MIND by Yogini Sundari
Yogas citta vritti nirodah. Yoga is the restraint of the modifications of the mind stuff.
(The Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali I-2)
Integral Yoga as taught by Swamis Satchitananda & Sivananda
If happiness is the aim of human beings, then yoga is one of the instruction manuals for its achievement. Through wrong deluded notions that objects will provide happiness, we continue to search outside ourselves. When mind restlessly wanders about amongst objects, ever changing, excited, uncontrolled, true happiness is elusive. To gain mastery of the mind you must know what it is, how it works, how it deludes you, how it can be subdued. External mind controls are far inferior to internal self controls. Mind is what separates you from the Absolute Reality. All yoga practices are aimed at obtaining mastery of the mind. The promise of yoga is eternal bliss.
What is Mind? Is it an excretion of the brain like saliva from the mouth or acid from the stomach? Is it a connecting grid linking incoming or afferent nerve impulses to outgoing or efferent responses? Are you your mind, turbulent and ever changing?
In Vedantic philosophy, mind is one of the eight natural divisions of Absolute Reality , which according to the Gita are earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, reason, and egoism. Mind is the vehicle through which the Absolute Reality manifests itself as the differentiated universe of heterogeneous objects. The individual mind is connected with the Cosmic Mind. The Cosmic Mind represents the electric, cosmic power house which lights up the individual souls. As the mind evolves it comes into contact with the mental currents of others near and far, living and dead. Cosmic Mind is the first principle derived from the Unmanifested. From Cosmic Mind comes egoism or the idea of “I”. This idea of “I” is the seed of the tree of mind. The sprout which first springs from this seed is intellect. From this sprout of intellect come the different branches of thoughts or imaginations.
Mind is subtle matter; it is not immaterial. The organs of mind and the senses derive their activity and life from the soul. The mind is considered non-intelligent. Even egoism or self consciousness is non-intelligent. Both are objects of a a perception of the soul.
The mental body varies in different people. It is made of subtle matter of various grades of density and different rates of vibration. In some, the mind is active and well defined. In others it may be cloudy and ill-defined. Every human being has a mental world of his own. Mind has aura, a brilliance or halo that emanates. More developed minds have more effulgent auras that can influence less developed minds.
The mind is a collection of habits, a collection of desires arising from contact with different objects, a collection of feelings aroused by worldly botherations and it is constantly changing. New arrivals into the mind are strongly magnetized by the already existing milieu. Mind is like a chameleon. The mind evolves through experience. The world is the best teacher.
The internal instrument as it is called in Vedantic philosophy is made up of mind, intellect, egoism and subconscious mind. Mind, intellect, egoism and subconscious mind are different functional aspects of the internal instrument. When the internal instrument exercises will and doubt it is called mind. When it discriminates and decides it is called intellect. When it self -arrogates it is called egoism. When it is the storehouse of habits and memories it is called subconscious mind. Also when it does meditation and inquiry into the nature of Absolute Reality it is also subconscious mind.
When the internal instrument is at work, then the mind, intellect and egoism work together in healthy cooperation. Mind makes thoughts, imaginations or fancies. Intellect comes to determine whether a certain thing is good or bad. Mind forwards the decisions of the intellect to the organs of action for execution. Sensation, thought, and volition are functions of the mind. Cognition, desire and volition are three mental processes.
Mind always wants variety and new sensations. Thinking, feeling, planning and knowing are various activities that are occurring in the mind. Volition brings all the mental faculties into play. You need to know by introspection what is going on in the mind at different times. Three aspects of the mind are: conscious mind or objective mind; subconscious mind, or subjective mind; and superconcious mind or cosmic mind. You see, hear and read with the objective mind.
You are not your mind. The thinker is not the thought. Mind borrows its light and power from the Source. Mind is non-intelligent. It appears to be intelligent by borrowing light from the Source. It is like water that borrows its heat from the Sun. Mind is finite. Mind is perishable. Mind is ever fluctuating. You can control your mind. Your mind is your instrument. Don’t you always say, “My mind,” like you would describe your shoes or your clothes? Your mind seems to be as much outside you as your arms and legs. Therefore mind is not who you are. You are more.
To be continued.
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