BLOGGER’S NOTES
When I set out to write this blog, I realized that, despite the research I planned on doing, I probably could not summarize such an intricately vast topic better than Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev did. Thankfully, he has given all his teachings (articles, blogs, videos and so on) to the world for free. As such, this blog is vastly extracts from an article from his website www.isha.sadhguru.org titled “Harnessing the True Power of the Mind.” Enjoy.
INTRODUCTION
In English language, everything comes under one banner called “mind.” The idea that intelligence is only in the brain has produced human beings whose consciousness is seriously constipated. What is in the brain is intellect, not intelligence. Intelligence and memory are right across your body. But people have never been trained how to use this intelligence. Instead, they use their intellect for everything. No wonder they are stressed out whatever job you give them. The whole weight is on only one dimension of the mind out of sixteen. It is like loading a sixteen-wheeler truck and trying to drive on only one wheel – you can imagine the stress! That is what today’s world is going through.
People may be using other dimensions of the mind marginally, unconsciously, but they are not trained to use them. They have only been trained to use their buddhi, or their intellect. They are very smart. They know everything about everything, but they do not know how to figure their own life. They do not even know how to sit here peacefully and at total ease within themselves. If there is true intelligence, the first thing that you need to figure out is how to make life happen. You know how to make the world happen, but you do not know how to make your life happen. You do not know how to conduct your mind, your energies, your emotions or your body.
In the yogic understanding, there are 16 dimensions to the human mind. These 16 dimensions fall into four categories: buddhi, manas, ahankara, and chitta.
Buddhi is the intellect – the logical dimension of thought. Unfortunately, modern education systems and modern sciences have largely limited themselves to buddhi. That is, a buddhu (foolish) way of existence.
THE LIMITATION OF THE INTELLECT
Buddhi or the intellect cannot function without a certain bank of memory or data.
Unfortunately, in today’s systems of education and academics, everything is determined by this. If you can make more things out of it, you are considered intelligent, which is not true – you only have a sharper buddhi. The buddhi will not take you beyond limits in any way, because it can only function based on the data that is already there. It is not capable of accessing anything beyond that.
THE MEMORY OF YOUR FOREFATHERS
The next dimension is called manas. Manas has many layers to it. But manas is not just the brain – it is right across the body. Every cell in the body has a phenomenal memory – not just of this life but of millions of years. Your body clearly remembers how your forefathers were a million years ago.
Blogger’s note: Modern-day research is just catching up on (proving) cellular memory.
Top to bottom, there is manas – this is called manomaya kosha. In every cell in the body, there is memory and intelligence, but no intellect. Intellect is only in the brain.
THE SENSE OF IDENTITY
The intellect directly connects with the third dimension of your mind, called ahankara. Ahankara is sometimes translated as ego, but it is much more than that. Ahankara gives you a sense of identity. Once your ahankara takes on an identity, your intellect functions only in that context. It is important to function beyond the intellect, because the intellect is seriously enslaved to your identity.
Blogger’s note: Read my blog on identity.
Our identities are necessary for our survival in a particular society. But you cannot think beyond this because you are functioning only from your intellect, and the intellect takes its sustenance from ahankara. Only along the axis of ahankara, the intellect can function. The intellect cannot transcend this, because that is its nature. But there are other ways to know life beyond the identities we have taken on for our survival in the world.
THE COSMIC INTELLIGENCE
The fourth category of the mind is called chitta. Chitta is mind without memory – pure intelligence. This intelligence is like the cosmic intelligence – simply there. Everything happens because of that. It does not function out of memory – it simply functions. In a way, what you call cosmos is a living mind, not in the sense of intellect but in the sense of chitta.
Chitta is the last point of the mind. It connects to the basis of creation within you. It connects you with your consciousness.
Chitta is always on – whether you are awake or asleep. Your intellect comes on and goes off. Many times it fails, even when you are awake. If chitta or the intelligence within you was not always on, you could not stay alive. Try to conduct your breath with your intellect – you will go crazy. Chitta is keeping you alive, keeping you going, making life happen.
THE DIVINE ENSLAVED
If you touch this dimension of your mind, which is the linking point to one’s consciousness, you do not even have to wish for anything, you do not have to dream of anything – the best possible thing that can happen to you will anyway happen.
When people touch this dimension of the mind, it is called ishwara pranidhana in yoga. This means God becomes your slave – he works for you. Once you know how to consciously keep your chitta on, the Divine is your servant.
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