Lesson 2: Na Mo Ta Mo Ta Mo Da Ra Houng – No Self, Suffering

Introduction

​Today we are going to talk about the mind as a mirror. So we can understand even more clearly the impermanence of all things, and how this connects to an understanding of being free from Karma.

Exercise: Look at the Rorschach Above

​What would the mind freed from Karma look like? Notice how different, and sometimes similar our interpretations are. Where do these interpretations come from? What would it be like if our minds were unconditioned and unbound?

1. Unconditioned and Unbound

• It no longer arises based on greed, hatred, or delusion.
• Thoughts may still appear, sensations still occur, but they are not grasped at, resisted, or owned.
• Life flows without “I” and “mine.”

“Just as a lotus grows unstained from the mud, so the awakened mind functions in the world yet is untouched by it.”

2. No More Reactivity

• The karmic mind is reactive — it clings to pleasure, resists pain, judges, craves, and fears.
• The liberated mind responds rather than reacts. It meets experience with clarity and equanimity.
• Emotions arise but pass like clouds — they do not solidify into identity or action rooted in ignorance.

“Contact still occurs, but no craving follows.” — Visuddhimagga

3. Mirror-Like Awareness

• The Buddha often described the liberated mind as like a mirror: it reflects everything clearly but retains nothing.
• All phenomena — pleasant or unpleasant — are seen as they truly are, empty of self and impermanent.

“The mind, like a polished mirror, shows all forms but clings to none.”

4. Spontaneous Compassion and Wisdom

• Freed from egoic motives, actions are not karmically driven — they are natural expressions of wisdom and compassion.
• Such a mind acts without attachment to outcome, without pride in virtue, without expectation of reward.

“Action remains, but the actor disappears.”

5. No Fear of Death, No Clinging to Life

• A karmic mind fears death because it clings to identity and continuity.
• A liberated mind sees birth and death as mere movements of causes and conditions — nothing more.
• It does not seek rebirth, yet if rebirth occurs (in a bodhisattva’s case), it is undertaken freely and compassionately, not karmically.

Metaphors in the Buddhist Tradition

To describe such a mind, the scriptures and masters use many metaphors:
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• Ocean Mind: Deep, still, and vast — waves (thoughts) may arise, but the ocean remains unmoved.
• Mirror Mind: Reflective and pure — nothing clings, nothing stains.
• Wind in Space: Movements occur but do not disturb the vastness of space.
• Fire Without Fuel: Past karma burns out, and no new fuel is added. The fire of becoming ceases.

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How to Approach This State

​Freedom from karma is not achieved by suppression or escape, but by deep understanding:

• Seeing that all conditioned phenomena are impermanent, unsatisfactory (dukkha), and not-self.
• Training the mind in mindfulness (sati) and concentration (samādhi) so that reactions slow and wisdom arises.
• Living with ethics and compassion to purify intention.

Ultimately, the path leads to a mind that acts without acting — fully engaged with life, yet untouched by karmic bondage.

Key Takeaways

​A mind free from karma is:

• Awake and unconditioned — no longer creating new causes of suffering.
• Peaceful and luminous — like a mirror reflecting phenomena without attachment.
• Compassionate and wise — acting spontaneously for the benefit of beings without self-centered motive.
• Beyond birth and death — not seeking, fearing, or needing to become anything.

“There is, monks, an unborn, unbecome, unmade, uncompounded. Were there not, there would be no escape from what is born, become, made, and compounded.”

Meditation Practice: “The Mind as a Mirror”

Purpose

To cultivate direct insight into the nature of mind — clear, reflective, and naturally free — by observing thoughts, emotions, and sensations as they arise and pass without attachment.

This practice helps weaken karmic conditioning and reveal the luminous, non-grasping quality of awareness.

Instructions

Take three slow, mindful breaths. With each exhalation, feel the body settle deeper into stillness.

“With each breath, let the body become still.
Let the breath flow naturally.
Let the mind begin to rest, open, and receptive.”


Step 1: Chant the Mantra

Chant the mantra Na Mo Ta Mo Ta Mo Da Ra Houng three times to polish the mirror of your mind.

Step 2: Visualizing the Mind as a Mirror (5 min)

Now, introduce the central image:

“Imagine your mind as a perfectly clear mirror — still, spacious, and reflective.
Everything that arises — thoughts, feelings, sensations, sounds — is simply a reflection appearing on its surface.
The mirror does not cling to the reflection.
It does not chase it away.
It simply reflects.”

As each new thought or sensation appears, silently note: reflection.
See how it appears, changes, and fades — while the mirror itself remains unchanged.

Step 3: Observing the Nature of Reflections (7–10 min)

Chant the mantra Na Mo Ta Mo Ta Mo Da Ra Houng three times to polish the mirror of your mind.

As you continue resting in this mirror-like awareness, deepen the contemplation:

• Notice that pleasant thoughts arise — they are reflections.
• Notice that unpleasant emotions arise — they too are reflections.
• Notice that memories, plans, images, and stories all come and go — none of them stick to the mirror.

“The mirror is never stained by what it reflects.
Anger may pass across it, joy may dance upon it, sorrow may cloud it — but the mirror remains unchanged.
It is open, receptive, and luminous.”

If a strong thought pulls you in, gently return to the image of the mirror. Let awareness reflect without grasping.

Step 4: Returning and Dedicating

Short reflection or dedication:
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“May I remember that my true mind is like a mirror --
Clear, vast, and unstained by the passing reflections of thought and emotion.
May I meet each experience with openness and equanimity.
May this clarity guide me and benefit all beings.”