MIND : Its Mysteries & Its Control - Chapter-37. Swami Sivananda.

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Sunday, October 09, 2022. 06:30. 
CHAPTER -37 : ESSENCE OF JNANA YOGA

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 MIND AND BRAHMAN :

The capacity of the mind to think exists, because it is enlightened by the Brahman or Atman

shining within and it is by that the mind is capable of activity. Those who have realised the Self say

that the mind is pervaded by Brahman. “He who dwells in the mind, is within the mind, whom the

mind does not know, whose body is the mind, who from within rules the mind is thy Self, the Inner

Ruler, immortal.” (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, III-vii-20) “That which one cannot think with the

mind, but that by which they (wise sages) say the mind is made to think, know that alone to be

Brahman” (Kena Upanishad, 5). Mind is a mere beggar. It borrows its light and intelligence from

the Inner Ruler, the Atman that is self-effulgent. Just as a piece of iron moves in front of a magnet

so also, this mind moves in front of the Inner Ruler. It plays, thinks, feels and imagines before the

Divine Presence, just as a prime minister plays and works before the presence of the king. The mind

shines in its borrowed feathers. It appears like Chaitanya (pure consciousness). How can the mind

which gropes in darkness, which changes in every minute, which has a birth from Mahat and also

death (dissolution) in Prakriti be termed as pure consciousness?

The thoughts are various and changing. Now good thoughts manifest. Five minutes later,

vicious thoughts appear. The mind is very fickle and changing. It cannot, therefore, be the

changeless Atman or Kutastha-Nirvikalpa (unchanging, rock-seated) Brahman.

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JADA AND CHAITANYA :

Mind, Buddhi, Indriyas and all other things are Jada. That thing which has no knowledge of

itself and of other things also is called Jada. Brahman only is Chaitanya-Vastu. Chaitanya or Chit or

Chetana is Svayamprakasha (self-luminous) and Sarva-Prakasha (illuminating everything). It

illuminates the mind, Buddhi and all Indriyas internally; and externally the sun, the moon, the stars,

lightning, fire, etc.

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BRAHMAN IS CHAITANYA :

Who sees the defects in the sun—whether it shines brightly or whether it is obscured by

clouds? It is the eye. Who sees the defects in the eye whether it is a cataract or Timira or not? It is the

Buddhi (intellect). Who sees the defects in the Buddhi—whether there is confusion or clarity in it?

Who illumines the Buddhi? It is Aham (Infinite ‘I’). This Aham is the Kutastha or Atman or

Brahman, illuminator of everything.

Who illuminates in dreams? There is no other light there. The mind is not self-luminous. It

is Jada. It is Brahman who illuminates the objects in the dream.

Suppose there is a blazing light at night. You stand at a distance. Something stands between

you and the light as an obstruction and you cannot see the light. But you can clearly see the objects

that are illuminated by the light. Though you cannot see the light directly, you clearly conclude that

there must be a big light through the perception of the objects. So also, there must be a

self-luminous illuminator behind this Nature. That illuminator, the “Light of lights” (Jyotisham-api

tajjyotih) is the Adhishthana (support) for this illusory world.

If you sit down and realise that you only think by virtue of the one Life and that the mind,

animated by the one Life into the act of thinking, is a part of the whole which is God, then you will

argue that your mind is out of existence as a separate entity and the result is that mind and body

physically (so to speak) disappear and the only thing that remains is Being—Existence which is not

explicable in words.

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BRAHMAN IS SAKSHI :

Raga, Dvesha, pleasure and pain, Kartritva (agency), Bhoktritva are the Dharmas of the

mind only. Atman is Sakshi (perceiver) and Asanga (unattached). Like a crystal (Sphatika) whichthough tinged with the seven colours is yet unaffected by them, Atman too is not affected by the actions of the mind.

The very idea of creation suggests that there must be a creator. The very idea of matter

suggests that there must be a spirit. The very idea of changing phenomenon suggests that there must

be an unchanging noumenon. The very idea of a changing mind suggests that there must be an

unchanging Sakshi and controller (Niyamaka) for the mind. He is Kutastha Brahman that clearly

understands everything and is a Sakshi or silent witness of the Jiva and his activities.

You are able to see the objects only. But the Sakshi or Kutastha Brahman sees the mind, its

modifications, the Jivatman or reflected consciousness and the various objects of the universe.

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BRAHMAN IS AKHANDA :

Time, space and Vastu (substance) are the three categories of the mind. Every object has

three kinds of limitations (Pariccheda). Grapes, for instance, are obtainable in a certain season only

and in certain places only. So grape has got Desa-Kala-Pariccheda (limitation by space and time). It

has got Vastu-Pariccheda also. You cannot find grape in a mango tree. But, the existence of

Brahman or Satchidananda is free from these three kinds of Pariccheda

(Trividha-Pariccheda-Rahita), because He is eternal, infinite and the essence and Adhishthana for

all substances.

An Englishman is different from an Indian. There is Svajatiya Bheda. A tree is different

from a stone. There is Vijatiya-Bheda. There is difference between a fruit, flower and leaves in the

tree. There is difference between a hand, arm, leg, foot, etc. This is Svagata-Bheda. Brahman has

not got these three kinds of Bheda. There cannot be another Brahman, because Infinity is One. So

there is no Svajatiya-Bheda in Brahman. The world has emanated from Brahman. It is illusory. So it

cannot bring Vijatiya-Bheda for Brahman. World is Brahman Himself. Sat-Chit-Ananda are not

three entities. They are one. It is only Sabda-Bheda, like water, Pani, Jala. Sat is Chit. Chit is Sat.

Chit is Ananda. So there is no Svagata-Bheda in Brahman. Bheda is a mental creation produced by

space, colour, size, etc.

If anything is free from the three kinds of Pariccheda (limitation) of Desa, Kala, Vastu and

three kinds of Bheda as described above, then it is termed Akhanda. You can ascribe

Akhanda-Lakshana to that substance. That Lakshana can be attributed to Brahman only.

*****

NEXT

ENQUIRY OF ‘WHO AM I?’

TO BE COBTINUED ....

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