HARMONY BY ACTION - SWAMI TATWANANDA

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Human Faculties - Manifestations of Nature (Prakriti) -

 

The universe is evolved from the primordial matter called "prakriti" with its

three constituents (gunas) - sattva, rajas and tamas - embodying the principles

of poise, activity and inertia respectively. The creation arising from the five

great elements of prakriti - space, air, fire, water and earth - is fivefold The

five great elements which were undivided and subtle by a process of permutations

and combinations became fivefold. As such, the world of names and forms created

by these elements is also fivefold - both subtle and physical.

 

The human being is endowed with faculties and subtler instruments to know the

nature and quality of the created world and make use of it as desired. They are

the mind (anthakarana), the five organs of knowledge (gnanendriya) and the five

organs of action (karmendriya). The sense organs are termed as "indriya."

"Indriya" refers to specific cause of a specific kind of knowledge or of

decisive action. They are very subtle in structure and imperceptible, belonging

to the realm of subtle matter realms.

 

The mind is evolved from the total sattvic aspect of the five subtle elements -

space, air, fire, water and earth. We do not know the mind by its structure

because its structure is of the finest and transparent subtle matter. We

understand however, the mind by its function, which is a flow of

thought-modifications. Thoughts are divided into four categories according to

the different aspects of the functions, such as:

 

Manas - the indecisive and doubting mode of mind, Buddhi - the discriminatory

and decisive mode - the intellect, Ahamkara - the sense of ego (individuality)

and Chitta - the faculty of memory (recollection).

 

The mind is known as the master of the ten sense organs - the five for knowledge

and the five for action, - as these organs function with the help of the mind

alone. The mind is also considered as the eleventh indriya that can act on its

own, apart from the organs of perception and action, as thinking, feeling etc.

 

The Organs of Perception - Gnanendriya

 

The organs of perception are involved from the individual sattvic aspect of the

five subtle elements and are five in number. They are the ear, skin, eyes,

tongue and nose. The physical structures located in the physical body and

commonly referred to as ear, skin, eyes, nose and tongue are not the real sense

organs of perception. These physical structures are only the outer stations for

the potential concentrated energy called "power to act."

 

Each organ has the power to reveal the distinctive property of the subtle

element from which it evolved. For instance, sound is the specific property of

space. The organ called ear is composed of the sattvic aspect of space and is

the "organ of hearing." The mind receives the specific property of space -

"sound" - through the indriya called ear. Similarly, touch sight (form and

colour) taste and smell are the specific properties of air, fire, water and

earth respectively. They are manifested by the gnanendriya- skin, eyes, tongue

and nose, which evolved from the sattvic aspect of these subtle elements.

 

 

The Organs of Action - Karmendriya

 

The karmendriya , which evolved from the individual rajas aspect of the five

subtle elements are also five in number. They are the vocal chords, hands, legs,

anus and genital organs. Their movements are speech, movements of hands and

legs, evacuation and propagation.

 

The total rajasic aspect of the five subtle elements are manifested as the five

vital pranas (the vital forces) --prana, apana, samana, vyana, and udana. The

first three vital forces - prana, apana, and samana - are responsible for the

movement of lungs, beating of the heart, secretion of bile etc., and functions

of the alimentary canal. The latter two - vyana and udana - are associated with

the functioning of the cerebra-spinal system.

 

The manifestation of the five subtle elements with tamas dominant in each

element brought into being the gross world of names and forms. Our physical

bodies belong to this gross realm of matter. The properties of the prakriti (the

cause) are inherent in its effects called the elements. Prakriti with its three

constituents - sattva, rajas and tamas - is ever in a state of motion (changes).

When the three-gunas are in a state of equilibrium there is no manifestation of

the universe. The dominance of one or other of the gunas in a variable degree,

is the cause for the differences observed in the created.

 

As prakriti is ever in a state of motion, this quality to be active is inherent

in the body, senses and mind, which are born of prakriti. As such, man is

naturally driven by the very nature of prakriti to act. What chance is indeed

there for a life of inaction or suppression?

 

(Excerpted from Swamiji's talks on Karma Yoga-published as Harmony by

Action.1989)