Analysis of the Mind-7

[Guest guest]

7. Transmigration of a Soul

 

The life of everyone is driven by his or her desires to do ‘this’ or to have

‘that’ or to get rid of ‘this’, etc., so that he can be happy. In these entire

pursuits one is looking for his happiness. ‘This’ can be a person, a place or

a thing. My desires are different from yours, which are different from his.

Some people want to become something great or famous, some want to become

artists, some actors or actresses, some dancers, musicians, scientists,

doctors, or multimillionaires or football players and some even vagabonds or

some just want to sit around and drink. A mother can tell that the likes and

dislikes of two look-alike twins are different even when they are babies, as

though each one brought his likes and dislikes with him. Likes and dislikes

(rAga and dvESha) which are two sides of a coin are different for everyone.

Where do these likes and dislikes come from?

 

Let us illustrate with an example: When I drank for the first time a delicious

cup of South Indian coffee, that someone has offered me, I liked it so much

that I want to have it again for the next day. While the cup of coffee that my

friend gave me pleasure, which is an immediate tangible effect, it had also

intangible effect. It left behind a subtle impression in my mind, to have that

experience again. That subtle impression is called vaasana, meaning fragrance

of that action in the mind. Since I liked it so much, I went to shop, bought

all the ingredients needed, and started making it at home, first thing in the

morning. I began to enjoy that hot cup of coffee in the morning, everyday.

Every time I enjoy that coffee, the subtle impression in the mind or that

coffee- vaasana becomes stronger and stronger, day by day. It comes to a stage

that as soon as I get up, I have to have that hot cup of coffee and without

that I cannot do anything else. My happiness depends on having that cup of

coffee, otherwise I feel miserable, the whole day. Sounds familiar, is it not?

If I run out of coffee, I will run after from place to place restlessly to get

that hot cup of coffee.

 

Looking at the mechanics of this process reveals that deliberate or ego-centric

actions will leave intangible impressions of likes or dislikes called Vaasanas

in the core of the mind. These Vaasanas, in turn, cause desires at the

intellect level, agitations at the mind level, and actions at the body level.

Unless those desires are fulfilled, I become restless. I go in search of

environments that are conducive for the fulfillment of my desires or vaasanas.

All ego-centric desires are grosser manifestations of the subtler impressions

in the mind, the vaasanas. When vaasanas manifest as desires, they cause

agitations in the mind, and the mind becomes restless until those desires are

fulfilled. When the coffee vaasana manifests as desire for coffee, my mind is

no more free to think anything else other than that hot cup of coffee that I

think I need for me to be happy. I can suppress the desires temporarily, but

they will spring again with greater forces, in one form or the other. They will

express as anger, frustration or irritation, etc. We are all familiar with

these experiences. On the other hand, when a desire is fulfilled, my mind

becomes calm and quiet, and I am happy until of course the next set of vaasanas

drives me to do something else. I will be tossed from one desire to the other

for me to be happy. Life becomes a rat race, trying to fulfill one desire after

the other.

 

From this example, we arrive at some important conclusions. Vaasanas are

accumulated by deliberate willful actions – we call them as ego-centric

actions. Ego-centric means ‘I, and I want’. Vaasanas can be favorable or

unfavorable type, that is, they include both likes and dislikes. These are

subtle impressions in the mind, perhaps even deeper than the unconscious mind

in the western psychology. Even though actions are over, their effect in terms

of these subtle impressions will be long lasting. That is one of the reasons

why one should be very careful of how he acts or with what attitude he acts.

Action can also be done in such a way that it does not leave a vaasana or it

can nullify or neutralize the previous vaasanas; and that attitude in action is

called karma yoga or yoga of action, which we will discuss later. When vaasanas

cause desires in the intellect and agitations in the mind, the mind becomes

restless. In the coffee example, unless I have that hot cup of coffee in the

morning, I am agitated and restless and cannot do anything else. When that hot

cup of coffee comes, I am back to myself, and say that I am so happy that I

have my cup of coffee. Happiness did not really come with coffee, but when the

desire for coffee is fulfilled, all the agitations of the mind are subsided and

I am back to myself – I am free from a wanting mind or desiring mind. In those

moments, the mind is calm and I say I am happy, but conclude that coffee gave

me happiness. Hence the happiness that I want, I am actually tapping it from

myself, because as we discussed before, I am in reality complete and full or

limitless by myself; and that is the state of happiness. Hence happiness is my

intrinsic nature. Fulfilling the desire for coffee has brought myself back to

myself, where I become contended with myself, at least for those few moments

until another desires props up in my mind. One can get happiness that one is

longing far in this way by fulfilling the desires all the time. One serious

caveat is, as I fulfill my desires, the stronger those vaasanas become and

there will be situations where I will not be able to fulfill my desires. That

is the time when anger, frustrations and all other psychological problems

arise. I loose my freedom since I depend for happiness on something other than

myself. Essentially I have become a slave to my own vaasanas. As a corollary,

we can now define absolute freedom is freedom from all our vaasanas. All other

freedoms that we talk about are only circumstantial or temporal freedoms.

 

More vaasanas means more desires, more agitations, and I am continuously busy

and restless, and 24 hours are not sufficient to do what I want to do. In the

same vein, if there are less vaasanas, there will less self-centered actions,

the mind has fewer agitations, and I am more peaceful with myself. My happiness

depends less on the things other than myself. Suppose If I have no vaasanas,

there are no self-centered desires, I will have no agitations in my mind, and I

am happy all the time with myself as I am. One who revels in himself by

himself, Krishna calls him as jnaani or sthita prajna or a realized soul

(aatmani eva aatmanaa tushTaH). In that state of fulfillment, any action that I

do then is not for gaining any personal fulfillment (since I am happy even

otherwise), but for the benefit of the society at large. Such a person is

called mahaatmaa or a great soul, and is revered for generations to come. They

leave a mark in the society with their self-less service. Anne Bessent called

Mohandas K. Gandhi as Mahaatma, and that became his title as people called him

affectionately as Mahaatma Gandhi.

 

If we examine our lives, we go from one environment to the other to fulfill our

likes and dislikes. We are driven by our vaasanas to seek environments that

are conducive to fulfill our vaasanas. In the process of fulfillment, we only

reinforce those vaasanas. Thus we get caught up in this whirlpool of vaasanas –

desires – agitations – actions – vaasanas – more desires, etc. Every

ego-centric action that we perform will leave its characteristic vaasanas in

the mind. There are vaasanas that cannot be exhausted in this life and they

are stored in to our total account. The total account of vaasanas each one has

is called sanchita karma. Of the total account, we can only bring into this

life those that can be exhausted or those that are ready to germinate. The ones

we bring with us is called praarabda karma or one can loosely translate it as

our destiny. Since we always seek environment that is conducive to fulfill our

vaasanas, we obviously seek birth in a place, to particular parents or in an

environment that is conducive to exhaust the set of vaasanas that are ready to

germinate. During living, being a will-full person, we act and in the process

of acting we accumulate new set of vaasanas that can be exhausted in this life,

if not put them back into our total account. The new set of vaasanas that are

being deposited into our account are called aagaami karma. Thus we have a total

account (sancita karma), we have brought from this account only those that can

be exhausted and is called as destiny (praarabda karma), and the new ones that

are getting accumulated are deposited into our account called aagaami karma.

The vaasanas are called causal body, which is the cause in determining what

type of body, what type of parents and what type of environment or what type of

world around me that I need in order exhaust my vaasanas. In this model every

cause and effect is perfectly accounted. No one gets what he is not entitled.

If there is God up in the skies, he can only be God, if he gives what one

deserves. Or to put it bluntly, everyone gets what he deserves, whether one

wins millions in a lottery or looses those when stock market crashes.

 

My vaasanas determine my world that I need that is conducive to exhaust them,

the world that you need is determined by your set of vaasanas, her world is

determined by her vaasanas. Hence total world is determined by total vaasanas

of all beings in this universe. Now whom should we blame for the type of the

world that is created? If we do not like the world we are in, we need to blame

ourselves, since it is the world that we need to exhaust each of our vaasanas,

including the vaasanas of a mosquito that is trying to get its share of the

food that it needs for its survival. If I change my vaasanas, you change yours

and she changes hers and thus everybody changes their vaasanas then we create a

new world that is more conducive to our new set of vaasanas. If there is a God

up in the skies, He is bound to bless the type of environment that incorporates

all the demands of all the vaasanas of all beings in this universe. Total

vaasanas become the cause for creation for the total world. Now we can define

God or Iswara. Total consciousness or Brahman takes the role of Iswara, creates

the total universe based on the total vaasanas of all beings in this universe.

It is like Star-bucks coffee shops spring forth all over the country, to

satisfy the coffee vaasanas of all coffee lovers in the country. If no body

wants to drink coffee, all the coffee shops will close in no time. Just as

individual has vaasanas, the family has the collective vaasanas that bring them

together to exhaust their mutual vaasanas. Same principle applies to groups and

to nations at large. Hence Vedanta says, if you want to change the world, begin

that change first in yourself.

 

Now we are ready to define what a soul or jiiva is. When I die, I take with me

my subtle body (consisting of all the nineteen entities that we discussed)

along with causal body which is nothing but my vaasanas and gravitate towards a

field that is conducive to experience my next powerful vaasanas that is ready

to fructify. To look at this total scenario correctly, we need to look at the

problem from both totality point or macro cosmic point (or total vaasanas

point), and from individual point or micro cosmic point.

 

To address this issue correctly, we can examine from three references. First,

from the absolute reference, ‘I am’ stands for absolute, immutable pure

consciousness-existence that I am. That is what Vedanta calls as Brahman –

infiniteness or limitlessness is my nature. It is ‘I am = Brahman’ is

absolutely infinite; it is one without a second, advitIyam. We cannot say

anything more since words which are limited and mind which is limited cannot

describe that which is unlimited. Only descriptions that are possible are that

it is indescribable, infinite, imperceptible, etc, all negative descriptions to

negate what it is not. Even those descriptions are only from the point of

finite, mutable and perceptible things. It is beyond all words and there is

nothing beyond this. It is the very substratum of the entire universe, since it

is ever existent and conscious and infinite entity. From that reference there

is nothing other than it. Since it can only be one, there is nothing else to

differentiate it from. This can be stated as - it is free from three

fundamental possible differences – called in Sanskrit – vijAti, sajAti, swagata

bhedas. JAti means family or class of the same types. We can say chairs are

one family or jAti, which is different from jAti of tables. The differences

between different jAtis are called vijAti differences. The differences within

the family are called SajAti differences. For example, within the family of

chairs, there could be differences between one chair and the other. Finally,

within the chair there could be internal differences called swagata bhedas. For

example, hands are different, legs are different, etc. These internal

differences, swagata bhedaH are possible, since chair is assemblage of parts.

Brahman is a homogeneous mass of pure consciousness, which has no parts for it

to be parted. Vedanta says I am that Brahman and that is the absolute truth.

Since Brahman is infinite or limitless, Vedanta calls its intrinsic nature as

satyam, jnaanam and anantam, brahma – It is of the nature of pure

existences-knowledge-and limitless or pure happiness. Realization of that as my

intrinsic nature is called self-realization, God realization, moksha, nirvANa,

or liberation or freedom from all differences and discriminations – it is the

very goal of the human life itself. It is a fearless state since fear comes

from the second. Vedanta defines this absolute reference as pAramArthika

satyam, supreme reality.

 

Next reference we are concerned from our point is called vyAvahArika satyam or

transactional reality. In this reference we can look at the situation from

micro scale that is individual point and macro scale, from collective totality

point. Somehow we need to connect all this (at least conceptually) to the

absolute reference. At Individual point, the same existent-consciousness that I

am, who is one without a second, appear to be with varieties of individual

bodies, minds and intellects. How can one ‘I am’ become many? We gave a dream

example before, how I, a waker, create a dream world consisting of varieties of

objects as well as beings with their own tiny body, mind and intellects (BMI)

as well as myself with my own BMI. That power by which one appears to become

many we have defined as maayaa.

 

At an individual or micro level, the consciousness-existence that I am appears

to be limited by my BMI and I become a jiiva or individual soul. We use the

word – appear to be – since consciousness-existence cannot be limited, similar

to space. Even though space is limitless, we divide this indivisible space into

compartments as different countries, states, cities and even different houses.

Within the house we have different rooms where bath room is different from bed

room and kitchen, etc. Even the dividers that divide the space are within the

space only. But these divisions are valid for transactional purposes or for

our vyavahaara. Therefore transactional reality need not be absolute reality,

although it is inherent in that, just as indivisible space is inherent in the

all divisions that we have made for our convenience or transactional purposes.

 

The situation is identical. All pervading consciousness as though or appears

to be divided into multitudes of things and beings just as in the dream. We

have both insentient as well as sentient things and beings. In the dream, the

differences (three types of differences stated above – SajAti, vijAti and

swagata) appear to be real, as long as I am dreaming. However, once I am

awakened all things and beings resolve into me, the waker. In the same way,

the plurality of things and beings appear to be real in this waking world, and

only when I am awakened to the absolute state of reality or pAramArthika

satyam, all differences resolve into me, the absolute existence-consciousness.

Just as the dream is due to projection of suppressions and oppressions of the

waking mind, exactly identical situation occurs for the waking world. The

total vaasanas become the root cause for the projection of the total world and

individual vaasanas become cause for the individual BMI. At the individual

level, the total conscious as though reflected in the intellect as the ego – or

individual I, transacts with the individual BMI, without realizing that I am

the pure existence-consciousness. Likes and dislikes or vaasanas of the

individual manifests as desires at the individual intellect, agitations at the

individual mind level, and actions at the individual body level. Jiiva or

individual I, or soul, is when the reflected consciousness in the BMI takes

itself to be real, transacts as if it is real, and takes the responsibility for

the actions that go on with BMI. It is like the villager who is sitting in the

train but carries the language on his head to help the train in carrying that

luggage. I, as an individual ego (as I am this), take the responsibility for

the actions that are being performed. These ego-centric actions will leave

vaasanas and the rest of the repercations follow. I, the reflected

consciousness (chidAbhAsa), move from birth to birth, from one field of

experience to the other, along with my subtle body and causal body to exhaust

my vaasana account. Just as I go to deep sleep everyday (called nidra or

laya) folding everything into myself without any identification with BMI other

with the causal body, totality consisting of all jiivas and things – go into

deep sleep state called pralaya. Similarly when I get up in the morning, all

the things that were there before I went to sleep project back, exactly in the

same way, after pralaya, when the Lord or totality gets up (his sleep is called

yoga nidra) the whole universe which was in the subtle form during sleep

projects back into grosser form. This transformation from subtle to grosser

form is called creation in Vedanta. The totality or macrocosm supported by

consciousness-existence ‘I am’ is called Iswara or the Lord or the creator.

The same existence-consciousness reflected in the individual intellect is

called jiiva or soul. It is important to recognize that we are not equating the

individual soul or jiiva with totality or God. What we are equating is the

essence – the existence-consciousness that I am, is the same, reflected in the

microcosm or in the macrocosm. As long as I think I am only an individual with

local equipments of BMI, then the world I see or transact with is different and

the creator of the whole universe, God is different. Hence if and when I view

the creation or the world as different from me, then there is a creator or the

father in heaven who is different and who is omniscient and omnipresent.

 

The dream world of plurality is real for the dreamer. The material that the

dreamer sees appears to be very real. It is difficult to convince him that the

building that is under blaze and the fireman that is trying to putout the fire

and the water and the hose that are being used and the spectators that are all

watching are not really real. The reality of the dream is only for that

particular dreamer since it is projected by a single waker’s mind. The other

beings have their own dreams to deal with. This reality at the subjective level

is called ‘prAtibhAsika satyam’, subjective objectification. When a dreamer

wakes up, all the dream world of things and beings resolve into the waker’s

mind. Then only he will realize that all the dream world is only subjective not

really objective, and therefore not really real. However for that waker, the

waking world of things and beings are real and has objective reality or

transactional reality. He would not accept that this is also like a dream. He

looks for some scientific proofs, without realizing one cannot prove to a

dreamer that the dream world is not real. He forgets even the dream world was

objective from the point of local mind in the dream, as in the case of

fireman’s mind who is trying to put of the fire in the dream. The analogy is

exact. We only classify the waking world as objective reality, while the dream

world as subjective reality. That is only a waker’s notion. But from the point

of absolute reality, both worlds are only different degrees of reality but none

of them are really real.

 

We can now go one step further. I consider myself that I am an individual

different from others. I have to deal with the world around me, from birth to

death. I do not know where I came from, nor I know where I am heading. I am

forced to deal with the world around – things that I like and things that I do

not like. I came into the world that is already there, and wondering why I am

here, what is this world and who created this world, why I have to deal with

this world; all the questions that we posed in the first post – Analysis of the

Mind-I. Now we have better idea in terms of who I am and what is this world.

We posed a question in the second post whether mind is a mater or not. It is

like dreamer asking a question is the dreamer’s mind a matter similar to that

how his gross body is made? Dreamer can learn about different theories -

Kantian philosophy or Descartes’ theory or Fraud’s analysis of the mind, etc.,

all about the nature of the dreamer’s mind (he does not know that he is dreamer

and as for as he is concerned he is a waker and the world and the matter in

front of him is real) – but when he awakened from a dream, what would be his

attitude about all the questions and answers about the mind and the matter of

the dream body and dream mind. Vedanta points out that any theory that is based

on partial data is inconclusive. Hence all western theories about the mind that

we study are based on partial data of waker’s mind and therefore they are

speculative at best. Vedanta says any analysis can only be complete and full

only if all the data pertaining to the human experience is considered. Hence

not only the waking state, but dream state and deep sleep states have to be

analyzed to arrive at correct conclusion. Such a scientific analysis done by

Vedanta in ‘Mandukya UpaniShad’, considering the three states of human

experience that everyone goes through – the waking state, the dream state and

deep sleep state. It concludes that I am none of the three states, I am there

as a waker, I am there as a dreamer and I am there as a deep sleeper, and I am

there in all the three states and yet I am beyond all the three states. I am

that existent-consciousness limitless since there is nothing other than I am –

and that is the pAramArthika satyam – the absoluter reality, independent of any

religious doctrines, or philosophies or theories.

 

We need to address now how to realize my true state since I am currently stuck

with the notion that this world is real and the BMI is real my suffering is

real etc. How to realize the truth expounded by Vedanta is of our immediate

concern. This will be discussed now

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Hari Om!

Sadananda