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Tranquillity of Mind

12/11/2020

Tranquillity of Mind
There is an old saying, “Watch your thoughts; for they become words. Watch your words; for they become actions. Watch your actions; for they become habits. Watch your habits; for they become character. Watch your character for it will become your destiny. ”

As per modern science, the thoughts are mostly negative and triggered by external stimuli. Thought precedes desire. In Sanskrit, thought is called vritti. All sense experiences are thought modifications. When a thought modifies, it does not lose its nature. It just takes different forms, but does not transform. Thought is also called ‘mind-stuff.’

In Hinduism, all the mental abilities viz. intellect, decision making, receptacle of senses, thought-process, memories, etc. are grouped into four internal organs (Antahkarana) viz. Manas (the receptacle of senses & place of thoughts), Buddhi (Intellect & decision making), Ego (the self-consciousness or Ahamkara or pride or asmita) and Chitta (stored memories or impressions). Once one understands one’s mind, he understands his life. Beyond these four internal organs is “eternal Self”. Awareness, alertness and adoration of Self are required to discover it. Light is Self, pure ‘I’ and shadow is the Conditioned Consciousness, impure ‘I’. The shadow has no existence without this light.

Mind & Miseries:
The mind is restlessly chasing vasana objects to enjoy the hidden nectar of pleasures. We see men and women tirelessly spending time and energy to satisfy the insatiable mind. The people get older and diseased, yet the search for pleasures never ends. Experience of sensual pleasures creates impressions (vasanas or tendencies), impressions create memory of pleasures, memory of pleasures creates attachments to it, and attachments inspire to do good or bad karmas/actions which accumulate karmas leading to re-births. Mind demands repetition of past experiences. Since pleasant memories are preferred to pain memories, we run after former. But when the person feels deficiencies in the comforts, seven disorders develop - Kama (Lust or desire), Krodh (Rage, anger or hatred), Lobh (Greed), Moh (delusory emotional attachment), Ahankar (Ego or pride), Mada (passion) and Matsarya (envy, jealousy).

Shri Krishna explained Arjuna in chapter 2 of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita that the man dwelling on sense-objects develops attachment for them; from attachment springs up desire, and desire (unfulfilled) causes anger (2.62). From anger arises delusion; from delusion, confusion of memory; from confusion of memory, loss of reason; and from loss of reason one goes to complete ruin (2.63). The flowing stream of thoughts in the mind which follows in the wake of the wandering senses carries away his awareness as the wind (carries away) a boat on the waters (2.67).

Stream of Thoughts:
Manas is the factory of thoughts. Experts estimate that the mind thinks between 60,000 – 80,000 thoughts a day. During waking state, the manas is predominantly rajasic, and it repeatedly participates in the multiplication of thoughts. But in sleep state, due to natural, self-canceling process and overwhelming tamas, the multiplication of thoughts comes to end. The process self-canceling process culminates in deep sleep. When there is no thought, one enjoys Ananda or bliss.

Thought Management:
Regrets of the past, anxieties of the future and excitements of the present are the channels of mental energy. Doing the given duty with complete focus without distractions of thoughts of past experiences and likely gains or failures, is thought management. One can choose to watch the thoughts, or walk along with them, or plunge in and swim. When we plunge in and swim, we are at the mercy of the current. When we walk along with our thoughts with great awareness, the manas stays alert and efficient. But when we choose to watch our thoughts, we stay free. A five steps meditation process reorganizes the mind and makes it free:

Meditate not on the Non-Self;
Sense experiences are only thoughts;
Subject is same in all thoughts;
The Self supports both subject and object;
Shift the attention and abide in the Self.

Tranquility of Mind:
Tranquility or Serenity of mind is a milestone in the path of spirituality. Serenity of mind is basically “thought management”. We need to shift our attention from senses to thoughts supporting them and from the thoughts to the awareness supporting every thought. Awareness is known as Prajnana. It supports both Jnana (extensive knowledge) and Vijnana (intensive knowledge).

Shri Krishna explained Arjuna in chapter 2 of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita about the attributes of stable person and disciplines to attain tranquillity.
When one thoroughly casts off all cravings of the mind, and is satisfied in the Self through the joy of the Self, he is then called stable (evenness) of mind (2.55).
Whose mind is not shaken by adversity, and not after pleasures, and who is free from attachment, passion, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady wisdom (2.56).
When, like a tortoise that draws in its limbs from all directions he withdraws all his senses from the sense-objects, his mind becomes steady (2.58).
The self-controlled person, while enjoying the various sense-objects through his senses, which are disciplined and free from likes and dislikes, attains placidity of mind (2.64).
With the attainment of such placidity of mind, all his sorrows come to an end; and the intellect of such a person of tranquil mind soon withdrawing itself from all sides, becomes firmly established in God (2.65).

2. Patanjali’s yoga darshan of 4th century BC, one of the six darshans, postulated eight limbs of self-discipline & thought management - Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyhara, Dharna, Dhyana & Samadhi (यमनियमासनप्राणायामप्रत्याहारधारणाध्यानसमाधयोऽष्टावअङ्गानि 2/29). Yoga is the technique to control the mind from distractions and first five limbs turn thoughts away from sense objects. Dharna, Dhyana & Samadhi are the internal limbs to develop one-pointed attention.

During Dharna, the stream of thoughts is directed towards the object chosen.
During Dhayna, single thought is focused but meditator, meditation and object is present.
Samadhi has five progressive stages - Savitarka (mind alternates between knowledge of words & sense perception), Nirvitarka (mind loses both knowledge), Savichar (wisdom is attained), Nirvichar (dawn of spiritual light) and Asamprajaatah (all afflictions & impressions retire).

According to Sri Ramana Maharishi, when we practice to keep the mind pleasant at all times, we spontaneously discover serenity and the peace of the self.
Regular and sincere sadhana uplift one from all the natural and powerful temptations. Refuse to compromise. Live in Him, draw strength from Him! Make use of every moment of the life. Talk nothing but His glories; study and reflect when alone. Fill oneself up with the joy state of the Higher self!

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Composition of Universe – The Hindu Perspective

12/4/2020

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Composition of Universe – The Hindu Perspective

Modern Science discovered that the universe is constituted of space, time, seen matter (stars, galaxies, planets, nebulas and interstellar gas), unseen matter (dark matter), life and energy. Ordinary matter accounts for only 4.9% of the contents of the Universe. Dark matter accounts for 26.8% of the cosmic contents. Dark energy, the energy of empty space, is causing the expansion of the universe to accelerate and accounts for the remaining 68.3% of the contents. Hence, the modern science identified six basic constituents’ viz. space, time, visible matter, dark matter, life and energy.

It is worth mentioning that ancient Hindu philosophers researched, much before the modern science discovered constitution of universe, identified six basic substances viz. Universal Consciousness or Supreme Being (Ishvara), Souls (Jivas), Non-material stuff (Aprakrta or Shuddhsattva), matter (Prakriti), outward consciousness (Dharmabhuta-Jnana) and Time (Kala). All the substances are divided into two main classes’ viz. insentient, inanimate or lifeless (Jada) and Non-animate, animate or living (Ajada). Living category of substances are Brahman (Ishvara), Jiva (Atman), Suddhsattva and Dharambhuta-Jnana. Non-living category of substances are Prakriti and Time.

During the medieval period, Ramanujacharya and Nimbarakacharya, the exponents of Hindu Philosophies of Vashishtadvaita and Dvaitadvaita respectively, explained the constituents of the Universe. Ramanujacharya included above six substances among the constituents of universe but Nimabarkacharya did not mention Dharmabhuta-Jnana.

The characteristics of the substances as under:

Supreme Being (Isvara) – He is the Supreme Being or universal consciousness. The Brahman is described as Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence-Knowledge-Bliss) and Satyam, Jnanam, Anantam (Truth, Consciousness and Infinite).The Supreme Being is indicated by countless names such as Sat, Brahman, Prushottama, Bhagavan and Narayana. He is the infinite out of whom a variety of finite forms come out, in whom they subsist, and in whom they periodically dissolve. Brahman is that which has quality of greatness and is of matchless excellences. Bhagavan indicates that He is the most worshipful.

He possesses six glorious powers viz. Sovereignty, Omnipotence, Omniscience, Immateriality, Independence and endless manifestation. In Vishnu Purana, these powers are described as under:

Aishvarya – it is Sovereignty i.e. unchallenged rule over all.
Jnana – It is the Power to know about all beings of all times simultaneously.
Bala – It is the strength or capacity to support everything by His will and without any fatigue.
Virya – It is the power to retain the immateriality as the supreme spirit in spite of being the material cause of mutable creations.
Shakti – It is the capacity to make the impossible possible.
Tejas – the splendor which expresses His self-sufficiency and capacity to overpower everything by His spiritual effulgence.

Soul (Jiva, Atman) – Jiva is “Svayamprakasa” which means that it shows others and knows itself. Jiva have attributes of inward consciousness (Dharmi-Jnana), feelings (Chetanatva), soul nature (Atmatva) and agency (Kartrtva), atomic nature (Anutva), being an accessory (Sesatva), supported-ness (Adheyatvas), dependence (Vidheyatva), subordinate status (Paradhinatva). Anutva does not mean atomic size but atomic nature. Atomic nature indicates only indestructible individuality and restriction of size which is applicable only to material substances. According to Vallabhacharya, Jiva has Sat and Chit and is devoid of Ananda i.e. blissful nature (Ananda-svarupa). Jivas are countless quantitatively.

Non-Material Stuff of Consciousness (Dharmabhuta-Jnana) – God is of the form of consciousness (Jnanasvrupa). The non-material stuff of consciousness is of two types viz. Dharmi-Jnana and Dharmabhuta-Jnana. The self-consciousness or self-luminous substance of the subject is Dharmi-Jnana (inward consciousness or Pratyakva) which makes one aware of oneself. The attribute of consciousness which reveals external objects to the subject without being aware of itself is Dharmabhuta-Jnana (outward consciousness or Paraktva).

Non-Material Pure Goodness (Shuddha-sattva or Aprakrta) – It is the stuff of consciousness unalloyed by material nature which shows other things itself but does not know itself. Hence, it is not self-consciousness. Until Shuddh-sattva flashes on the mind, the Jiva feels himself identified with material bodies owing to the oppressive load of karma. The light of Shuddh-sattva, however, enables him to know his spiritual identity. Aprakrta (as called by Nimbarka) is non-material and spiritual stuff which is more or less Shuddhsattva. The entities that exist in the Supreme Abode of Paramatman and divine incarnations of the Supreme Being are formed of Suddha Sattva. It is called by several names as Nitya-vibhuti, Parama-vyoma, Parama-pada, Vishnu-pada etc.

Matter (Prakriti or Ashuddha Sattva) – It is Ajada and substratum of the three gunas (Sattva, Rajas & Tamas). Prakriti has independent existence but functions entirely by the will of Isvara. It is He alone that energies and makes it dynamic by His will in order to facilitate the evolution of Jivas towards their real nature. As against this, Samkhya Philosophy holds Prakriti is itself dynamic. Prakriti alongwith karma is called Avidya (ignorance) and Maya. Prakriti is activated by the divine will. According to Vallabhacharya, when both Ananda and Chit are completely concealed, we get matter or Nature, which is only “Sat”.

The manifestation of Prakriti from the state of latency (Parlaya) into Patency (Srishti) is in stages and in that sense may be called as evolution. These stages are as under:

Avabhaktatva – when Prakriti is latent state, absolutely homogeneous and without any distinction or differentiation.
Vibhaktatva – when differentiations become possible.
Aksaravastha – where different categories (Tattvas) are on the way to emerge.
Avyakta – the stage just before the emergence of the categories which are twenty four tattvas as in the Samkhya.
Gross matter – last stage.

Time (Kala) – Kala occupies a special position in the system. Time does not dissolve in the Supreme Being like everything included in Prakriti. It resides in Him, and it is through Time that the Supreme Being activates Prakriti submerged in Him to evolve into the various categories. Time is divided into fifteen divisions according to movement of sun. The fifteenth is one year for human being which is equal to a day & night for the gods. Three hundred sixty such divine days make one divine year. Twelve thousand divine years (12000*360 – 43, 20,000 human years) constitute the four yugas (Krta, Treta, Dvapara and Kali). This entire is one cycle and one thousand such cycles constitute one day of Brahma. During this single day of Brahma fourteen Manus appear one after another. Seventy one Yugas are the period of one Manu.

Reference:

Bhakti Schools of Vedanta – by Swami Tapasyananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universe

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