3. Camp Three : Origin of Mind
Bhagwan Ramchandra has posed a heart-rendering question to His master Maharshi Vasishtha in the text of Shri Yogvasishta Maharamayan ( 5 / 91 ). Shri Ram asks: 'O Great Guru, What is the root cause for the creation of this physical body? and Lord, kindly explain also the very reason for the cause of the birth of this body organism.'
The great sage Vasistha says : 'Ram, the seed of this material body i.e. the fundamental cause of its origin is mind. Dear son, it is obvious for you to doubt this fact that how can mind be the generating cause of body? but it is futile to doubt, because it is our common experience that in the state of dream the body appears to be coming up from our mind.
O Ram, Just as pots, pans and pails etc. earthen objects are the wide range of earth itself, in the same fashion, whatever this greatly pompous world is seen is the incarnation of mind only. O son, now listen to the cause of mind.
As an outcome of the accumulated deeds of births together, the sheath of ignorant and strong obsessions for earthly objects cling to the soul which is called causal body. This causal body is full of lust, ignorance and illusion. That is why it is called Maya/Prakruti.
At the time of attaining body by Jiva, mind is born by the activation of vasana i.e. strong and deep-rooted desires and inclinations and vibration of Prana i.e. vital force. O Ram, firstly the vibration of Prana and secondly the strong obsession for earthly objects both are the root-causes of the origin of mind. Out of both, if one diminishes, another also follows the same. Mind cannot be born only by the vibration of Prana or only by vasana (i.e.strong & deep-rooted desires).
Prana is set in motion through vasana and vasana is created and stimulated into activity by prana spanda means vibration of Prana.
Like oil in sesame, vibration of Prana resides in Vasana and Vasana resides in the vibration of Prana. Just as seedling is the outcome of seed and seed is the outcome of seedling, the cycle of the generation of mind from the vibration of Prana and Vasana and vice a versa is going on.'
lf we want to understand this whole phenomenon in nutshell, it can be said that the rising of Vasana puts the soul in the state of chaos and awakens the vibration of Prana, consequently the mind is born like the birth of child.
That is why so says Mundak Upanishad :
‘एतस्माज्जायते प्राणोः, मनः सर्वेन्द्रियानी च |’ (2-1-3)
Means- Mind springs up along with Prana from the soul element and spreads up in the whole body organism. lf we try to excavate the history of the origin of mind, its roots lead us to the history of the origin of the Universe, Bhagwan Swaminarayan has clearly mentioned in this regards in the (Gadhada-M-l2) text of Vachanamritam. According to it, when God the Almighty casts His inspiring glance at Mul -Akshara (second form of immutable cosmic power) for the creation of the universe, Mul Akshara motivates Mul Purusha (The Divine Progenitor) by making firm resolution for the creation of universe. So Mul Purusha joints into divine mating with Mul Prakriti in the form of Maha Maya. As a result, Prakriti (The creation) gives the birth to infinite forms of Pradhana (LowerPrakriti) and Purusha. Then after by each couple of pradhan-Purusha, Mahat Tattva (Cosmic intelligence) and Chitta are created.
The whole cosmos exists in subtle form in Mahat Tattva. Mahat Tattva by itself is changeless, luminous, clear, pure consisting of Sattva Guna and quite. From Mahat Tattva, it is created Ahamkara having three traits. From Satvik Ahamkara the mind and the senses are created. From Rajas Ahamkara the ten Senses, Buddhi and Pran are created, and from Tamasa Ahamkara the fundamental elements and the five Tanmatras (quintessence) are created. Mind which is created from Satvik Ahamkara is the faculty where all desires including the desire for woman etc. originate.
The mind decides on the alternatives available and it controls all the senses. Sankhya-Darshan written by Lord Kapil Muni also substantiates the above-mentioned sequence of the origin of mind. Sankhya-Darshan claims that all material object ranging from intellect to the piece of a stone are made up from the same material. Whatever difference is found, it is only due to the fineness or solidness of their existence. Subtle state is the cause factor and physical state is its resultant factor.
Our Yogshastra is totally established on the basis of Sankhya-Darshan. We can comprehend the phenomenon of origin of mind properly by the co-ordination of Sankhya and Yoga. Our scriptures of yoga explain that Pran-shakti ( Vital energy ) nourishes our body by adopting five forms viz. Pran, Vyan, Apan, Saman and Udan. Saman, out of these fives, dwells in whole body by spreading in each and every cell and mind is activated only by the help of it. lt makes us experience the outer world through our senses by moving in whole body.
There is a worth-contemplating metaphor in Upnishad. In our body - world, our stomach is assumed as a form of an altar (vedi). It is offered Aahuti (offering of food-substance like ghee and rice usually to the fire of yagna-kund) to the Prana in the form of deity by offering the food as Samidh to the fire of stomach in the form of digestive power. So, according to Vedic ceremony, while eating five Prana are fed by uttering respectively like Pranay Swaha, Vyanay Swaha, Apanay Swaha, Samanay Swaha and Udanay Swaha.
It is written in Chhandogya Upanishad that Prana is satisfied by the food offered in this manner and when Prana is contented, our senses, Antahkarana and soul are also satisfied.
The meaning of Prana which is mentioned here is very extensive. Prana is not merely a breathing at all, but the inherent energy that gives the motion to our respiration is called Prana. There is a very close relationship between Prana and mind.
When prana moves, mind begins thinking and when mind makes resolution, broods over and thus becomes active, Prana expands. The excess treasure of Prana is inherent in brain and nerve centres. lf we can control Prana, all the energies in the world can be controlled automatically. Whatever the power of vital force existing in the world is connected with the streams of our Prana through our breathing. lf we can co-ordinate the resolution with our breathing process, the infinite vital force of the whole universe can be ours. Prana is menifested in various forms like velocity, force of gravitation, power of electricity etc. According to Ashtangyoga, mind is controlled by the inhibition of Prana through Pranayam, but Bhagawan Swaminarayan explains how the mind is controlled by meditation in Vachanamritam (Gadhada-F-25): 'By controlling the prans through pranayam, whereby the chitt is also controlled. And by controlling the chitt, whereby the prans are also controlled. When is controlled over the chitt achieved? lt is achieved when one's vruttis are detached from everything else and focused only on God. However, these vruttis can be focused on God only when desires for everything else overcome and only a singular desire for the form of God remains. Thus prans are also controlled by getting control over chitt. Therefore a devotee whose chitt's vrutti becomes focused on the form of God masters astangyoga without even attempting to master it.'
If we place the detailed discussion about the originating of mind in nutshell, we can say that mind is the outcome of the combination of Vasana in the forms of accumulated deeds of births together and Prana - the vital bio-energy. lt is made of very subtle etheric elements.
In this regard,our sages have said in a poetic style: 'Mind is born from the assimilation of Purusha and prakriti.' Purusha means soul and Prakriti means Maya (lllusion), ignorance, innate desires. The body of mind is created from the very subtle extent of Prakriti and the energy of mind is originated from the very subtle extent of Purusha.
