“From whatever one reins in the mind,
From that no suffering comes to one.
Should one rein in the mind from everything,
One is freed from all suffering.”
“One need not rein in the mind from everything,
When the mind has come under control.
From whatever it is that evil comes,
From this one should rein in the mind.”— SN 1.24
I love this sutta. But how do you begin reining in your mind from only harmful thoughts and actions? Is indulging in sense pleasures—like art, food, or sex—considered a source of harm? And, if someone chooses to indulge out of social obligation, or to draw motivation, how can they reconcile that in a world full of human—and animal—suffering? Have you ever seen videos of what Antarctic penguins endure to survive? It’s heartbreaking.
On one extreme, if you rein in the mind from everything, you won’t feel pain, but you’ll likely become a penniless societal outcast. On the other extreme, if you rein in the mind from nothing, you’ll feel all the pain, but you’ll experience more of the fleeting pleasures that worldly life provides—assuming you can momentarily push the world’s suffering to the back of your mind.
Where is the balance? How do you live in this world?