What is Mind?
Hari Om
~~~~~
Namaste ,
I have been thinking [again!] on this matter of mind. This is top of mind due to my re-reading of the Yoga Sutras.
The 2nd sutra, yogash citta-vrtti-nirodah,
clearly points out that yoga is nirodha [cessation, cancellation, null, dissolution, stillness, emptiness, or extinguished, aresting, etc] of the mind...
Yet what is this thing called mind? I have some ideas, but if you pressed me on it, I could not say with a high level of accuracy what it is, even though I am an active user of this tool. That is I am not the final authority on this.
Heres some things that one may think of when 'mind' comes to mind:
- that which houses one's thoughts and feelings
- that which thinks and reasons
- That which applies intelligence via the intellect faculty
- That which applies creativity
- That which houses past impressions (vasanas)
I do not think the brain is the mind, but is the physial construct that allows the mind to occur. And this brain is part of the total over mind; composed of brain + the nervious system , so its just not in the skull, but thoughout ones body-being.
And is mind consciousness? For me, it is not, even though the mind takes use of this consciousness. That is, conciousness continues in this world with or without mind, yet condensed consciousness becomes ego.
Or does consciousness produce mind?
Can we live without it? Sure seems that yoga sutras suggest this is advisabale. So is there a certain part of mind that is nirodha or 100% gets tossed when Yoga is achieved?
In the Chandogya Upanishad ( chapt 5.1) the pranas are disputing who is superior. Various pranas left i.e. the eyes, ears, speech. MInd also left and came back after one year. Mind said how did you manage without me?
The other pranas said , we lived just like children, unthinking, yet breating, speaking, seeing and hearing.
Any thoughts from your side on what you think Mind is, and in yoga ( union or moksha) , is total mind arrested, or some part may remain?
pranams,
यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
because you are identical with śiva
_
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