Buddhism begins with the principle of a luminous mind, said the Venerable Bhante Gunaratna, internationally recognized Buddhist author and scholar.

At his Wednesday afternoon lecture “Luminous Minds – Mindful Steps to Happiness,” Gunaratna spoke to a standing-room-only crowd in the Gold Room of the Memorial Union.

“We don’t consider this strictly a Buddhist event,” said Pali Kuruppu, assistant professor of library and coordinator of the event. “It is psychology and mindset too.”

Gunaratna focused on the principles of cultivating a luminous mind, which encompasses the potential of mental purity and cleanliness. He followed this lecture with a question-and-answer session ranging from the war in Iraq to stem cell research.

“We are born with a clear mind, a luminous mind,” Gunaratna said. “With lots of potential for development, for enlightenment.”

Gunaratna explained that a person can choose to cultivate his or her luminous mind, using a metaphor of farmers cultivating a field.

Just as a farmer must clear weeds, rocks and trees from his land, a person must purify themselves from things that defile the mind.

“[The mind] can be purified through [a] special process called meditation,” Gunaratna said.

Meditation can help to cultivate not only the mind, but physical and verbal aspects as well.

Although the mind is the most important aspect, Gunaratna explained that each of these areas factor into individuals.

“No matter how powerful our mind is, the mind alone cannot do very much,” Gunaratna said.

He explained that the mind and body must always work in unison, to help achieve purity and cleanliness.

“The clarity and purity of the mind is expressed through our body and speech,” Gunaratna said.

Part of clarity in speech is controlling the body’s most destructive weapon – the tongue.

“When we are born, we are born with an ax in our mouth. A fool may use this ax to destroy oneself and others,” Gunaratna said. “This ax is our tongue.”

Gunaratna said using abusive words, gossiping and swearing can hurt a person’s reputation.

“You destroy your dignity, your honor, your respect by abusing the tongue,” Gunaratna said.

Gunaratna emphasized that each person has the opportunity to cultivate the potential of his or her mind.

“I cannot purify you, you cannot purify me. You must purify yourself,” Gunaratna said.

He explained that by using luminosity to cultivate the mind, we can live a “more peaceful, more happy, more meaningful life. A rich life. A quality life.”

Bankole Agbaje, sophomore in communications studies, attended the lecture to hear from the world-renowned speaker.

“There is so much animosity,” Agbaje said. “I want to see where other people are coming from.”