Part 8/13:
This understanding correlates with the concept of Dependent Origination, illustrating that thoughts emerge from a web of conditions—like seeds sprouting when nourished. The Buddha's analogy of planting seeds suggests that our past actions shape our mental landscape, enough to understand that we, ourselves, are not the presiding owners of our thoughts.
Chapter 3: The Clear Awareness Behind Thinking
Beyond the incessant stream of thoughts lies a fundamental capacity to know—an awareness that witnesses everything without getting entangled. This awareness is not a thought but rather the backdrop for all thoughts. The Buddha emphasized mindfulness (sati) as the path to cultivating this awareness, allowing practitioners to recognize thoughts as merely passing phenomena.