by Sri Bmal Mohanty
VOL No. 24
Nov.& Dec. 2002

THE PATH OF PROGRESS

"Based on the lectures by Sri Bimal Mohanty"

We are at the base level having this gross body made of the five elements. The earth, the water, the energy, the air and the space. These are the constituents of the gross body. Superior to the body we have the active agent or the ahamkara who is actually the performing agent who manages the organs of the body engaging them in action. This is the ego-self which carries out the work - the doer or the initiator.

Superior to this ego self we have mana or the mind. The uncontrolled, unbridled, free, desire-driven mind which if left alone, will take us wherever the desires drive us - like the wind taking away the rudderless boat.

Higher than the mind and superior to it we have Buddhi or viveka - the discerning force that constantly decides which is right and which is wrong and sends out its instructions.

We are all combination of these eight constituents.

Above all this we are all endowed with the Jivabhuta or the life element, the Jivatma - the individual self, which is nothing but the extention of The Paramatma, The Supreme Self. This self presides over the eight base constituents.

Therefore the first point to understand is that all these eight constituents have to be taken into account and involved in our developmental process. The body must be engaged, the active agent - ahamkara must agree, the mind must be disciplined , the viveka must guide so that we develop as a whole and effectively.

The Jivabhuta, or the Jivatma or The Paramatma - all are essentially the same - is not undergoing development. It being same as the Satchidananda Bramhan, is already fully developed to the state of total consciousness - Purnacaitanya. That is actually the final destination. It is neither the road to destination nor the agent undergoing development.

All the other eight elements - in whatever form they are- are proceeding to merge with this final destination. The result is Mokshya or final development.

Out of these eight constituents the first five are gross and the last three are subtle. Being subtle they are more powerful. How effectively these three i.e. mana, Buddhi, and Ahamkara participate will determine the quality and progress of our development. The collective force of the ahamkara, mana and Buddhi form part of what is called the antahkarana or understood broadly as the total mental faculty. Sri Aurobindo while explaining antahkarana has actually talked about a fourth element or a parallel element to mana which he calls chitta. There is really no controversy here with The Bhagavad Gita because chitta and mana are really two sides of the same psychic entity. As Sri Aurobindo himself explains in his Synthesis of Yoga, chitta is the base consciousness interacting and responding to external sense experiences. One can call it bahyamukhi. Where as mana is the active sense mind which can be called antarmukhi interacting with ahamkara and viveka and is the participant in voluntary activity.

In any case as ahamkara, mana and Buddhi work together and embark upon the path of realisation of Bramhan , the degree of realisation of this Bramhan or Paramatma or Atmabodha increases. The degree of Atmabodha the mind has acquired, is a measure of the level of development the Jiva has attained.

A sadhaka has to constantly remain watchful about the right conduct of ahamkara, mana and Buddhi. They are the instruments of development the antahkarana. Karana in sanskrit means instruments. Antahkarana means internal instruments.

Therefore in our endeavor of Sadhana what parts of our being will help us ? They are obviously mana , Buddhi and ahamkara.

First my ego element must agree and give consent to walk the path of Dharma. This is a moot point. All our sastras have advocated that consent of ego is very necessary. However one must appreciate the true meaning of this. If consent of the ego is necessary then does that mean that if the ego does not give consent there is no development? Or if the ego delays the consent then there is a halt in the process?

The truth is far from it. As we have said earlier, the evolution or development of Jiva to Bramhahood is a continuous non-stop process. If the ego does not participate, the nature by its very character continues to assist each and every created being to move upwards - to acquire higher and higher Chetana. This is the case with less developed creations like animals, plants etc. Animals do not have the developed ego, which can act for higher consciousness. They have to wait till nature takes its course. However that is not the case with humans. We are fortunate to have an ego which is in a position to decide whether to volunteer or not. If it volunteers then the process of evolution or development of consciousness is speeded up. Precious time and opportunity is not lost. On the other hand if the ego is unconcerned then what is the difference between a human being and an animal? A great opportunity is thrown away. The special human birth was all in vain.

Then comes mana or the mind. Mana as we conceive in the spiritual context is not really the literal translation of mind. It is some thing much more. It is the vehicle and the most powerful force that provides the motive power for the development to take place. Together with Ahamkara, advised by Buddhi and with the ever benevolent grace of the Supreme being -the Paramatma- it carries the Jiva or the `being' in the path of its evolution and development. Mana is capable of taking us either upwards or downwards depending on what kind of influence it is under- good or evil. They say "Manah eva manusyanam karanam bandhamokskyayoh". Mana can be the cause for further entanglement or freedom from it. Sri Sankaracarya has explained in Vivekachoodamani - Manasa kalpyate bandhah Mokshyah teneiva kalpyate. It is Mana, which is responsible for either movement towards entanglement or liberation. It is the most powerful servant that we have without whose assistance we can not achieve progress.

The mana in many ways is like a servant indeed. It reflects and assumes the characteristic of the different level of existence with which it is associated. If it is associated and engrossed in the base existence, the gross body or the sthula sarira, then its actions are also gross. It dwells constantly in serving the desires of the senses with little regard to any higher level of existence.

On the other hand if it is associated with the subtler level of existence whose characteristics are reasoning, knowledge and bliss, then it undergoes a change itself and assumes characteristics of a higher nature. More and more the Chetana or realisation or consciousness increases, the mind itself undergoes this metamorphosis and reflects this changed existence. That is development.

Man is described as a mental being. A being which has a powerful mind. The mental being is not mind. Mind is a part of mental being. This mental being evolves into Satchidananda, passing through various levels of intermediary consciousness or Chetana. When we talk of higher minds, superminds or things like Turya Chetana or Bramhi Chetana etc we must understand them as different levels, which this mental being has reached.

Before we go into more details on this, we must talk a few words about Buddhi. Buddhi or Viveka (these two words are used interchangeably) is simply the discerning power that we possess. Based on various and innumerable experiences, knowledge and memories it simply analyses every step that mind or mana takes. Good, bad, desirable or undesirable - it supplies the information and consistently advises what is good or shreya. If we straightaway listen to Viveka we move forward. If we do not listen, we fall backwards, suffer, realise the mistake, again learn the lesson and then start moving forward. Obviously by listening to Buddhi or Viveka a great amount of time and wasteful energy can be saved. Therefore, if human life is an opportunity, and conscious engagement in Yoga is a speeding up process, then Viveka is another great tool in our hands.