Mind, what it is 

What we call the mind is not an entity separate from the body, but an activity of the body. Therefore this chain reaction, consisting of perception, conception, emotion, and action are such activities of the body, and not separate entities. Although they are activities of the body, there is a tendency to experience these activities as activities of a subjective entity called the mind or self that exists apart from the body. What is subjectively experienced, is personalized as “mine” or “myself.” What is objectively experienced is regarded as a thing that exists outside us. What is commonly regarded as “myself” therefore is not an entity separate from the body, but only an activity of the body. 

It is this chain reaction or process of perception, conception, and emotion that we personalize as “mine” or “myself.” This is how we build the concept of “self.” This “self” building process, however, is not purely rational but rather to a great extent emotional. 

When one becomes aware of the process of perception through apperception, however, one becomes aware of how the process of perception takes place. This means one becomes aware of the five constituents of the process of perception. The Buddha these five constituents in the process of perception have been described by as Pañca Upādāna Khandha, which means the five constituents of personality. The term khandha is generally translated as aggregate, which does not carry the necessary meaning, which is constituent. The term upādāna (upa = inside ādāna = taking) is to regard as “mine,” or to personalize. Because our eyes work like a movie camera continuously taking a series of pictures, the five stages in the process of perception are a series of activities constituting the process of perception. This is why they are called the five constituents of the Process of Perception. These five constituents are as follows: 

                      (1) Mental Image (rūpa) 

                      (2) Feeling (vedanā) 

                      (3) Sensation (saññā) 

                      (4) Construction (sankhāra) 

                      (5) Perception (viññāṇa)

In speaking of the sense of sight, the Buddha spoke of the image (rūpa) perceived first. Then he spoke of the building blocks of the image as the feelings (vedanā) and the sensations (saññā). Next he spoke of the process of construction (sankhāra). Finally he spoke of the completion of the five stages in the process as perception (viññāṇa) in which we distinguish between one object and another and their relationship. 

It is when these constituents of the process of perception are personalized (upādāna) that the idea of “self” comes into being. To personalize is to say “this is mine.” All that is personalized as “mine” becomes the “self.” Personality therefore is the product of personalization of the constituents of perception. This personality however is not a rational concept but an emotional feeling. 

Take for instance the sense of sight. If we see something, we say “I see,” but where is the “I” that sees? Is it the process of perception that we refer to as “I”? The “I” is a feeling rather than an actual object perceived. If we look for an object, the only object to be seen is the body that occupies space and time. This is the meaning of My Body Perspective (sakkāya diṭṭhi). The process of perception takes the form of the body. The body is personalized as, “this is mine” or “I perceive.” Yet the body is not something we objectively see, other than just the visible hands, legs, abdomen or image in a mirror. The body that we think of is only a mental image constructed in the mind. The body that we see as “my self” is only a mental image, very different from what other people see as “me.” This is why when “I” see a picture of “myself” taken by someone, it looks very different from what “I” think “I am.” It is by personalizing the body in the form of a mental image that the notion of personality or “self” comes into being. 

It is interesting to note that Sigmund Freud divided the personality into three parts: the id, the ego, and the super ego. The id referred to the emotions, and the ego referred to reason. The super ego was the conscience. He found the id coming in conflict with the ego, and even with the super ego. He found it difficult to resolve the conflict between blind emotions and the rational intellect. The emotional id could not be eradicated, Freud thought, because they were instincts that were built into the system. Therefore his partial solution was through sublimation, which was to redirect the energy of the emotions along socially acceptable channels. He also spoke of the discontent of civilization, because to be civilized is to consciously suppress lust and hate, which is to experience frustration and disappointment. 

The Buddha was aware of this conflict, although he did not use the same terminology. It is important to know that the Buddha pointed out that the difficulty in resolving the conflict was due to personalization of the id, ego, and super ego. He spoke of four kinds of personalization (upādāna). 

                        (1) personalization of emotion (kāma upādāna) = id 

                        (2) personalization of reasoning (diṭṭhi upādāna) = ego 

                        (3) personalization of morals (sīlabbata upādāna) = super ego 

                        (4) personalization of notion of self (attavāda upādāna) = personality. 

The Buddha pointed out that the conflict can be resolved only by undoing the personalization (anupādāna) of the emotion (id), the reasoning (ego), and the morals (super ego). The Buddha took these activities to be impersonal processes dependent on conditions, while Freud took them to be parts of the personality. It is due to personalization that the resolution of the conflict became difficult for Freud. It was by un-personalization (anupādāna) that the Buddha was able to resolve the conflict. It is important to distinguish this un- personalization from the depersonalization disorder or neurosis referred to in psychiatry.