The Goodness of the Natural Mind
July 27, 2018 DOI: 10.4324/9781315122649-10 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that two modes of self-awareness, egoless and egocentric, define two states of mind and two ways of socializing the mind: the egocentric mind controls thoughts and emotions to conform to its identity, generating the normal pathologies of the ego, while the egoless mind allows its stream of consciousness to run free, instilling an abiding sense of goodness and joy. |
Abstract
Chapter 10 begins with a Zen legend that explains that the human mind has two modes of self-awareness. It then describes egoless self-awareness and establishes that two modes of self-awareness create and define the differences between the egoless and egocentric states of mind. Chapter 10 also explains that one way to understand the difference between these two modes of awareness is that they enact different approaches to socializing the mind. The egocentric mind socializes itself by controlling the thoughts and emotions that appear in its stream of consciousness to ensure that they conform to its identity. This is the dynamic that creates the normal pathologies of the ego. The egoless mind, in contrast, socializes itself by allowing its stream of consciousness to run free, which instills an abiding sense of goodness and joy within the mind. Once that happens, everything a person thinks and does is enveloped in that goodness. The egoless mind socializes itself by instilling this sense of goodness within itself. Chapter 10 describes the psychological processes by which the natural mind instills this goodness within itself, and it ends with a parable that catalogues the differences between the egoless and egocentric modes of self-awareness.