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Adding to the last few comments on mind= behavior, I do not agree with this equation either! Instead, I have come to see the relationship between the mind and brain (body) as a causal relationship. Through meditation I have learned that these are two distinct and separate entities that work together. This may seem extreme from a western perspective, but observing the impermanence of feelings and thoughts, I have come to believe in the Buddhist canon that there is no self, just the mind and body. I think that is the beauty of seeing the mind separate from the brain. It helps one understand that all things barely last a moment in time, and the mind has the ability to interpret the information in a better way. As a result, one’s behavior ultimately changes for the better. Non-living and living things do not need a mind to possess behavioral patterns. Behavior seems more simply how anything reacts in a given situation.

If the effects of the mind and body during meditation could be recorded and researched, I wonder if it would become popular. We all want facts and hard scientific research to validate observations. I only have my observations from personal accounts, those from teachers, and others who also practice mindfulness meditation to support that the mind is separate from the body (or brain). For me, it crudely, but succinctly explains why people behave the way we do. It is rooted in the idea of having an “I”, a self, or an ego, a belief in a creator, and the notion that things tend to be permanent. (Forgive me if I sound dogmatic- just putting out there my take on things!)