Mind and Soul

A comparison of the heart/soul in the Bible and the mind (心, citta) in Buddhist scriptures. We explore together the teachings of both traditions on the nature and purification of the mind, and on wakeful living.

The Importance of the Mind

Bible

מִכָּל־מִשְׁמָר נְצֹר לִבֶּךָ כִּי מִמֶּנּוּ תֹּוצְאֹות חַיִּים׃

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Sutra

心為法本，心尊心使，中心念善，即言即行，福樂自追，如影隨形

“Mind is the forerunner of all actions; mind is chief, mind-made are they. If one speaks or acts with a pure mind, happiness follows, like a shadow that never departs.”

Comparison

Proverbs' 'guard your heart, for everything flows from it' and the Dhammapada's 'mind is the forerunner of all actions' share the same insight of placing the mind at the center of life. Both traditions hold that the state of the inner mind comes before outward action. In Christianity, the heart is the place where a relationship with God is realized; in Buddhism, the mind is the place where enlightenment and delusion are determined. Both traditions share the conviction that when the mind changes, everything changes.

The Purification of the Mind

Bible

לֵב טָהֹור בְּרָא־לִי אֱלֹהִים וְרוּחַ נָכֹון חַדֵּשׁ בְּקִרְבִּי׃

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

Sutra

心者善調伏，調伏得安樂，善哉心調伏，調伏得安樂

“One who well controls the mind will gain happiness from such control. Good indeed is the taming of the mind; the tamed mind brings happiness.”

Comparison

The Psalm's 'create in me a pure heart' and the Dhammapada's 'the one who well controls the mind gains happiness' show two approaches to mind purification. In Christianity, purification of the heart is a new creation by God's grace, and humans are beings who petition and receive it. In Buddhism, purification of the mind is accomplished through the practitioner's own sustained practice (taming). There is a difference between other-power and self-power, but both traditions pursue deeper purification without being content with the present state of mind.

The Wakeful Mind

Bible

νήψατε, γρηγορήσατε. ὁ ἀντίδικος ὑμῶν διάβολος ὡς λέων ὠρυόμενος περιπατεῖ ζητῶν τινα καταπιεῖν·

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

Sutra

此是一乘道，淨化衆生，超越憂悲，滅除苦惱，成就正道，體證涅槃，所謂四念處

“This is the one path for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of pain and grief, for the attainment of the right way, for the realization of nirvana — that is to say, the four foundations of mindfulness.”

Comparison

1 Peter's 'be watchful' and the four foundations of mindfulness of the Satipatthana Sutta both emphasize the importance of a wakeful mind. In Christianity, wakefulness is alertness to spiritual danger and awakening in the presence of God; in Buddhism, wakefulness (sati) is wise observation that perceives each moment's experience as it truly is. Christian wakefulness is relational and personal, while Buddhist mindfulness is phenomenological and experiential. Both traditions teach that only a wakeful mind — not one that is asleep — can live a true life.