Uploaded November 2010 | Updated September 2026, 4 hours ago
A dharma talk from Ajahn Sucitto (a student of Ajahn Chah), on Nov 7, 2008. Here Ajahn talks about how mindstates are composed of 3 inter-related factors which he referred to as feeling, perception (of meaning) and then he used a pali word i couldn't catch, sounded like sankara?
He purposefully used that term to refer to reflexive patterns of reaction that arise in our minds and then activate responses.
I took some notes (below) to try and clarify, because sometimes Ajahn used terms (like feeling) in more then one way. Also, while he talked of "feelings" first he later said they are triggered by perceptions, so here they are again with a bit more detail, and reordered, putting perceptions first.
Mind-States are made up of 3 factors
1) Perception- We take in information from our environment and interprete its meaning, to us- friendly/unfriendly, safe/threatening
2) Feelings- Once we have arrived at a perception of meaning feelings are triggered, chemical rush of emotions such as pleasure, displeasure, fear, anger, sadness, joy, etc.
3) Response Patterns - Our feelings and perceptions then activate response patterns, what to do, how to react and respond to the situation. Flight or fight, argue, go lie down, push away, hug, scream, walk out the door. These are patterns of behavior which first arise in the mind and then activate actions in the world.
He then goes on in the rest of the talk (linked below) to speak about how meditating helps us to develop a more detached awareness which can then observe these patterns and learn to *not* react, not act in knee-jerk ways, recognizing also how a sense of an individual isolated self is created by these factors.
A dharma talk from Ajahn Sucitto (a student of Ajahn Chah), on Nov 7, 2008. Here Ajahn talks about how mindstates are composed of 3 inter-related factors which he referred to as feeling, perception (of meaning) and then he used a pali word i couldn't catch, sounded like sankara?
He purposefully used that term to refer to reflexive patterns of reaction that arise in our minds and then activate responses.
I took some notes (below) to try and clarify, because sometimes Ajahn used terms (like feeling) in more then one way. Also, while he talked of "feelings" first he later said they are triggered by perceptions, so here they are again with a bit more detail, and reordered, putting perceptions first.
Mind-States are made up of 3 factors
1) Perception- We take in information from our environment and interprete its meaning, to us- friendly/unfriendly, safe/threatening
2) Feelings- Once we have arrived at a perception of meaning feelings are triggered, chemical rush of emotions such as pleasure, displeasure, fear, anger, sadness, joy, etc.
3) Response Patterns - Our feelings and perceptions then activate response patterns, what to do, how to react and respond to the situation. Flight or fight, argue, go lie down, push away, hug, scream, walk out the door. These are patterns of behavior which first arise in the mind and then activate actions in the world.
He then goes on in the rest of the talk (linked below) to speak about how meditating helps us to develop a more detached awareness which can then observe these patterns and learn to *not* react, not act in knee-jerk ways, recognizing also how a sense of an individual isolated self is created by these factors.
