suppose that a magician or magician's apprentice were to display a magic trick at a major intersection, and a man with good eyesight were to see it, observe it, & appropriately examine it. To him — seeing it, observing it, & appropriately examining it — it would appear empty, void, without substance: for what substance would there be in a magic trick? In the same way, a monk sees, observes, & appropriately examines any consciousness that is past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near. To him — seeing it, observing it, & appropriately examining it — it would appear empty, void, without substance: for what substance would there be in consciousness?

<https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.095.than.html>


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-05-29. Score: 0

This is related to mental proliferation or [*papañca*](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/26819/471) - also called reification or objectification-classification. Also, see [this answer](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/30898/471) and [this answer](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/30460/471).

From Piya Tan's [commentary on MN 18](http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/6.14-Madhupindika-S-m18-piya.pdf) (the **bolded** parts answer your question, on why not to trust your mental proliferations as being absolutely true):

> 3.2.1.1 The Madhupiṇḍika Sutta (M 18) gives us a very helpful
> explanation of the process involving mental proliferation: this is
> given in some detail in §§16+17, the Sutta's key passages. §16
> describes how mental proliferation tenaciously grips us as we
> unconsciously follow its dictates through our sense-experiences.
> Essentially, this domination begins any of our sense-experience: when
> a sense-faculty, and its respective sense-object and consciousness
> (attention) come together, there is contact (*phassa*), that is, a
> sense-experience. This, in turn, generates feeling (*vedanā*), how we
> see pleasure in something perceive as being attractive, pain in what
> is repulsive, and boredom in the neutral. This perception (*saññā*),
> in turn, generates thinking (*vitakka*), and when we think in this
> way, we mentally proliferate (*papañceti*). Notice that *papañceti* is
> a passive verb: we have no control over such an unconscious process. **We
> simply explode into countless conceptions (*saṅkhā*) and perceptions
> (*saññā*) about the past, the future and the present
> sense-experiences. We run after the past, conjure up the future, and
> misconstrue the present, creating our own world of these misfits of
> thoughts and imaginings. We are being processed by our mental
> proliferation.**

And also:

> 3.2.1.3 Mental proliferation (*papañca*) works hand in glove with how our sense-experiences, how we sense things. It is rooted in our
> unconscious mind, that is, the latent tendencies, so that we are not
> aware what is going on: we are deprived of our free will (in fact, we
> do not have it yet). The full term for mental proliferation
> (*papañca*) is *papañca*, *saññā*, *saṅkhā*, which gives us the key
> words for the working of mental proliferation. *Saññā*, although
> related to the “perception” of the 5 aggregates, here it is very much
> like consciousness (*viññāṇa*). It works like consciousness, basically
> aware of sense-objects, but it also evaluates and value-add them,
> "recognizing" them from our past experiences. In other words, we only
> allow the familiar into our lives, or perceive all or experiences as
> we desire them, not as they really are *Saṅkhā*, too, works like our
> consciousness but we are here attending to the perceptions we have
> been accumulating. **Its only task is that of projecting notions and
> imaginings: what we desire, what we hate, what we are deluded with,
> what we fear. This is, in fact, how our “creative” minds work,
> measuring ourselves against others, creating problems for us, and
> lurking insidiously behind our thinking, and at the roots of all
> religions, including religious Buddhism.** Mental proliferation, then,
> comprises of perceiving (*saññā*) and notion-forming (*saṅkhā*) or
> conceiving (*maññanā*) — is an explosion of mental constructs created
> by the power of the latent tendencies (*anusaya*) of craving
> (*taṇhā*), views (*diṭṭhi*) and conceit (*māna*).

The list of latent or underlying tendencies are found in [AN 7.11](https://suttacentral.net/an7.11/en/sujato) (translated by Bhikkhu Sujato):

> “Mendicants, there are these seven underlying tendencies. What seven?
> The underlying tendencies of sensual desire, repulsion, views, doubt,
> conceit, desire to be reborn, and ignorance. These are the seven
> underlying tendencies.”

The "desire to be reborn" (*bhavarāgānusaya*) is translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu [here](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an07/an07.011.than.html) as "passion for becoming".


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