The world that you see is a reflection of yourself.

[seeker242]

The world that you see is simply a reflection of yourself. Lots of people say this in various different spiritual traditions. What I'm looking for is some textual Buddhist references that speak to this particular phenomena. For example, a thief will see the world as being filled with other thieves, so he is very protective of his property, very suspicious of other people stealing things from him, etc, etc. He thinks that most everyone else is a thief too. But, not because the world is actually filled with thieves but only because he himself is a thief. Does that make sense? I think modern day psychologists call it projection or something like that. I was just wondering if anyone knew some particular scriptures, stories, commentary, etc. that speak about this particular phenomena?

Thanks!

[intex]

Hello seeker242/all,

perhaps the Dhatusamyutta (Samyutta Nikaya 14.14 and the following ones) is of interest to you, since it talks about how beings come together according to their dispositions:

Bhikkhus, it is by way of elements that beings come together und unite. Those of an inferior disposition come together and unite with those of an inferior disposition; those of a good disposition come together and unite with those of a good disposition.

Since I found no source which enables me to simply copy and paste the text, I will stop quoting here, but these suttas give also examples (that those unafraid of wrongdoing unite with those unafraid of wrongdoing etc.)

It think this is not quite what you mean, but as far as I can see it has at least something to do with it.

All the best!

[Cittasanto]

The world that you see is simply a reflection of yourself. Lots of people say this in various different spiritual traditions. What I'm looking for is some textual Buddhist references that speak to this particular phenomena. For example, a thief will see the world as being filled with other thieves, so he is very protective of his property, very suspicious of other people stealing things from him, etc, etc. He thinks that most everyone else is a thief too. But, not because the world is actually filled with thieves but only because he himself is a thief. Does that make sense? I think modern day psychologists call it projection or something like that. I was just wondering if anyone knew some particular scriptures, stories, commentary, etc. that speak about this particular phenomena?

Thanks!

I know what you are talking about although can not think of any direct reference to it, however The Cetana Sutta comes to mind SN12.38
although it is only an interperative link for what you are looking for.

[David N. Snyder]

I had to think about it for a moment and then I remembered, here it is (sort of) right in the first verses of the Dhammapada!

1. Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with an impure mind a person speaks or acts suffering follows him like the wheel that follows the foot of the ox.

2. Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts happiness follows him like his never-departing shadow.

edit: Or more likely, better verses might be the delusion of self and how attachment to the delusion of self leads to wrong views.

[Ben]

Something that I have quoted time and time again from Bhikkhu Bodhi's "A Comprehensive Manual of the Abhidhamma"

The compendium of process-freed consciousness opens with a survey of the topograpgy of the phenomenal world, charting the planes of existence and the various realms within each plane. The author (Acariya Anuruddha) undertakes this survey before examining the types of process-freed consciousness because the external universe, according to the Abhidhamma, is an outer reflection of the internal cosmos of mind, registering in concrete manifest form the subtle gradations in states of consciousness. This does not mean that the Abhidhamma reduces the outer world to a dimension of mind in the manner of philosophical idealism. The outer world is quite real and possesses objective existence. However, the outer world is always a world apprehended by consciousness, and the type of consciousness determines the nature of the world that appears. Consciousness and the world are mutually dependent and inextricably connected to such an extent that the hierarchical structure of the realms of existence exactly reproduces and corresponds to the hierarchical structure of consciousness.

-- Vithimuttasangaha, Bhikkhu Bodhi, 2000, Abhidhammatthasangaha: A comprehensive manual of Abhidhamma, Pariyatti

[ringo]

Hi

Ananda, the Elder, attained stream entry by means of a 'mirror simile'

"'Just as if a young woman — or a man — youthful, fond of adornment, contemplating the image of her face in a mirror, pure & bright, or in a bowl of clear water, would look with possessiveness, not without possessiveness. In the same way, through possessiveness of form there is "I am," not without possessiveness. Through possessiveness of feeling... perception... fabrications... Through possessiveness of consciousness there is "I am," not without possessiveness." from http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... than.html'

regards,

[seeker242]

Thanks you for the references, will check them out!