Seven Steps to Awakening

2) Investigation of the Experience within (Dhammavicaya) 

This Systematic Introspection when properly practiced ends up in entering the second step to Awakening. This second step (dhammavicaya) is to closely examine the emotional reaction to external stimulation by the environment. This helps one recognize that it is the interpretation of circumstances, by the cognitive process that aroused the emotions that made one react emotionally to the circumstances (mano pubbangamā dhammā). 

This makes one realize that most interpretations are conditioned by our past experiences in childhood. Some interpretations are influenced by the culture we are born into, while others are conditioned by the nature of the influences we grew up with. Whatever circumstances we face today are interpreted through past conditionings. Our present worries, feelings of inadequacy, frustrations, fears and fantasies about the future are therefore only mere concepts based on past experiences. To take them seriously is to create further emotional disturbances (dukkha). 

When this is understood with a tranquil mind, it helps one realize that most interpretations are not necessarily facts. When this is realized, the strength of the interpretation is diminished. Then even the validity of the interpretation is doubted, resulting in the total elimination of the interpretations as well as the self-centered emotions. 

This investigation of the cognitive interpretation occurred as a result of the practice of Systematic Introspection. This helped one realize that the emotions were aroused depending on the interpretation of circumstances. By changing the interpretation, it was possible to eliminate the emotional agitations. 

This was what happened in thepsychoanalysis of Sigmund Freud even though it was not fully realized by him, because he thought emotions were instincts that could not be eliminated. It was only quite recently that Western psychologists began to realize the importance of the cognitive process in controlling the emotions. It is now used in cognitive psychotherapy. Yet it was the Buddha who made use of this fact to the fullest extent more than twenty-five centuries ago, when he eradicated all emotions without leaving even a trace of it, and became a Buddha by Awakening from the dream existence. In the well- known Buddhist book of verses called the Dhammapada the first verse points out clearly that the cognitive process precedes the affective and therefore it is possible to eliminate emotions by right thinking. 

            Cognition precedes all experience, 

                       cognition predominates, and cognition creates 

             With destructive cognition if one speaks or acts 

             Pain follows one, as the wheel follows the drawer of the cart 

            Mano pubbangamā dhammā, mano seṭṭhā, manomayā  

            Manasā ce paduṭṭhena bhāsati vā karoti vā 

            Tato nam dukkhaman veti, Cakkhan va vahato padam 

           Cognition precedes all experience, 

                     cognition predominates, and cognition creates 

           With constructive cognition if one speaks or acts 

           Joy follows one, as the shadow follows the runner 

           Mano pubbangamā dhammā mano seṭṭhā manomayā 

           Manasā ce pasannena bhāsati vā karoti vā 

          Tatho nam sukhamanveti, chāyāva anapāyini 

                                                                                                    -- Buddha 

Another well-known statement of the Buddha is: “The affective (citta), Oh disciples, is naturally immaculate. Only foreign pollutants pollute it. The uneducated are ignorant of this fact. Thus they remain impure.” (Pabassaramidaṁ bhikkhave cittaṁ āgantukehi upakkhilesehi upakkiliṭṭhaṁ). 

The Buddha has pointed out that the desire for something pleasant arises depending on the way one describes the object. If one described it as something pleasant a desire arises. To overcome the desire one must reflect on its unpleasantness. In the same way, if we hate taking a bitter medicine, we can think of its health giving properties. By thinking of its pleasantness in this way, we can tolerate the distaste. Similarly, the Buddha taught the reflection on the threefold nature of all things (tilakkhana): instability (anicca), painfulness (dukkha), and impersonality (anatta), in order to overcome one’s attachment to things of the world. Some critics call this pessimism without knowing its therapeutic value. 

The divided mind (Citta/Mano) 

The Buddha drew attention to the fact that there is no entity called mind, or soul separate from the body, which can even leave the body and travel to other places or even die and be reborn (Mahātanhasankhaya Sutta, Majjima Nikaya). 

What we commonly refer to as the mind are only two activities of the body. They are cognition (mano) and affection (citta). Cognition is rational and affection is emotional. Often these two activities come in conflict. When they are in conflict the emotional affective often tend to win. Generally people are dominated by their affective emotions, rather than their cognitive reason. The reasoning cognitive faculty of the human being tends to become the slave of the emotional affective faculty. This is why even though the rational faculty of the human being is far more advanced today, with all the modern scientific technology, crime has not ceased in the world, and war has not come to an end. Modern science has created the nuclear bomb that arouses in people the fear of an imminent nuclear holocaust. Though the modern world is dreaming of love, peace, and happiness, it is in reality full of crime, war, and terrorism, today. This is because the emotions dominate the world. Therefore the Buddha said: 

            Emotions dominate the world. Emotions create distress 

            Emotion is that one thing, to which all stand spellbound 

            Cittena nīyati loko, cittena parikassati 

            Cittassa eka dhammassa, sabbeva vasamanvagu 

                                                                                                    – Buddha 

The teaching of the Buddha is an effort to teach people how to make the cognitive faculty (mano) dominate the mind rather than the affective faculty (citta). This is also the meaning of maturity of mind, according to the teachings of the Buddha. 

Even Sigmund Freud recognized this sense of maturity when he said: “In place of the id there shall be the ego.” This is also the reason why Freud called the cognitive faculty the ego and the affective faculty the id. Ego is the Latin form of “self” and id is the Latin form of “it” the neuter gender. This means, according to Freud, one should not personalize the emotional id, and instead one should personalize the rational ego. If one personalized the ego, one would act according to reason rather than to emotions. It is when one personalizes emotions that one is carried away by emotions. Emotions are not what we do consciously, they only happen to us unconsciously, depending on the necessary conditions. This is why they say, “love is blind.” In fact, even anger is blind, and so is worry. Often emotions put us into difficultly, quite unconsciously. This is what Daniel Goleman called emotional highjacking. To overcome this power of the unconscious emotions over us, we must stop personalizing the emotions. Instead we should personalize reason and act rationally rather than emotionally. 

Daniel Goleman, the author of the famous book “Emotional Intelligence” repeats the same idea when he defines emotional intelligence as: knowing one’s emotions, managing emotions, motivating oneself, recognizing emotions in others, and handling relationships” (page 46 - 47). In other words, emotional intelligence is not being carried away by emotions but using emotions intelligently. This can be done, according to Freud, only by personalizing the ego, and not the id.

3) Strength of the Cognitive over the Affective (Viriya)