Training the Untrained Mind - Book Giveaway!

We are giving away a copy of The Misleading Mind: How We Create Our Own Problems and How Buddhist Psychology Can Help Us Solve Them, by Karuna Cayton. Check out this excerpt from the book, and then leave a comment for a chance to win your own copy of this book!

Training the Untrained Mind
An Excerpt from The Misleading Mind by Karuna Cayton

Mind training is essential to Buddhism. In essence, it is the path the Buddha advocated in his Fourth Noble Truth. And yet, as I’ve said, mind training is not necessarily a religious or spiritual practice. It does not rest on accepting certain religious beliefs or adopting particular terminology. It can be used successfully as an entirely secular practice, or it can be incorporated as a deliberate spiritual practice within any religion, whether you are Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, or something else. You can be a businessperson, schoolteacher, or a stay-at-home mom or dad and still practice mind training. Naturally, the ideas behind mind training, or the explanations of mind the Buddha presented in his first three Noble Truths, are equally essential no matter our place in life. Training and theory go hand in hand. So, as you read the rest of the book, keep practicing the mind training methods this chapter describes, and as you practice, keep reading to steadily improve your understanding and success.

As we begin, I want to share a wonderful and amusing historical anecdote that captures what the practice is all about and how transformative it can be. From the seventh century, Buddhism flourished in Tibet, but in the ninth century, it declined as a result of a ruthless Tibetan king who aimed to destroy Buddhism in his country. Then, in the early eleventh century, Tibetan Buddhism began a regeneration. This was marked by increased travel between Tibet and India, as key Tibetans traveled to India for instruction, and many Indian masters were invited to Tibet. Foremost of these Indian masters was Lama Atisha, a well-known scholar and practitioner who was one of India’s principal teachers of mind training. Lama Atisha was invited personally by the current king to spearhead the reestablishing of Tibet’s rich Buddhist cultural and religious tradition. Initially, Atisha committed to staying in Tibet for three years, but he was so well-loved by Tibetans that he remained for a total of twelve years, finally passing away in Tibet.

One reason for Atisha’s long initial commitment was because travel from India to Tibet was not easy. You had to negotiate hot, disease-infested jungles, eighteen-thousand-foot Himalayan passes, and inhospitable tribes and bandits. The trip took months to prepare and months to complete, involving dangers and hardships we can barely imagine today. Among the party traveling to Tibet was Atisha’s personal cook, who was known as a very difficult person to get along with. And indeed, the Tibetans found him rude, crass, and unfriendly. But even worse, the cook’s terrible behavior did not merely extend to the Tibetans but even to Atisha himself. The Tibetans just could not understand why Lama Atisha would keep such an unsavory person as his cook. Wasn’t travel hard enough?

However, Atisha never showed any sense of intolerance, anger, or embarrassment over his cook’s behavior. Then as now, traveling can sometimes bring out the worst in people, and the Tibetans were impressed that Atisha showed only affection for the cook. Finally, though, they couldn’t stand it, and they asked Atisha why he did not fire the man and send him back to India. Lama Atisha replied, “He is not just my cook; he is my teacher of patience.”

With that one simple statement, Lama Atisha demonstrated to the Tibetans and to us the entire concept of transforming one’s inner experience through mind training.

Next: how to embrace our problems

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Lyn S.

5:15PM PDT on Sep 5, 2012

People no longer seem to be taught how to control their thoughts - one of the reasons I dislike the modern day decline into "Political Correctness" (anyone who believes that a woman would seriously consider that they were being called a whore by a Father Christmas 'representative' saying "Ho Ho Ho" has (to me) lost the power of reason). Humans generally use such a small percentage of their brains - I've learnt to stop myself from the knee-jerk reaction and ask myself, "What exactly is the significance of this?". It helps make for a fulfilled life for me!

September 5
send a green star

Carole S.

11:43AM PDT on Sep 4, 2012

so interesting about re-framing - i have used re framing to avoid terrible pain from catastrophe to make it seem less hurtful e.g. "it was meant to happen like that" type of compensation - however contrary to that I do try (really) and use daily experiences within my wokk to learn and look inside and indentify those negative emotions eg frustration iritation resentment and use them topositive effect. Thank you for this wonderful article so much to learn from it and I need to read it again and will share it with my meditation group . I would love to learn more from the book

September 4
send a green star

Vanessa V.

6:27PM PDT on Sep 3, 2012

I would love to read this! I do believe has more power than we give it. It sounds very interesting.

September 3
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Samuel B.

2:29PM PDT on Sep 3, 2012

It's interesting that Buddhist techniques that are centuries old can apply so well to modern situations.

Cheryl I.

4:11AM PDT on Aug 31, 2012

I really want to be walking wherever that lady in the picture is. Beautiful.

August 31
send a green star

Gayle J.

2:26PM PDT on Aug 29, 2012

I never felt comfortable with the reframing idea. Trying to convince yourself to believe something you really don't. Felt fake. This seems more real as you're not denying what you really feel, but using those feelings to find a more positive way to handle them.

August 29
send a green star

Elaine A.

4:43PM PDT on Aug 28, 2012

AMEN Maria!

August 28
send a green star

Maria R.

9:08AM PDT on Aug 28, 2012

Who among us does not need to learn more patience.....

jill b.

7:38AM PDT on Aug 28, 2012

My life started to change after It was suggested by my Doctor that I start to meditate, be in the present and listen and read some of the ancient doctrine of Buddhism.

However, I'v not been able to control my negative thought patterns, so I keep going in a "loop" & since 1972 have suffered Major Depression & can not work. I'm finding that over the years it has become more & more difficult to leave my home.

I have an amazing partner. He doesn't judge & he helps walk me through difficult times.

This book looks and sounds like it would be an amazing help to me, to find the remaining puzzles that I need to in order to live a fulfilled life. I would find this an unbelievable success story.

Thank you for the opportunity to win this great book & learn something new that has been missing in my life and approach.

irene f.

7:06AM PDT on Aug 28, 2012

Very interesting and very true. Asking what is this event trying to teach me instead of why is this happening to me is much more productive and positive to our life.
It is said that if you do not learn from the problem you are destined to live it over and over again... sitting down with your thoughts, new therapy