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2021-07-02 Clear Recognition (5 of 5) Comprehension of Non-Delusion: Otter Voice Meeting Notes

2021-07-02 Clear Recognition (5 of 5) Comprehension of Non-Delusion

Insight Meditation Center12min

Gil Fronsdal

00:02

We have come to the last talk in this five part series on clear comprehension or clear recognition, sampajāna. There are a variety of things we can clearly recognize, know and see. The fourth one of the four is clear comprehension of non-delusion. It is a mouthful – what is it? How do we clearly comprehend non-delusion?

Gil Fronsdal

00:48

One of the ways of understanding this – that I appreciate, delight in, and sometimes am amused by – is to have clear comprehension of thinking – to recognize when a thought arises – as a thought.

Gil Fronsdal

01:08

I find it interpersonally very helpful, because I might have a thought about someone I am with. The other day I met someone for the first time, in an unusual situation. Given the context and something about the how that person appeared to me, I had a predisposition or bias to a certain stereotype. "Oh, this is that kind of person." Because I have a practice of watching my thoughts arise, I could see that thought arise. Immediately I knew, "Oh Gil, this is just your thought. This is your interpretation of the situation. You better stay open here to find out, what's really going on here with this person. Who this person is." In fact, very quickly, I came to see this person was not my stereotype, not what I thought.

Gil Fronsdal

02:10

The fact that I have this bias or stereotype, so these thoughts and assumptions came up for that person – I think all of us have that. That is a normal part of the mind that is operating in the world and needs to have a simplistic (sometimes) understanding of a complex world to find our way. It is a thing the mind does. That thought that arose about this person – it was not like my thought. I was not behind the thought, or attached to the thought. I did not criticize myself for having it. I just saw immediately, "Oh, this is a stereotype. This is an idea," and then could adjust accordingly.

Gil Fronsdal

03:04

If I had stayed in the stereotype – got caught and involved in it – then I have some responsibility. It is in my court. I could cause harm that way.

Gil Fronsdal

03:17

Seeing the stereotype, this idea, come up, and to see it, "Oh, this is just a thought. Let's be careful here. Let's find out. Let's investigate more." That was clear comprehension of non-delusion. The non-delusion of questioning my thought. Stepping back and saying, "Wait, what's going on here."

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