We are proceeding to understand the equation that
śāstra puts before us: तत् त्वम् असि
(tat tvam asi), you are ईश्वर, the total, the cause for everything. Understanding this equation is the solution that
śāstra presents to our inability to accept ourselves and be happy. We have begun by analyzing the content of the word
tvam - you. We saw that like a single actor playing different parts, we are individuals who play different roles in our lives: father, son, brother, employee, and so on. And, just like while the parts depend on the actor, the actor is independent of the parts, we are independent of the roles that we play - the roles are us, but we are not the roles. In the same way that we play different roles relative to different people, we also play various roles with respect to our body. Using the logic that I, the subject, am different from whatever I objectify, we contemplated the truth that I am neither the body nor the senses that I use to know the world. With a little bit of subtlety and concentration, this truth is easy to appreciate. Seeing the mind as an object, however, is a bit more difficult.
In order to contemplate on the mind as an object in the world, śāstra presents it as being made of a material like anything else. Just like our physical bodies are made of physical elements, the mind is made of subtle elements that are beyond sense perception. These subtle elements manifest in three different ways:
- सत्त्व (sattva) : pertaining to knowledge
- रजस् (rajas) : pertaining to action
- तमस् (tamas) : pertaining to inertness
With respect to each of us, the
tamas manifestation of each element gives rise to the physical body, the
rajas manifestation becomes the
karmendriya or capacity for action, and the
sattva manifestation of each one is behind each of our five senses or
jñānendriya. The combination of the
sattva manifestations of all the elements put together is what makes up the mind as a whole. As we proceed, we will see how this composition of the mind is what determines its
prakṛti or nature.
2 comments:
How will I be able to have a mastery over my mind?
First, one has to appreciate that the mind is an instrument. It is separate from you, the person who wants to have mastery over it. Next, in order to have mastery over any instrument, e.g. a computer, one has to understand how it works. Despite how it may seem, the mind is systematic, it works according to an order. At present we are trying to understand different aspects of this order so that we can use the mind however we want. At the same time, mastery of the mind is not a goal in itself - we need to be clear what our final goal is, so we can decide how much and what kind of mastery we need.
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