Vivekachoodaamani

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The pancha kosha contd.

 

167. The organs of feeling and the mind – these make the third

or "mental sheath" (manomaya kosha). This mind thinks of its

separation from others and fills the other two sheaths.

 

169. I have told you about avidhya – know that there is not other

avidhyaa than this mind. It is the cause of all bondage. By its death

everything is destroyed; but when it is manifested, everything (the

phenomenal universe) is there.

 

170. In the dream state where there is no object this mind by its own

power creates everything and so also it has created all we see in

jaagrat (waking state). There is no difference between dream and

waking state. Everything we see is the creation of the mind. [it is

to be noted that this equation of the waking to the dream state as

the same is one of the reasons for disputing the authenticity of

Vivekachoodaamani as a work of Shankara, as in his Brahma Sutra

Baashyam, Shankara states that waking and dream represent two

different levels of unreality. But it is to be noted that the latter

stance as in the BSB is true only when evaluating the two states

together from their own perspective – but when you view the two

states from the standpoint of the atman both are considered to be

unreal and the creation of the mind. So IMO there's no contradiction].

 

172. As the wind creates the clouds and again destroys them, so this

bondage is the creation of the mind and it is the mind also that

destroys that bondage.

 

174, Therefore the mind is the case of both bondage and the release

of individuals. Impure rajas is the cause of bondage and pure sattva

free from rajas is the cause of release.

 

175. By the increase of viveka (discrimination) and vairaagya

(renunciation) the mind becomes purified and is ready for liberation.

Therefore one who is intelligent and desirous of liberation should

have these two qualities well established in him.

 

178. Consciousness is never touched by anything; yet with this body,

senses, praanas, qualities and all these things, the mind deludes the

consciousness and creates for him (the enjoyer) the knowledge that "I

am" – the knowledge of "me" and "mine" and deludes him again and

again; and he (the jiva) enjoys or suffers.

 

179. Identification with the unreal is the cause of the world for the

Purusha. The mind is the creator of this identification of the soul

with the unreal body. He who is without discrimination and full of

rajas and tamas – his mind creates bondage and he who is in the

sattva quality, his mind cannot create bondage.

 

180. Therefore the sages who know the reality of things, call this

mind the cause of all ignorance, by which the whole universe is

driven as the wind drives the clouds.