The Presence of Mind
JMD
To experience the Presence of God, presence of mind is
required. The one who does not have presence of mind can never experience
God. The one who is absent-minded can never realize the Truth.
What is the Mind?
Mind is different from the soul (Atma). We are not our
mind. But without the mind it is not possible to know our self. The states
of bondage and emancipation are possible only with the mind. The Self
is unchangeable — it is the mind only that undergoes changes. In
this drama of existence, the mind is both the act and the actor, it is
both the reflection and the reflector. That is, what we perceive with
the mind is not the Self, but the mind only. For example, you have met
many persons, and many different people have met you during the span of
your life, yet not a single one of those persons will perceive you in
exactly the same way as another perceives you. Mostly what people see
is what they project with their own mind; that is, they perceive their
own mental projections. The same applies when we try to understand
our lives through our own mind. Generally what we perceive is our own
mental images; hence, we misunderstand ourselves, and we misunderstand
others also. When we misunderstand ourselves and others, we are in a state
of bondage. All that this means is that our mind is bound by its images
and that we imagine we are bound by our mind. We only imagine we are bound
by our mind when our mind is bound by images. The state of emancipation
(Total Freedom) is attained only when all the samskaras (mental imprints)
of the mind are erased. To erase the samskaras, the presence of the mind
is required.
What is 'Presence of Mind?'
When the mind is under the direct control of the soul,
this is called presence of mind. Unfortunately, most of the time our mind
is not under our control, but instead it is under the control of our past
impressions (samskaras), memories, images, moods, ego, etc.. When you
bring the mind under control, only then do you have presence of mind.
Where Does the Mind Go When It is Not Present?
Although the mind is supposed to be the controller
of the body and senses, yet often times the mind is swayed by the body
and senses. When we don't control the mind, the mind goes where ever
it wants to go, even against our will. Take the case of a man who is
infatuated with women. His mind will always be thinking about how to
please some woman, or how to woo some woman. Even if the man wants to
rise above his desires and assert his manliness and stop behaving like
a stray dog, yet by force of habit his mind slips away and runs after
another woman, just as a dog chases after a female dog in heat. This
degrading condition of the mind is brought about by lack of discipline
and poor training (or no training) during the growing years. The saying
goes "You can't teach an old dog new tricks", but it is equally difficult
to prevent a young dog from 'playing tricks'. The young man who is infatuated
with his body and with the body of a woman (they go hand in hand), is
just as dirty as the dirty old man who wastes his whole life in pursuit
of sensual gratification. Both have lost their mind.
The one who abuses his mind is unable to reach his
full potential. To hit the mark, the arrow must be carefully aimed.
Similarly, to reach the Goal, we must discipline the mind, otherwise
this precious opportunity that has been granted to us in this human
incarnation will be wasted.
Where is the Mind?
The seat of the mind within the body is the brain. Outside
the body, the seat of the mind is the Akasha. Since we are embodied souls,
our concern is with the mind and its relationship with the brain. We need
not concern ourselves with astral travel and other psychic phenomena that
occur in the Akashic plane, unless and until we have learned to control
the mind in the body.
How is the Mind Controlled?
Before talking about controlling the mind, we should first
understand the difference between controlling the mind and mind-control.
Mind-Control
In the minds of most people, the term mind-control
denotes 'outside control' of the mind. In other words, it implies
what is typically called 'brain washing'. Mind-control is employed
by tyrannical governments to manipulate people into unquestionably
obeying its decrees and policies. Mind-control is used by religious
institutions and religious fanatics to incite blind faith and adherence
to dogma. Mind-control is use by large corporations to induce consumers
to purchase their products. Thus, mind-control (as it is generally
understood) is a form of mental slavery.
Controlling the Mind
However, when we talk about controlling the mind,
we are talking about controlling the mind from within. It means
that we have to take control of our own mind — we have to
refuse to be a slave of our mind. To succeed in this endeavor,
the mind must be cleansed. If our mind is dirty (with negative thoughts,
memories, impressions, images, etc.) then this dirt must be removed.
In fact, instead of being brain-washed we actually need to 'wash our
brains'.
Wash Your Brains
If the seat on which you are sitting is dirty, then you
also will get dirty. Similarly, because the seat of the mind is the brain,
the mind is affected by the brain, and likewise, the brain is affected
by the mind. For example, the thoughts that you think can physically affect
the brain (such as causing a tingling sensation, or the opposite such
as headache or possibly even brain tumor). Likewise, the state of the
brain (for example its complexity [as for instance in the difference between
the brains of a human being, a cat or a fish, etc.,] and its chemical
composition) psychically affect the mind (for example, it is well known
that chemical substances can actually induce mental states such as depression,
exhilaration, etc.).
Everyone knows that if a person consumes a certain
quantity of alcohol it will definitely affect the person's mind (his
judgment, his memory, his awareness, etc.). Many people have experienced
the affect that white sugar, coffee, or tea has on their system (mind
and body). From my own personal experience, I can say that I have experienced
significant changes in my mental states as a result of eliminating coffee
and tea from my diet.
It should be obvious to everyone that the food that
one eats becomes the stuff of which the brain is made. It may sound
far fetched to some, but the day is not too far off when scientists
will prove (if they haven't already) that the food we eat directly affects
the thoughts that we think. (And also that the thoughts we think affect
our food —especially during the process of cooking the food.) The
simple truth is that many 'bad thoughts' can be eliminated simply by
being more selective about the foods we eat. To attain the deeper states
of concentration which lead to meditation (and ultimately Samadhi, which
purges the mind of all its past negative impressions), it is imperative
that all meat, fish, eggs, alcohol, tobacco, etc., be completely eliminated
from the diet.
Control Your Senses
Just as we have to exercise control over the types of
foods we put into our mouth, we must also exercise control over the types
of 'foods' we take in through our eyes, ears, and other sense organs.
Our five senses are direct channels to the brain, which is the seat of
our sixth sense, the mind. Whatever we smell, taste, touch, hear, or see,
directly affects the brain and, consequently, the mind.
The Way to Success
It is absolutely impossible to control the mind unless
we control our senses. So, to succeed in mastering the mind, it is imperative
that we do not contaminate the mind (and brain) with pollutants. The polluted
mind is a liability, it is not an asset. The polluted mind is a
great hindrance to the soul in its eternal quest for Absolute happiness
and Perfection. It is not possible to reach the Goal unless the mind is
purified. Without a pure mind we cannot see clearly (e.g., we will not
be able to understand the Truth). If we cannot see clearly, we will be
unable to aim (concentrate) the mind on the Goal. If we are unable to
concentrate, we will aimlessly drift about in the sea
of the world, and the waves and currents of the mind will continuously
overpower us, and perfection will ever elude us.
Presence of Mind is Required
Though it is true that no one is perfect, it is equally
true that no one can ever be satisfied with imperfection. The soul's nature
is to naturally seek out perfection. A vision of Perfection, a vision
of the Truth, is attained only when one has presence of mind. |