YOGA NIDRA : THE Evolution Of Mind |
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| There are two sets of mental apparatus, namely, subtle and gross. The former belongs to the mind proper whereas the latter belongs to the physical body. The nervous system, including the brain, the spinal cord and the peripheral nerves, is the gross apparatus of the mind. The subtle structures of the mind constitute the proper mind. It is mind that controls the brain and not vice versa, although some feedback effect cannot be ruled out. This theory of mind rejects the theory of brain-mind identity.
Virad or Mahat or Buddhi is the evolvent of egoity (ahankara) that becomes an evolute. It is the ahankara that gives the sense of 'I' and distinguishes 'not-I' from 'I'. Manas, five subtle organs of cognition, five subtle organs of action and five tanmatras evolve from ahankara. From each tanmatra evolves one of the five gross states of matter (solid state, liquid state, energy state, gaseous state and akashic state). The tanmatras corresponding to these state of gross matter are odour (gandha), taste (rasa), form (rupa), touch (sparsa) and sound (sabda), respectively. In the evolution of the cosmos, neither Brahman nor Maya is transformed into the Universe.
Thus, each non-living entity is in possession of three sheaths (kosas), namely, the material sheath (annamaya kosa), the vital sheath (pranamaya kosa) and the mental sheath (manomaya kosa). |
In
the course of the evolution of life forms, advanced animals
possess five organs of cognition and five organs of action.
Again, each type of these organs has two varieties, subtle
and gross. The five subtle organs of cognition and the five
subtle organs of action evolve from ahankara. The ten corresponding
gross organs belong to the gross body whereas the ten subtle
organs are components of the mind.
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The cognitive subtle organs are: visual, auditory, olfactory,
gustatory and tactile. The subtle organs of action are: locomotive,
prehensive, excretory, reproductive and vocal.
In addition
to three sheaths already mentioned, the human being (Homo
sapiens) has the more sheaths, namely, the intellectual sheath
(vigyanamaya kosa) and the blissful sheath (anandamaya kosa)
Man has three types of body, namely, the gross body (sthula
sarira), the subtle body (suksma sarira or linga sarira),
and the causal body (karana sarira). The gross body starts
its existence at the time of conception in the mother's womb,
grows by incorporation of nutrients from the mother's blood.
This body terminates at death and disintegrates. The principle
mental components are: buddhi, ahankara, manas, five subtle
organs of cognition, five subtle organs of action, five pranas
(prana, apana, udana, vyana and samana) and chitta (the subtle
organ of conceptualization and mental creation). The chitta
normally resides in the intellectual sheath (vijnanamaya kosa).
With the death of the body, the five pranas merge in universal
Prana; the subtle organs merge in ahankara that, in turn,
merge in buddhi and finally into the causal body. None of
these subtle components lose their own identity. They hibernate
and stay in a state of dormancy. The self resides in the causal
body. While in association with the causal body and the accumulated
mass of karmic impressions (samskara-pinda), the self (jivatma)
is bound (baddha) rather than free (mukta). It is this bound
self, along with the causal body, the karmic impressions and
involuted subtle body merged in the causal body that transmigrates
for rebirth.
As long as the samskara-pinda stays in the causal body as
subtle traces, reincarnation repeats unavoidably. The fruition
of a karma (karma-vipaka) erases the concerned karma from
the mind's tape. There are yogic methods also to erase the
karmas except the prarabdha (already initiated) ones. When
all the karmic impressions are erased, the individual mind
(samskaras) disappears, the individual buddhi merges with
the Cosmic Buddhi (Virat) and the self, thus freed, reestablishes
its identity with the universal self in the analogy of ghatakasa
(space in a pot) becoming mahakasa (Great Space) on the breaking
of the pot. The karmic traces are the cause of rebirth. The
Tantric anatomy describes seven cakras that are subtle in
nature. These are muladhara, svadhisthana, manipura, anahata,
visuddhi, ajna and sahasrara.
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