Antahkarana

[Tirisilex]

Well.. Ive researched Cidabhasa and I finaly get it.. Now I'm trying to understand the Antahkarana.. I've read that this joins Cidabhasa and creates Ahamkara.. My question is.. what is the Antahkarana? What are it's attributes?

[saidevo]

namaste Tirisilex.

Check this post:
Practical Advaita: Some Essential Definitions
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/sho...3&postcount=76

You might also find these posts helpful:
Practical Advaita: Essential Distinctions
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/sho...0&postcount=75

Exploring the connections between avidyA, mAyA, mithyA, jIva and Brahman
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/sho...&postcount=131

[Ekanta]

Just a short post since the use of the words antaḥkaraṇa / citta can be confusing...
antaḥ-karaṇa, I think is mostly used in vedanta. You will find it in some upanishads also.
In in yoga & sāṃkhya the same thing is called citta. In Gita for example you will find the word citta but not antaḥkaraṇa.

Technically antaḥkaraṇa is fourfold:
buddhi (intellect) / ahaṃkāra (ego) +
manas (mind) / citta (memory)
So "citta" is a separate category here.

If Citta is used instead as the main name it usually threefold as:
buddhi (intellect) / ahaṃkāra (ego) +
manas (mind)
--- and memory is part of the whole citta.

Rest see references from saidevo? And correct me if I'm wrong!

[Tirisilex]

Just a short post since the use of the words antaḥkaraṇa / citta can be confusing...
antaḥ-karaṇa, I think is mostly used in vedanta. You will find it in some upanishads also.
In in yoga & sāṃkhya the same thing is called citta. In Gita for example you will find the word citta but not antaḥkaraṇa.

Technically antaḥkaraṇa is fourfold:
buddhi (intellect) / ahaṃkāra (ego) +
manas (mind) / citta (memory)
So "citta" is a separate category here.

If Citta is used instead as the main name it usually threefold as:
buddhi (intellect) / ahaṃkāra (ego) +
manas (mind)
--- and memory is part of the whole citta.

Rest see references from saidevo? And correct me if I'm wrong!

How does Ahamkara relate to the Jiva or Atma?

[Ekanta]

OK this is a more free attempt:

ahaṃ-kāra literally means "I-maker", i.e. its an "I" which is made... how?

cit (the light/knowlege which IS ātma) falls on the buddhi and in the buddhi there is the thought "this is I", "I am like this"... thus ahaṃkāra arise... its deeper than other thoughts since we usually feel "I who am like this... I think like this"... ātma itself can not be objectified since it is that which knows.

Jiva... I think there are several definitions of this. Some schools hold its an eternally separate entity.
Some hold its same as identifying with cit-reflection, mainly as ahaṃkāra, and in the end its brahman (sat-cit-ānanda). Following the last:

We can split the word ahaṃ-kāra into:
ahaṃ as in "Aham Brahma asmi" "I am brahman" (ahaṃ not associated)
&
ahaṃ-kāra as in "I am jiva" (ahaṃ associated)

ahaṃ without associations is brahma & with associations is jiva.
Or even simpler:
God + desire = human
Human - desire = God

The E = MC2 of religion!

[kd gupta]

There are two type of ears [ karan ] 1. outer ears 2. Inner ears .
Bhajans of parmatma are heard by outer ears and perceived by inner ear called antah +karan [ ear ] .

[rkpande]

dear T,

Ekanta has explained beautifully.
let me put my half a penny-
anthahkarna is the immediate resource available to the jeevatama and it functions through it.
jeevatama gets its connect to outside world entities through manas, lets say in a class if your mind is elsewhere you don't listen what the teacher is saying though the ear is receiving the sound vibrations, now whatever you are seeing, touching or whatever with your indriyas, the mind connects the object to the jeevatama, chitta depending on the state of gunas(sattavic, rajsic or tamsic) you are in, presents you with the past experiences related with the object, now ahemkara takes over to provide you with Iness and the buddhi provides you a rational approach after analysing the experiences you had.

as per shri sankra - antahkarana consists of-
manas-doubt resides at the root of the throat
buddhi-certainty resides at the face
chitta- retention resides at umbilicus
ahemkara- egotism resides at breast

hope i have not confused you further.
regards
rk

[Tirisilex]

Ok.. This was easier to understand than Ciddahbasa..