Mind and Atman.

[Guest guest]

Dear _______,

 

This is a very good question and there is nothing to be ashamed of having asked

it. We find in the Upanishads that enquirers of the Atman often ask whether the

mind and the Atman are one or separate.

 

As per Indian thought the body and mind are one and the same and hence the mind

is separate from the Atman. If we starve the body we find that both the mind and

body becomes weak, we lose the power to move and think. Thus both the body and

mind are dependant on food and arise from food. If food is denied both the body

and mind perish. Thus while meditating one is encouraged to repeat the words, " I

am not the body, I am not the mind, I am the Atman " .

 

Now what is this Atman. It is the witness of all the superficial phenomenon that

goes on in this world. We describe the body as " my " body and also the mind as

" my " mind. Therefore the concept of " me " is beyond both the body and mind.

 

After death the gross body and mind falls off. But we retain the subtle body and

mind. For some time after death the person may not realise that he/she is dead.

When one wakes up after death one feels very free as the burden of the body and

the pain of disease are no longer there. But the sight of ones relatives crying

and the sight of ones own body lying in death shocks one into the realisation

that he/she is dead. The subtle body mind complex then goes around trying to

convince relatives not to cry. " I am alive and well so why are you all crying? "

But it realises that no one is able to see or hear him/her. This makes one feel

very sad. The spirit then realises that it can travel with thought and so visits

the places which it was fond of during its lifetime. It also tries to contact

close relatives and friends. Sometimes it can also project itself to its near

and dear ones, but this is rare. Then after some time it senses the presence of

other spirits and finds that it's dead

friends and relatives have come to lead the way to the other worlds. It leaves

with them.

 

So from the above we come to know that the subtle body and mind survives death.

After some more time which is spent in the world of the spirits, this subtle

body and mind too dissolves and what remains is just the Atman and the

collection of the samskaras one has obtained from the previous births. These

samskaras determine the next birth. So when we are born again, we get a fresh

body and mind. But we continue with the samskaras of all previous births.

 

I hope I am clear. Please feel free to ask any more questions.

 

God bless you,

Jagannath.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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