"As a human being we have a mind that can reflect and observe. You can
observe whether you are happy or miserable. You can observe the anger or
jealousy or confusion in your mind. When you are sitting and feel really
confused and upset, there is that in you which knows it. You might hate it and
just blindly react to it, but if you are more patient you can observe that this
is a temporary changing condition of confusion or anger or greed. But an
animal cannot do that; when it is angry it is completely that, lost in it.
Tell an angry cat to watch its anger! I have never been able to get anywhere
with our cat, she cannot reflect on greed. But _I_ can, and I am sure that the
rest of you can. I see delicious food in front of me, and the movement in the
mind is the same as our cat Doris's. But we can observe the animal attraction
to things that smell good and look good.
"This is using wisdom by watching the impulse, and understanding it. That
which observes greed is not greed; greed cannot observe itself, but that which
is not greed can observe it. This observing is what is called 'Buddha' or
'Buddha wisdom' - awareness of the way things are.
(MINDULNESS by the Venerable Ajahn Sumedho)
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