Mind, Matter Master!
What are the four levels of the mind?
Why Happiness is transient and always followed by emptiness or sadness?
Why does one become a victim of one’s senses rather than mastering them?
Mind and myths of mind, miracles of mind, magnificence of mind has intrigued philosophers and psychologists alike for years.
This note brings out the dimension, nature, or level of mind and how the same can be used to achieve happiness, (the ultimate aim of life).
The human mind — faster than light, more agile than water, more rigid than Titanium, and yet can be a great enabler but a worse master.
Let me begin this note by quoting Vasudeva Shree Krishna, who spoke about the mind, 5000 years ago.
Lord Shree Krishna in Shrimad Bhagavad Gita (Chapter6, Verse 5) says,
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् |
आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मन: ||
Meaning: Elevate yourself through the power of your mind, and not degrade yourself, for the mind can be the friend and also the enemy of the self.
This begs the question, what is the mind?
Mind, in the Western tradition, is the complex sum of faculties involved in perceiving, remembering, considering, evaluating, and deciding.
But what is this complex sum and can it be simplified for understanding?
Shree Krishna’s words in Chapter 15, Verse 7, of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita help again in deciphering it.
ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूत: सनातन: |
मन:षष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति ||
Meaning: The embodied souls in this material world are my eternal fragmental parts. But bound by material nature, they are struggling with the six senses including the mind. (Read this carefully & again, six senses)
Yashodhanandan Bhagwan Shree Krishna here explains that the mind is yet another sense. Mind is which helps with the origination of thoughts, ideas, concepts, acts as a repository of memory, creates beliefs, forces one to jump to conclusions, draws empathy, protects the body through fight & flight decisions is another sense like touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste.
While five senses can be indicated clearly due to the organs performing their respective acts in the human body, the mind cannot be seen or felt and thus Western Science doesn’t concur with the conformity of the mind being another sense or another medium to attain divine knowledge or Supreme knowledge (Param or Divya Gyan).
A few believe that the Mind is equivalent to the brain. But the mind is much deeper than the brain and collects & operates from the wisdom of all body organs, comprehends know-how from the past, the present, and perceives the future, operates at conscious, semi-conscious & deep unconscious levels, driven by emotions & logic both at the same time.
The mind performs at various levels, predominantly four.
1. Buddhi or the Intellect — Buddhi or intellect, where it analyses and decides, basis the past information or memory or experience (direct or indirect via books, media, etc). A few (humans) have a better memory and thus use more data points from the memory to analyze and decide and hence are referred to as more intelligent or intellectual. However, others who choose not to use or cannot use several data points from their memory pool are not any less intelligent as the world perceives.
The interesting part of intelligence is, that it can be developed, increased, or enhanced over time, by simply practicing. Thus comes the concept of neuroplasticity (the mind’s ability to modify, change, and adapt both structure and function throughout life and in response to experience), which enables the formation of memory, modifying it or even completely deleting it.
Intelligence consequentially can be modified at any age at any time, basis practice and focus.
Man becomes ultimately what man focuses on.
2. Next comes Manas or mana — This is the place where thoughts are created. The natural response to a threat (for survival), stress (automatic response to hostility), and hunger (for energy) all form part of Manas. Every human cell of the body has a memory and not only the memory of one’s life on earth, but the memory of the forefathers and generations (DNA) before one took human form. Thanks to the Manas, thoughts, actions, and responses originate automatically, without conscious control. It takes care of basic needs and desires, such as those for safety, security, and survival.
3. The next level of mind is EGO or Ahamkara or the Identity- Ego is perceived as pride or sometimes as arrogance. But Ahankar in the context of mind is not self–absorption or conceitedness but it enables and empowers one to find one’s own identity whether in respect of clan, community, or country (Essential as humans are social animals and formation of bond is imperative since hunter-gather times to keep one safe as well as look after one another’s interest. Thanks to Ahamkara, trust exists). Human intelligence or intellect always works within the realms of Ahamkara or decision are taken accordingly.
4. The fourth level or aspect of mind is Chitta. Chitta is a Sanskrit word that means “consciousness” and is derived from the root word, Chit “to perceive”. It’s responsible for desires, sensations, feelings, emotions, attachments, aversion, habitual thought patterns, and latent impressions. The unsettled Chitta is where Kaam (Lust), Krodh (Anger), Moha (Attachment) & Lobh (greed) exists and unstable Chitta leads to what one calls “Suffering”.
Chitta is the point of connection between self and the Universe (Atma with Param- Atma). It is also the soul or the spirit within the human body.
Thus focusing on Chitta leads to ultimate happiness. The Knowledgeable call it as
“SAT — CHIT-ANANDA”
- Sat: or Satya or truth, absolute being or existence — that which is enduring and unchanging
- Chit: consciousness, subliminal comprehension
- Ananda: a state of pure happiness or bliss in perpetuity
Why Happiness is transient and always followed by emptiness or sadness?
Every action of humans when directed to please any of the six senses including the mind, the happiness becomes transient.
The five senses and the mind (one craving for recognition& appreciation) sets their target on an object (animate or inanimate), the human perseveres with intellect to achieve the set objectives set.
The outcome of the above can be divided into 2 scenarios:
1. Once the object is realized, the senses get jubilant. As the object stays, the elation continues and as the object leaves, the elation turns into anxiety with a forceful yearning to regain it back. ( Examples of this being wealth, net worth, near & dear ones, pets, etc)
2. Once the object is accomplished, the senses get joyous. The achievement of the object and its excitement are purely transitional in this scenario. Once one object is achieved, the next object is pursued, and then the next, thus an endless run and race to happiness continue till death. (Examples of this being promotion, salary increments, race to get richer)
As mentioned the definition of Object can keep changing sometimes, it’s an object, sometimes a milestone or one’s name or fame, or recognition or acknowledgment.
How can one avoid getting into the trap?
Most will think of leaving action or not performing Karma itself to avoid this cyclical trap, where one performs acts and expects an outcome, and then once the outcome is achieved, one again desires for more and acts with even more ferocity and the cycle continues.
Here Yogeshwar Shree Krishna explains in Chapter 5, Verse 6
संन्यासस्तु महाबाहो दु:खमाप्तुमयोगत: |
योगयुक्तो मुनिर्ब्रह्म नचिरेणाधिगच्छति ||
Meaning: Perfect renunciation (Karm sanyās) is difficult to attain without performing work in devotion (Karm yog), O mighty-armed Arjun, but the sage who is adept in Karm Yog quickly attains the Supreme.
This has 2 perspectives:
1. The work itself is its reward.
When a mother takes care of an infant, when a soldier lays his life for the motherland, when a son takes care of his parents, do any of them think about the reward or the recognition? The process or the journey itself is the reward.
2. What if one does every job or every work as the work of the almighty or Universe, thus surrendering the outcome to it and thinking of oneself just as a medium and not as a real executor.
One thinks of oneself as a medium (Nimit Matra) and not as a doer and one’s actions thus are directed to the Almighty and so do its results.
Performing all acts with the above two intents facilitates one to get into a mode of bliss in perpetuity attaining a stage where everything, everything one needs, cares for or wants is found within oneself and not outside.
Thus Siddhartha Rastogi says, “Give oneself a chance & look for a saner, sober, peaceful world which lies within oneself, the exploration of this journey within oneself will bring bliss and decipher every un-answered mystery”.
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