After seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching,

discriminatory thoughts and emotions arise,

habits are set, control is lessened,

and suffering increases.

Through our five senses, we take in information about our environment. Ideas are formed and feelings arise. We then begin to discriminate—this I like and want more of, that I don’t and want to go away. Our feelings, impressions, and perceptions are recorded in our memory.

We form habitual ways of reacting to stimuli based on our opinions rather than facts, and from emotions rather than understanding and compassion.

Reacting automatically from habit and emotion, we do not stop to think what the wisest course of action might be. We simply react, unaware that we are losing control over our thoughts, speech, and actions.

The more we fail to exercise control, the more careless we are in what we do and the more mistakes we make. Since our actions were careless and harmed others, our consequences will bring us more suffering.

Chaos is prison.

Freeing the mind for the thoughts we choose through

order is freedom.

Just as an organizational system brings order to a room in disarray, meditative concentration brings order to a mind that is chaotic. While we can tell ourselves that the mind constantly moving is freedom, it is not.

Such a mind is imprisoned.

Those in prison are under the control of others. Told to leave their cells, they leave. Told to stay in their cells, they stay.

A chaotic mind is another form of prison. More subtle. More debilitating.

The chaotic mind cannot go where it chooses. As soon as it tries it is prevented, swept away by different thoughts, including regrets and fears. Even when found, happiness ends all too soon. In the unfocused mind, there is no control, there is no freedom. With the mental order that arises from meditative concentration, the mind can soar wherever it wishes.

Even away from regret and fear.

This truly is freedom. 

Do not fear the arising of negative thoughts.

Fear detecting them too late:

after the word is spoken, the deed committed.

For by then the harm is done.

At some point in our practice, we will reach the level where we, like bodhisattvas, fear causes, not results. But until we reach that level, we work at a lower one where we strive to detect the thought and prevent the action.

An almost instantaneous interaction.

Our thoughts arise with amazing speed and subtlety, and in staggering numbers. The vast majority of them are not even detectable as thoughts by us for they are incredibly slight vibrations. But even the subtlest vibration is a cause that will have a result.

The calmer our mind, the deeper we can go in detecting our thoughts. This is where our cultivation comes in because the sooner we detect our arising thoughts, the better our chances of stopping ourselves from automatically acting upon them, and doing harm.  

According with conditions does not mean

mindless agreement to whatever people suggest.

It means to accord with conditions

that are proper.

We often hear about according with conditions. This phrase, however, does not mean that we automatically agree with whatever others say or wish to do. 

According with conditions carries the understood inclusion of proper.

We accord with proper conditions, but do not accord with conditions that are improper. Thus before we agree to something, we need to think! We need to distinguish whether what is about to be said or done accords with the principles in the Dharma.

With calm minds and clear understanding, we will be equipped to discern whether the activity is in conflict with the teachings. If it does indeed conflict with them, then we will have the confidence to know we are correct in deciding not to go along with what is proposed.

Just as it takes time for the scent of a wine bottle

to fade away,

it takes time for the scent of our habits

to be extinguished.

For some time after we wash and dry a wine bottle the scent will remain. The habit of scent remains although the wine is gone. It will take more time for the scent to dissipate completely.

It is the same with our habits, too many of which unfortunately are not good. Even after we stop acting on a habit, for example getting angry or being greedy, their “scent,” their habit energy, remains. This is why it is so hard to break our habits.

The wine bottle only held wine for a few years and yet it takes considerable time for the scent to completely dissipate. Compare this to our habits, which have existed since time without beginning.

Like the wine bottle, we carry the scent of habits within us. It will take a long time of not acting on the habits for the scent to finally be gone. A long time for our anger and greed to be completely extinguished.

But as Yoda would say, “happen, it will.”