What is meant by the word mind? What exactly it consists of?
All your experiences...knowledge...past...accumulated ? that is your mind. You may have a materialist mind, you may have a spiritualist mind, it doesn´t matter a bit; mind is mind. The spiritual mind is as much mind as the materialist mind. And we have to go beyond mind.
- Osho
All our experience is conditioned by mind. Who we are, what we perceive, believe; what we take to be real is a product of mind. We live our lives submerged in an ocean of mind. The very concepts of a world “out there” and a me “in here” are mental constructs. "There is no difference,” writes Deepak Chopra, MD (stating a truth which is grounded in the ancient philosophy of Vedanta but which is also consistent with modern physics,) “between what is happening in your inner world & what is happening in your outer world. The outer world is just a reflection of your inner world. The world is a mirror of your mind & your mind is a mirror of the world. But you are neither your mind nor the world; you are the creator of both. Even that idea is only a partial truth because there are no inner & outer worlds. There is only the self-interaction of the one Being, infinite consciousness."
Why then are we so caught up in, so immersed in this reality-construct? Yoga psychology tells us that it is because we have developed these powerful patterns of mind over innumerable lifetimes. Or as Albert Einstein once remarked, “Reality is an illusion, albeit a stubborn one.” We maintain our reality as it is by constantly thinking about it. It is reinforced by the cyclic interactions of thought, feeling, action and reaction that comprise our daily lives. At night when we sleep they dissolve. In deep dreamless sleep the world ceases to exist but we never notice. As soon as we awaken the process starts up again.
We tend to think in terms of “my mind” and “your mind”, but these are just sub-programs of Mind-at-large; the great field of energy and information in which we are imbedded. You could call this the Universal Mind Matrix, the Akashic Field, or just “Mind.” In terms of Yogic cosmology it is referred to as Mahat. Out of this field intellect, or Buddhi, is generated, as well as the sensory and subconscious mind, Manas, and the individual ego identity, or Ahamkara. This is the Yogic conception of mind. The Self, Atman, is beyond the mind. It is the eternal witnessing awareness.
Yoga is a process of waking up to our true identity. The various methodologies are ways of detaching from and deconstructing our ego-trance. The roots of our false sense of self lie in the subconscious and unconscious layers of mind. Our ordinary waking consciousness is like the tip of an iceberg with 90% hidden. When we are functioning in the world we are rarely aware of what is happening below the surface. Just as we might learn to ride a bicycle as a child and do not have to remember the details as we get older, most of our habits, proclivities, sense of self and world are products of prior conditioning. We are conditioned by our parents, schools, religious institutions, cultures, as well as by the unique learning experiences we have had.
In yoga terminology this conditioning is the result of “samskaras,” latent impressions within the subconscious and unconscious mind. Samskaras often function below the level of conscious awareness but also arise as memories. All memory is an aspect of samskaras but we are not able to recall all of our samskaras – that would be overwhelming! Karma is the “outer” aspect of samskaras. Things, events, relationships, etc. come our way in life as a result of the influence of samskaras. Whether we are aware of it or not a samskara gives rise to a mind-pattern, known as vritti, which results in both an inner and outer experience.
This idea of samskaras is confirmed by recent brain research. We know that experiences create neural pathways in the brain which are then self-reinforcing. These pathways are the physical counterpart to the samskaras. They can be very powerful habits which are hard to overcome. Of course, like in bike-riding, they can also be beneficial. Positive thoughts and emotions create and maintain positive samskaras, while negative thoughts and emotions create and maintain negative samskaras. Often times we experience an inner battle between positive and negative samskaric impulses. This results in confusion, inner turmoil and distress.
Through deep meditation the Yoga practitioner can become aware of the latent impressions within. When the surface mind patterns, or vrittis become still the yogi dives deep into the unconscious layers of the mind and gain control over the deep samskaras. The fire of Samadhi burns away these impressions. The liberated soul, Jivanmukta, is one who has depleted the store of samskaras. He or she is truly free.
In order to overcome the samaskaras it is important to practice meditation regularly with an attitude of non-attachment. This means that no matter what appears in the mind, we just observe it without reaction. Eventually we learn to rest in the Self, in stillness, inner peace, bliss and love.
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