Physical Pain without Mental Suffering and Managing Stress with Morality, Concentration, and Wisdom

The question you asked is truly an important one. I really like this question. Why? Because the main problem of life is contained within this question. Your view that "If there is physical pain and mental suffering, stress arises; if there is physical pain but no mental suffering, stress does not arise" is absolutely correct. This point is the heart of Dhamma.

Physical Pain and Mental Suffering – The Truth to Distinguish

First, I want to explain that physical pain and mental pain are completely different. Physical pain is Vedanā (feeling). This Vedanā is nature. It is natural for sensations like touch, pain, heat, and cold to arise in the body. This is physical feeling. This Vedanā is Anicca. It arises and it passes away. It does not last forever.

But what is mental pain? Mental pain happens when we grasp this Vedanā with "I". When we take it with Atta (self), saying "My body is in pain, I am suffering, I am in trouble," the mind also feels pain. This becomes mental suffering. This is where stress comes in.

I want to explain it like this. For example, suppose you have a headache. The headache is Vedanā. It is nature. But if you start thinking, "Why does my head hurt so much? What should I do? Will this ever go away? I can't work anymore," then the mind is also in pain. Stress has arisen. However, if you can see the headache with Anatta, saying "This is just a small Vedanā; it arises and it passes away; it is not mine," then even though the body is in pain, the mind is not in pain. Stress does not occur.

How to Avoid Mental Suffering – Seeing with Anatta View

You asked how to avoid mental suffering. I want to answer this question in two ways. One is answering with the Worldly View, and the other is answering with the Dhamma View.

Clarifying with Worldly View

In the world, we see natural phenomena like rain, wind, heat, and cold. Do you like a gentle breeze? Yes. Do you like a big storm? No. But consider why the gentle breeze happens and why the storm happens. It happens because it is just nature. No one is doing it to torture us. Nature just takes its own course.

The Vedanā occurring in the body are the same. There are three types: Sukha Vedanā (pleasant feeling), Dukkha Vedanā (painful feeling), and Upekkhā Vedanā (neutral feeling). These are nature. No one is doing this with the intention to give us trouble. Vedanā arises and passes away. Knowing this, even if the body hurts, the mind no longer hurts.

I want to speak so you understand this simply. One realizes that thinking causes suffering. If one thinks, one suffers. That thinking is Saññā. We get stressed with thoughts like "I am in pain, what should I do, will it ever go away?" But if one does not think, one is free from stress. That is why I came to know things like Rest In Peace (peaceful only when dead) and Sleep In Peace (peaceful only when asleep). Because when dead, one does not think; when asleep, one does not think. So, what is Live In Peace (peaceful while alive)? It means there is no need to think in the exact present moment. If one does not think, stress does not exist.

Clarifying with Dhamma View

The Buddha gave the teaching: "Though the body is in pain, let not the mind be in pain." The meaning of this teaching is that if one does not take the Mind-Matter and Five Aggregates (Khandhas) as Atta, as "I", or as "Mine", then the body may be in pain but the mind will not be in pain. If one can see with Anatta, the body hurts but the mind does not.

I will explain. Mind-Matter and the Five Aggregates are our body and mind. If we possess them as "I", physical pain becomes "I hurt". Then the mind hurts too. But if one sees with Anatta that "Physical pain is just a small Vedanā, it is not mine," one knows. Then, even though the body is in pain, the mind is no longer in pain.

This view is truly important. We always possess things with "I" such as "My body, my head, my leg". That is why every time the body hurts, the mind hurts too. But if one knows "This is Rūpa, this is Nāma, this is Vedanā, it is not mine," the mind is liberated. Stress no longer occurs.

Why Stress is a Mind Product

You have correctly understood that Stress is a mind product. I want to explain this point precisely.

Mind leads everything, and Thought is the work of the Mind (Mind Product). This saying exists in the world and also in Dhamma. International research has also shown this. Thought is a product of the mind. This thought can produce good or produce bad. Why? Because it is a Product coming out of the Mind.

In Zen Buddhism, it says: Mind is like the vast sky, and thoughts are like clouds. Clouds take various shapes. But behind them is the vast sky. We have the Mind. Within this mind, thoughts follow one after another. Just like various clouds in the sky. The mind is producing thoughts. If it produces good, good thoughts arise. If it produces bad, bad thoughts can arise.

Stress is also a type of thought. We get stressed with thoughts like "I am in pain, what should I do, when will it go away, I can't work anymore." If thoughts go to this object and that object too much, the mind cannot relax. If the objects that cause stress are no longer there, stress is absent.

That is why doing Dhamma Meditation is not just "doing Dhamma." It is practicing things related to the Mind. It is Mind wellness, Mental wellness. You must Relax and Release the mind. How? If you Focus on the object of the in-breath and out-breath, you get Release. Gradually, objects that cause stress are no longer there.

Managing Stress with Morality, Concentration, and Wisdom

Your main question is: since stress is a mind product, how do we manage the mind with Morality, Concentration, and Wisdom? I want to answer this in detail.

Managing the Mind with Morality (Sila)

Sīla is making sure Kāyakamma (bodily action), Vacīkamma (verbal action), and Manokamma (mental action) are kept well and secure. Kāyakamma is what the body does, Vacīkamma is what the mouth speaks, Manokamma is what the mind thinks. If these three can be maintained well, there is Sīla.

For example, suppose you are angry. When angry, you immediately retaliate, talk back, or fight back. Then Sīla is broken. But if you reflect later, "I said this much; why did I speak to this extent?", you can control Sīla again. You begin to try the level of Control.

For example, if Sati (mindfulness) goes to the market, no one accepts if it gives bad things. One has to exchange with good things. Why? Because Sati is doing the work. Sati chooses. It chooses only the good; it does not choose the bad. If you can Handle it with just a little Sati, good things will happen. Wholesome things will arise. Should I speak or not? If it is wholesome, I will speak; if it is unwholesome, do not speak. If we Manage with Sati, it is done.

I want to give an example with a small telephone. When I was working in Pyin Oo Lwin, a foreigner arrived. We did a small WHAT Program. A big telephone about 6 feet tall; people were sticking to this 6-foot-by-2-foot big phone. I told that foreigner. This is like Life. Receiving and Responding. Seeing, hearing, smelling, eating, touching are Receiving. Kāyakamma, Vacīkamma, Manokamma are Responding. We Handle this with Mindfulness. If so, your Life is okay.

Managing the Mind with Concentration (Samadhi)

Samādhi is the mind remaining stable on one object. If there is Samādhi, the mind does not wander to this object and that object. Stress becomes absent.

You can control only if you have Mind Power. If Concentration strength comes, the mind can control itself a little. We will build Concentration, practice Dhamma, have Concentration, and if we can consider with Wisdom, there will be no more regrets after speaking.

Noting the in-breath and out-breath is a method to build Samādhi. If you note the in-breath and out-breath, you think of nothing... stress is absent. Insomnia happens because thoughts reoccur and stress reoccurs. By noting the little in-breath and out-breath, stress does not exist. If not thinking, one gets Rest. Do you want to do Rest In Peace, do you want to do Sleep In Peace, or do you want to do Live In Peace? You can choose what you like.

You must Relax the body. I say you must become Cooked Vegetables. Scan your body from head to toe. Focus on it. Where is it tight? Where is it stiff? You can do it at once. As soon as you scan your body, look with mindfulness from head to toe. You can adjust yourself. If the Body Relaxes, the Mind must Release. You need to know how to let go mentally. How to let go mentally? If you Focus on the object of the in-breath and out-breath, you get Release.

Managing the Mind with Wisdom (Panna)

Wisdom is seeing the Truth. If you do not take Mind and Matter, the Five Aggregates as Self, "I", or "Mine", physical pain does not lead to mental suffering. If you can see with Anatta, physical pain does not lead to mental suffering.

Paññā is the power to see the natural Mind and Matter behind the world as they truly are and to reject "Lobha, Dosa, Moha" which are the causes of suffering. Because of Moha, wisdom that knows the truth does not arise. If Moha can be rejected with Sati, Paññā arises.

What happens at the moment of reciting "Namo Tassa"? You have reached the Path of Magga, the Path of Dhamma, which is Sīla, Samādhi, Paññā. Reciting with the mouth is Sīla. The mind settling on one object is Samādhi. Knowing that reciting with the mouth is Sīla is Paññā. Even reciting "Namo Tassa" constitutes Sīla, Samādhi, Paññā. Where are these happening? They are happening only in the present moment. Only because one knows the Present can one say these things. Knowledge arises because of the Sati that can be mindful of the Present.

Performing Veyyāvacca (volunteering) is Sīla merit. Doing it with focus on the object of action is Samādhi. Helping is done by Cetanā. It is not done by a Person ("I"). Seeing the truth behind the world is Paññā. Fulfilling life to be complete with Sīla, Samādhi, and Paññā is what is called practicing Dhamma work.

A Stress-Free Way of Living – Managing with Morality, Concentration, and Wisdom

I want to conclude by saying that to manage stress, all three—Morality, Concentration, and Wisdom—are needed.

With Sīla, maintain Kāyakamma, Vacīkamma, Manokamma well. With Sati, choose only the good, do not do the bad. Should I speak or not? If it is wholesome, I will speak; if it is unwholesome, do not speak.

With Samādhi, make the mind stable on one object. Note the in-breath and out-breath. Relax the body. Release the mind. If not thinking, stress is absent. There is no need to think in the exact present moment.

With Paññā, see the Truth. Do not take Mind-Matter and the Five Aggregates as "I" or "Mine". See them as Anatta. Physical pain is just a small Vedanā; it is not mine. Vedanā arises and passes away. It is just nature.

Because you get the opportunity to understand these things, living in life will become easier. In the worldly view, when the body is in pain, the mind suffers. But because the Dhamma view arises, our perspectives on how to live and sit in life change. The gratitude of Dhamma is immense.

I want to encourage you. I want you to be Stress free. I want you to live lightly and casually. Just saying "Dhamma talk" or "Meditation retreat", people become strange; stress tends to enter. I do not want that stress to exist. Let’s learn. I just want intellectual wisdom. I want you to dare to ask. Ask, speak, do not have stress, keep it calm in your mind.

If you come to understand these things, your life will become more complete. You will be able to manage stress with all three: Sīla, Samādhi, Paññā. The body will hurt but the mind will no longer hurt. Stress will be absent. It will become Live In Peace.

Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu.

Dr. Soe Lwin (Mandalay)