”Indriyani Paranyahurindriyebhya Param Manaha.
Manasastu Para Buddhiryo Buddheh Partastu Sah.”
(Gita-3/42)
”Supreme beyond their objects are the senses; supreme over the senses is mind; supreme over the mind is the intelligent will; that which is supreme over the intelligent will, is He (the Purusha).”
In a human being, his body, its sensory perceptions, mind and the Soul (the Purusha of The Gita) are relatively more and more rarefied in that order. Hence in order to have a clear perception of the Soul, one has to perceive the subtle differences between the body and its senses; sensory perceptions and mind; and mind and the Soul successively.
In the preceding chapter, exercises for discovery of the Soul as an immortal entity, distinctly apart from the mortal body and its senses, were given. Let us now proceed to analyze the faculties of mind.
(Note: In the following text, the reality of Aham as an entity independent of the body and mind is discussed. Here it is necessary to understand that Aham described in this context is neither Ego nor Ahamkar-the Aham-Vritti (thought waves generated by Aham). The Random House English Dictionary defines Ego as ”the ‘I‘ or self of a person; a person as thinking, feeling, willing and distinguishing itself from selves of others and from objects of its thoughts.” In this way, the ’I‘ or ”self‘” when referred to in the context of Ego is essentially related to the mind and body of a person. Similarly, ”Ahamkar” is also one amongst the four faculties of the mind, namely Mun-Buddhi-Chitta-Ahamkar. On the contrary, the real Aham (Vastavik Aham or-Soul), eternally exists independent of the body and mind. Here, the author has used the words ”I”, ”Aham”, Inner-Self and, Real Self as synonyms of Atma or Soul. These are not to be misunderstood as referring to the Ego or Ahamkar. In other words, where the reader is being asked to speak or think in the first person ”I”, unless it is specifically referred to the body or mind, it should be understood as the Soul of the person, expressing itself through speech or thought on behalf of the person.)
Mind intellect and Aham
Ancient Indian spiritual texts regard mind and intellect as two separate entities. Modern western philosophers, on the other hand, consider the mind itself as the highest level of intelligence. We need not enter into an fruitless discussion on this subject. The difference between the two is so subtle, that apparently they appear to be one and the same. However, both streams of thought/experience recognize two distinct mental faculties, namely mind and intellect. Both regard intellect being subtler than the mind. For the convenience of reader, we shall regard intellect as a more refined state of mind and proceed with our practical exercises.
Thus far, we have identified the visible and invisible coverings of the human Soul i.e. physical body and different faculties of the mind. Now, in this chapter, we shall endeavor to find how Ahamkar is differentiated from the Real ”I”. It necessitates examination of minute details. It is not so easy to differentiate between the true Aham and the egoistic knot of the subtle body (Sookshma Shareer), as it is to identify the outer and inner coverings of the Self. It would require a deeper level of perception and sensitivity. Even after having a perception that the subtle body exists independent of the physical matter composing the body, confusion persists about the nature of Aham because of its intimate relationship with the subtle body (Sookshma Shareer). Most people believe that mind and Soul are one and the same. Instead of elaborating the attributes of the mind, the author would try to enlighten the reader about the methods with the help of which it would be possible to analyze the constituents of the physical body and the vague ”I” threadbare and find out the nature of the true Aham (i.e. Soul). This introspection you are going to do with the help of your own mind, teasing out of it the right answers to your queries.
Mind is the bio-energy (Chetna) serving as the link between the body and Soul. For the convenience of seekers let us make an endeavour to understand the working of mind by broadly trifurcating its functions.
The three faculties of mind
The Pravritta Manas
In spiritual parlance, one faculty of mind is called ”Pravritta Manas”. This faculty of mind is undifferentiated between human beings and the less evolved species of the biological kingdom like birds and animals. It is also known as the secret mind – (Gupta Mun ) or sleeping mind (Supta Mun) – the Limbic brain or animal brain i.e. the autonomic nervous system in parlance of medical science. It controls the normal biological functions of the body and keeps it functioning. Though we are not conscious of it, the biological functions of our body keep going on involuntarily. Functions like digestion of food, blood circulation, extraction of juices at successive stages, formation of blood platelets, flesh, bones and bone – marrow, hormones; defecation-urination; inhalation-exhalation; movements of eyelids, etc. take place without any conscious effort. The Pravritta Manas is also responsible for formation of habits. It takes some time in learning something, but once it is learnt, the Pravitta Manas does not discard it easily. The experiences of our ancestors and those which we had had in course of our evolution in our earlier births upto the present human birth, are all stored in this subconscious layer of the mind. Before assuming the human form, the Soul has been inhabiting in innumerable life forms of lower order, lacking developed intellectual capacity. It had acquired in this process of slow evolution, many animal traits like jealousy, animosity, aggressiveness, selfishness and anxiety. All such crude animal-like traits, which have not been consciously eliminated by strong self-efforts in earlier births, are accumulated in this faculty of mind. It is a unique museum having an assortment of antiques. A few amongst these instinctive urges are good, worthwhile and invaluable (such as faithfulness of the dog), whereas many others are perverse and frightening. Seeds of all impulses such as greed, violence, cruelty, rage, impatience, etc, which are common amongst savages and animals, are stored in this part of mind. The basic impulses of the two lower modes of nature – Tamas (inertia) and Rajas (kinesis) – such as ignorance, dullness, passivity -Tamasic – and self-seeking, inflated sense of egoism, sensual indulgence, greed, anger, etc – Rajasic – are all stored in seed form in Pravritta Manas – the unconscious / sub-conscious layers of mind.
The Prabuddha Manas
Besides the Pravritta Manas, there is yet another more evolved faculty, which could be appropriately called as ”Prabuddha Manas”,the cortical brain or the intelligent mind. While attentively going through this booklet the reader is using this faculty of the mind. The attributes of this layer of mind are deliberating, analyzing, comparing, conceptualizing, logical thinking and decision-making. Quick-wittedness, sharp intellect, alertness, analysis of a situation, are all functions of this faculty of mind. However, it is to be remembered that neither the Pravritta Manas nor the Prabuddha Manas are Aham of man. With a little more consideration, it would be easy to differentiate these two from Aham. In this small tract, it is not possible to elucidate, in detail, the properties of the intellectual faculty of human mind. Those interested in this subject are advised to study the latest masterpieces on psychology. For the time being it is sufficient to know that the Prabuddha Manas too is only a covering and not the Soul (Aham) proper.
The Adhyatm Manas
The third, most evolved faculty of mind, is called Adhyatm Manas – a distinctive faculty of a spiritually awakened person.
In a majority of people it remains dormant and inactive. It is assumed that this faculty has started awakening in the reader; otherwise he would not have taken interest in the subject of this treatise. This faculty of mind (Adhyatm Manas ) is regarded as the most evolved attribute of the mind. It is reflected as spiritual seeking, inspirations, receptivity to inner divine guidance, exceptional talents, etc. Noble urges and emotions originate in this very faculty of mind. Love, compassion, mercy, empathy, sense of justice, sensitivity to sufferings of others, adherence to basic values, benevolence, commitment, integrity, etc. are some of the attributes of this faculty of mind. In this faculty also germinate the seeds of unconditional Divine Love. The mysteries of nature, too, are revealed in this illumined layer of the mind. However, Remember! This faculty of mind, too, is only a resplendent garment of Aham. It is not Aham. Nevertheless, the experience of Aham, which we are endeavoring to point towards, can be had only through Adhyatm Manas.
Mind is the tool for Self-Realization
Let the above discussion not create the erroneous impression that the writer is assigning a higher or lower status to various faculties of the mind and suggesting that one or the other in itself is an obstruction in the path of Self-Realization. As a matter of fact, it is the mind in totality, which is bringing you nearer to the reality of your true immortal identity and your Inner Self (Aham). Each faculty of the mind has its own specific role in helping the seeker move towards Self-Realization, provided it is properly utilized. The common man uses only the lower, less evolved faculties of the mind. They are hardly aware that different realms of mind have distinctive known and unknown miraculous potentialities. People tend to ascribe their failures to incapability of their mind. However, those aspiring for spiritual awakening are always advised by their teachers that they should not erroneously put the blame for their failures on their mind. Instead of considering the dormant potentialities of the mind irrelevant for human progress, they should earnestly endeavour to activate them properly. The lessons being imparted here can be put into practice through the mind. All activities leading to success, including understanding an idea and accepting its viability, first take place in the realm of mind only. Hence, addressing the mind of the reader directly, the writer says, ”Open the door to receive the wisdom being transmitted from your higher mental faculties.” He further pleads, ”Please pay attention to this sacred subject. Please do not create obstacles in the way of transmissions of divine illuminations (Daivi Chetna). These can be received through your faculty of Adhyatm Manas, which has capability of perceiving the Truth. Do not create obstacles when it transmits divine energies for enlightenment”.
Exercise for differentiating Soul from the products of mind
With a calm, relaxed and peaceful state of mind be reverently seated, receptively opening yourself to the higher wisdom, being transmitted through your Adhyatm Manas.
In the previous lesson, we have come to understand that your ”I” is an immortal entity beyond your body, controlling your thoughts, emotions and traits (see Affirmations of Lesson -II). Now, we proceed further to deduce that all objective and subjective thoughts are products of the mind and therefore are different from the Soul. In other words, Soul has an independent identity of its own beyond the mind and its qualities and attributes.
Let us examine how the Soul exists independent of the mind. Numerous emotional impulses like animosity, anger, maternal or paternal love, jealousy, hatred, elation, dejection, etc are endlessly arising in the mind. Your ”I”- the Inner-Self or Aham can differentiate, examine, analyze or discard each of these. This ”Aham” can also observe the state of their origin, maximum intensity and end. After practicing this introspection for a few days, the seeker will become so adept in this process, as though the object of observation were some other person. All such impulses are part of contemplative observation. Their nature can be examined threadbare and impact assessed from all angles. Thus the seer ”I” or observer is a different entity than the observed objects – the body or mind. Visualizing the Inner-Self (Soul) in this way will make it easier to comprehend.
The very fact that the creations of mind are being examined separately means that these are not part of your real Self the ”I”. With practice, this perception of separateness will continue becoming stronger and stronger and ultimately an abiding uninterrupted expression.
Inherent human traits and ’Aham’
It is not the purpose of these lessons to make the reader impervious to emotions, though it would be welcome if through this Sadhana one could develop a capability for getting rid of one’s depraving and downgrading traits. However, for the objective under consideration, the seeker is advised to ignore all traits – whether good or bad, leave them as they are and realize that Aham is beyond these and is an overarching independent entity. Let the seeker now resolutely and clearly make a demarcation between the traits and virtues of the three modes of nature (Gunas) discussed earlier and Aham. There is no need to worry that a particular trait has become so strong that it cannot be discarded. Before this trait was established, your Aham was already in existence. If this Aham is capable of clearly discerning these traits objectively and independently, it will become easy to discard them in no time. Remember! Through this exercise, the seeker is experiencing and developing a conviction that the ”I” who is using the intellect and its powers, the ”I” which considers the mind and its powers as its implements, is the master of the mind.
Earlier, we have done an in-depth study of the Prabuddha Manas and its creations and found that Aham is capable of discerning these as separate from itself. In the same way, the creations of the highest faculty of mind – the Adhyatm Manas can be discerned by ”Aham” as separate from itself. The seeker may doubt that, since the divine spiritual inspirations are not related to physical body, and these cannot be utilized like emotions arising in the lower faculties of mind, perhaps these are inseparably related to the Aham. At this stage, let us not enter into a deep discussion on this subject, as the seeker still has very rudimentary and fleeting experience of the Adhyatm Manas, which unlike the lower, less evolved faculties of the mind, is like a workshop for activation of divine forces in human mind. Seers, who have had the paranormal vision of the ”light” (Jyoti) of Aham at the highest level of their spiritual evolution, tell that Aham exists beyond the Adhyatm Manas but it illuminates the latter with its light and that reflection of Aham in the Adhyatm Manas is like the image of the Sun seen in water. The enlightened sages say that the brilliance of Adhyatm Manas is only a faint reflection of the inherent and dazzling effulgence of Aham, although first experience of Adhyatm Manas creates an illusion as if this itself were Aham, which in reality it is not. Aham is like an incessantly glittering jewel wrapped under several coverings of cloth (the coverings of the illusory worlds created by the magical mind). As the coverings are removed one by one, the filtered light becomes brighter and brighter. The inherent brilliance of the jewel remains undiminished irrespective of the number of coverings or no covering at all.
The sole purpose of going to this level of consciousness is to create the highest level of awareness of Aham, so that the seeker becomes convinced of the competence of the Soul for utilizing its instruments effectively. This understanding empowers him to take off the old, sullied, tattered clothes (regressive traits and illusions) and put on new, resplendent garments (noble, virtuous traits) and with their help carry out the assigned duties and responsibilities of life effectively – thus becoming a role model for others to follow.
After attaining this level of perception through persistent practice, the seeker may be eager to know what remains to be experienced which is beyond Aham. Transcending Aham is the pure, ultimate, Immutable Super Soul (Vishuddha Atma) – the Almighty God, of which, the individual Soul is a spark. The conviction of this Transcendental Being comes through personal realization. By separating the Aham from the body, the mind and everything else related to these, successively discarding ever subtler layers of ego-bound consciousness, the seeker is ultimately left with the immortal, immutable Soul, beyond which, nothing remains to be discerned. The logic is simple. The thinker, the analyst, and the object being deliberated upon, or being analyzed, can never be one and the same. The Sun can never illuminate its own self. In the same manner, the Soul cannot be something to be deliberated upon, nor can it be a subject of analysis. At each moment of life your consciousness tells you that your Real-Self – ”I” is the thinker, the seer and the doer. This ”I”, as we have already discussed, is neither your body nor your mind in its conscious, subconscious or unconscious states. It has to be some other independent entity, which remains ever vigilant, alert and awake irrespective of the state of the body or the mind. This is what we call Atma or Soul in spiritual parlance.
Soul-the ever present witness
Try as you may with the farthest range of imagination, you will never succeed in going beyond the Soul. You will never believe that this ”I” is ever non-existent. This ”I” (the Soul) is a drop of THAT absolute, indestructible, immutable, ocean of consciousness, which we call God. The Soul itself is the spark of THAT Supreme Sun of The Spirit.
O Seeker! May you, by the grace of God, succeed in perceiving the existence of the Soul in yourself and appreciate that man is a deity in deep slumber (a fallen angel, according to Christian belief) unaware of his potentialities. Within a human being there exist, in dormant state, divine potentialities, awaiting discovery and seeking an outlet to manifest themselves in action. It has been demonstrated in the lives of innumerable mystics, sages, seers and occultists through the ages that these powers can be accessed and made operative, although their mastery requires persistent, single-pointed endeavor. Initially, the progress is slow, but after crossing over the threshold of limiting consciousness and rising to the plane of Adhyatm Manas, the vision becomes clear and path easy. After that the progress is like an elevator ride. In its original nature, the individual Soul (Atma) in each embodied being is an indivisible portion of the Absolute (Parmatma).
In the next chapter, we shall discover that the Soul, too, does not have an independent existence of its own and that it ever remains an integral part of the Supreme Being. However, before attaining this awareness, one has to activate the awareness of Aham within. Let these lessons and words not be taken merely as a trivial exercise in verbosity and treated with disdain. The elaborations made here may not be as explicit as necessary for this complex subject. Nevertheless, it is to be emphasized that through these words a great truth is being revealed. As you are reading these lines, your Soul is eagerly expecting to proceed on the path leading to spiritual enlightenment. Step forward and become its torchbearer.
It is hoped that with the foregoing contemplative exercises, the reader will have developed the capability of making a distinction between Aham and the faculties of the body and the mind. Experiential awareness of this fact will make the seeker master of his mind and its traits (Vrittis). He will then intuitively develop the competence to use these tools effectively in life.
For elaboration of such a serious subject, the ideological approach and words used by the author may appear too crude and naive. The subject, however, pertains to perceptions of intangible realms of consciousness, which are beyond the reach of words and expressions. The specific taste of a particular favourite food cannot be described in words. One has to personally taste it. The author is simply trying to cultivate an interest in the subject, so that the reader is motivated to himself carry out these exercises. Thus, the reader will himself find proofs of the occult and mystic layers of consciousness and progressively have a clear perception of the nature of the Inner-Self. Until personally realized, knowledge remains a mere theoretical statement. Once one has the concrete experience, no arguments to the contrary are able to shake his rocklike living faith.
Your Inner-Self (Soul) is the master of your mind
Consider yourself (i.e. your Real Self) as the master of your body and mind. YOU (i.e. the Soul) are the king and the mind and body are YOUR subjects. So far your mind and body have enslaved YOU. They were dictating their terms to you. Now shatter this influence of the mind-body duo with one mighty blow. Let them not torment YOU any more. Free YOURSELF from their slavery. Now YOU have become the real ruler of your kingdom. YOU are the king. Command with authority. Ask YOUR subjects- i.e. YOUR temperament, thoughts, determinations, intellect, desires, even the functions of the body to work under YOUR directions. Direct them to put their signatures on this new agreement of submission, stating that henceforth they will obey YOUR orders like faithful employees of a king and will never show the least carelessness in maintaining the best and most beautiful form of managerial order for YOUR life.
There is a general belief that mind is the cause of all downfalls in morality, that the mind puts a person in situations in which regressive traits grow like weeds and these traits keep him dragging from one adversity to another, thus making him perpetually unhappy. With the help of the foregoing contemplative exercises, the seeker would become free of such troubles, since he would have developed the faculties and competence which equip him with the confidence and capacity to steadfastly and calmly meet all challenges of life.
Aham (Soul) as the manager of body and mind
The sight of a big factory, in which hundreds of machines, with numerous moving parts, are operating with engines consuming thousands of horsepowers of electricity, may overwhelm a naïve person, but its superintending engineer, who is thoroughly familiar with its workings, feels perfectly at ease. He makes each section of the plant work as desired, like an experienced ’Mahout’ controlling his trained elephant, or a snake charmer directing its captive poisonous snake to sway to his tune. The huge complex of machines would rather invoke in its manager a feeling of pride rather than fear. With confidence, he will watch the production of the day. One who has properly understood the nature, interrelationship and workings of Aham and its traits is comparable to such an efficient controlling engineer of a factory. Prolonged practice equips the seeker with extraordinary talents. Not only his conscious mind but also the secret, subconscious mind – the Pravritta Manas – too, becomes responsive to his will and while the conscious mind is engaged in other activities during waking hours, even when the person is asleep, the sub-conscious keeps on working quietly for completion of its assignments, When the awakened sub-conscious puts forward its output, it takes the new seeker by surprise, who considers it as a result of some invisible help or a paranormal phenomenon. The adept Yogi, on the other hand, knows that such a phenomenon is the manifestation of one’s own unknown latent potentialities. In human psyche lie buried marvellous talents and capabilities waiting to be awakened and tapped.
Self-Confidence and patience are the two key factors for success in any high aim. The task is difficult but it is superbly rewarding. Even if it takes years of contemplative practice, the endeavour should not be given up. Do not remain merely intellectually satisfied with this tract. Study, contemplate, have faith and confidence, and sincerely and steadily move forward on the path towards Self-Realization.
Affirmations of this lesson
• ”I” am the Master. Mind is an instrument for expression of My powers.
• ”I” am not the mind. ”I” am not dependent on the authority of the mind.
• ”I” am capable of separating the SELF from intellect, temperament, desires and all other faculties and activities of mind. Leaving all these aside, what is left, is ”I AM”
• ”I” am indestructible, eternal, immortal, ever -pure, immutable and undifferentiated.
• I AM. (Not ”I” am this or ”I” am that)
