|
|
| AYURVEDA |
CHAPTER VI
HINDU CONCEPTION OF THE MIND AND MATTER
[*The Following extracts on the Hindu Conception of the Mind and matter are taken from the valuable book `World as Power. Power as mind’ by Sir. John Woodroffe. We are greatly indebted to the author and the publishers Ganesan & Co. Madras. Vedanta, we refer to the `Inner Instrument’ (Antahkaana) as distinguished from the `outer instruments’ (Bahyakarana) or senses on the one hand, and on the other hand from Consciousness of which both mind and senses are instruments.
DIFFEENCE BETWEEN CONSCIOUSNESS AND MIND
The fundamental difference between Western and Eastern Psychology is that the Western does not, and the Eastern does differentiate Mind from Consciousness. On the contrary Western psychology interprets Mind in terms of Consciousness, that is, Consciousness is the distinctive character of Mind.
The Western `Mind’ is something for which there is no adequate Sanskrit equivalent since the notious are different. When we speak of Mind in Vedanta, we refer to the `Inner Instrument’ (Antahkarana) as distinguished from the `outer instruments’ (Bahyakarana) or senses on the one hand, and on the other hand from Consciousness of which both mind and senses are instruments.
PURE CONSCIOUSNESS (CHIT)
Pure Consciousness (chit) is not an attribute of Mind. It is beyond Mind being independent of it. It is immanent in Mind and is the source of its illumination and apparent consciousness Western `Mind’ is the Indian Antahkaranaa-vachchinna Chaitanya, i.e., Chit (Consciousness) as (apparently) conditioned by Antahkarana-which as Jada or unconscious process is of and in the condition, viz., Antahkarana and not in that which seems to be conditioned, viz., Chit. Manas which is sometimes translated as `Mind’ is only part of Antahkarana.
The recognition by present-day psychologists of two forms of mental life, conscious and sub-conscious (sub-liminal) seems to contain the germs of the distinction, which India has always held, between Mind and Consciousness.
SUPER-CONSCIOUSNESS
The view is in consonance with Vedanta which calls the latent and sub-conscious a Samskara and adds a third, viz., Super-Consciousness that is beyond ordinary consciousness, whether latent or patent, which is pure Chit. Chit is more or less veiled by Mind. To pure one of the expressive metaphors of the Vedanta, Chit is like a lamp which the Mind envelops as a screen, sometimes revealing it by its transparency-sometimes concealing it by its opaqueness, and thus always conditioning its illumination both as regards its quality and quantity.
MIND AND MATTER ARE LIMITED MODES OF POWER
According to that Vedanta, the principle is Pure Chit of which both mind and matter are limited modes of Its Power. All psychical functions, therefore, whether as Intellect (Buddhi), Feeling (Ichha), Will (Ahankaara) and the like are limited modes (Vritti). Chit is pure consciousness Itself. Mind, in fact, is an unconscious force which in varying degrees obscures and Limits Consciousness such Limitation being the Condition of all Finite Experience. Chit is thus Consciousness. Mind is Consciousness plus unconsciousness, Inter-mingled Consciousness – Unconsciousness which we see in all Finite Beings. Mind is both substance and process. It is substance as the mind-substance or antahkarana and it is process as the modifications or Vritti of that substance. Mental process is a veiling or (relative) unveiling of chit which is itself unchanged. Consciousness appears however to undergo change because of the modifications of mind of which it is the changeless substratum.
POWER (SAKTI) AS MIND
We may take first the dualistic theories. The Vedanta agrees with the Cause Theory in so far as the latter holds that conscious (mental) process and nervous process are causally related provided we substitute for the word `conscious’ the word `mental’ – The process is not in Consciousness but in Mind. [* Process is of and in the condition, namely Antahkarna and not in that which seems to be conditioned or chit.] The mental is a subtle quasi-material process. Vedanta holds, that both processes, physical and material, have a common ground in Consciousness and thus escape the difficulty in conceiving interaction between things of a wholly different nature as Mind and Body area commonly supposed to be. It differs therefore from psychophysical parallelism in that the latter offers no explanation of the relation between pschosis and neurosis. It asserts, not a mere concomitance, the nature of which is unexplained, but a causal interaction between Mind and Matter rendered possible by their common ground. Mind is enabled to see matter because both are forms of Supreme power (Maha Sakti), which is an attribute of the Supreme Consciousness.
UNITY BEHIND MIND AND MATTER
Turning then to Monistic Western theories these hold that Mind and Matter are parallel manifestations of one underlying Substance. They are not two substances in interactin, but this interaction is the outer form of the inner ideal unity of consciousness. Each particle of matter has a mental aspect. It is as if the same thing were said in two languages.
Western science thus vaguely feels that there ought to be unity behind mind and matter, does not yet know where that unity has to be found, and so uses metaphors and language which from the Vedantic standpoint, appear vague.
From this standpoint, we must first clearly distinguish between worldly experience and Yoga-experience, for which we have no warrant short of experience of this stage. According to the former there is in fact duality. We cannot escape that. From this dualistic standpoint, there must be an interaction because if we assume two things we must assume an interaction between them. Yoga-experience transcends this duality, as Pure Consciousness. Consciousness is the ground of knowing and known.
PURE CHIT CHANGELESS AND FORMLESS
But here again we must distinguish Pure Consciousness [Chit (*Chit is Jnana-Svarupa, Chidaakasha, Samvid, etc., the shiva or Prakasha as opposed to the Shakti or Vimarsha aspect.)] as such is neither efficient (Nimitta) nor material (Upadana) cause but Consciousness-Power (Chit-Sakti) – both. The former as pure Chit or Indian consciousness is the changeless and processless background of all changes and processes.
Though not itself changing it contains the ground and possibility of all change. This a logical (Adhistana) position is expressed in Shakta doctrine by saying that in one aspect it remains what it is, yet in another it is changing to become the world. This is the Power of Sakti or Vimarsha aspect. The first is the Being, the second the Becoming aspect. Therefore in world-experience, Indian Consciousness is the unchanging Principle of all changing experience. Through its power it appears as Mind and Matter, It is against this static background that all changes occur-Activity is in Mind and Matter, now veiling now revealing unchanging Chit by their material processes as Psychosis or Neurosis. It is simpler to say that Consciousness is the static aspect of Power (Chit-Shakti), he kinetic aspect of which (Maya-shakti) produces Mind and Matter, both in differing degrees being veiling by Unconsciousness of Consciousness.
THEORY OF PAN-PSYCHISM
According to Pan-Psychism all matter has a rudimentary life, and mind and matter has thus a psychical aspect. This is so. But in what sense? In so far as anything or process is or can be an object of consciousness (jneya) it is Jada or non-conscious. The term has a psychological basis. Thus an object of consciousness may be either objective or subjective. What Western science calls Matter or quasi-material is an instance of the subjective. But the `inner instrument’ (Antahkarana) or Mind (including the Self) can be an object of Consciousness and is therefore as such Jada. In fact even Prakriti-Shakti as the Causal Stress, which evolves the world, is from this standpoint Jada. Pure Consciousness of Chit beyond mind, though manifesting in the operations of the latter is in its transcendental aspect a logical. Thus the first polarity, which appears in consciousness, is that of the Knower and Known. When this polarity appears, Chit splits up as it were into two parts or poles-one part still remaining chit (i.e., Knower) the other appearing as though it were not-chit or Jada that is as the know, In the latter, Chit as it is in itself is veiled. The veiling principle, which is Power or Shakti, is manifested as the various tendencies – (Gunas) of the material cause (Prakriti) in various combinations. When Chit is enveloped by the material Cause (Prakriti) in what is mainly its revealing tendency, (Satwa Guna) we have the Inner Instrument, which corresponds to the Western Mind minus Consciousness. When it is enveloped by the material principle in what is mainly its activity-tendency (Rajoguna) we have Life (Prana); when it is enveloped by the material Principle in what is mainly its veiling tendency (Tamoguna) we have Matter in the Western sense. When therefore we speak of Matter as Jada we do not mean that it is unconscious in the sense that it is in itself unconscious and without mind or life, but in the sense that it is an object for consciousness, something in this sense other than it is as knower. The first primary (logical) operation by which Chit becomes so disposed as to remain Chit in one part and appear to cease to be Chit in another part is Srishit or Becoming called `Creation’, and that which is obtained out of Chit – the `Other the Jada, the object – the Bhuta or Matter. Therefore Mind and Manner are both in the general sense Bhautika (Sensible matter), Chit however never realy ceases to be such, not merely in the pole which is still the Knower (chetana) but also in the other ole which is veiled so as to appear as not-Chit (Achetana). Thus the Tantrik rite called Bhutashuddhi, is, philosophically considered, the removing of the Veil by the realization of the Mantra; “He I am” (Soham); that is, the Universe is first indentified with the `I’ and then this with the Pure Consciousness or Chit. It is thus the placing of the Self in the return-current i.e., from gross to the subtle.
The Western Mind, `Life’ and `Matter’ are at the root one, firstly because the primary basis in all cases is Chit and secondly because the Veilign Principle (Maya Sakti), which works them out is composed of the same factors (the gunas, Satwa, Rajas and Tamas of Prakriti), in all cases though in different degrees. Matter is Chit heavily veiled and inert. Life is Chit more lightly veiled and active. Mind is still more lightly veiled and active, and becomes in its developed and complex processes the revealer of the Self to the self on the mental plane, where passage is made to the self, beyond which there is nothing, Both the life-aspect and mind-aspect may be the subject of direct perception by special means either of science or Yoga.
RUDIMENTS OF LIFE OR MIND IN STONE
A block of stone is perceived by the natural eye as inert lifeless matter. The ordinary sense organs may be insufficient to found an inference of rudiments of life or mind say in a stone. But science extending natural faculty by its delicate instruments, or Yoga by its process of Samyama (Yogic Concentration) may enable the observer to perceive that on which the inference of life and mind is established. A priori the conclusion may be established by the ontological theory or a posteriori on the theory of evolution. Though at root Matter, Life and Mind are one, yet as Matter and Mind they are phenomenally different. One must assume therefore in all objects the same causal interaction of their psychic and material aspects, more or less rudimentary as it may be, as we find in man’s nervous processes with their corresponding psychoses.
THE NATURE OF MIND
Mind may be defined, in the first instance negatively, as that part of our subjective life which in itself is not Consciousness, though it appears to be conscious through association with the latter. Whether there is such a stage as Pure Consciousness which is Mindless is established both by Shruti or Veda and by authoritative proof, or directly, by actual personal experience.
FIRST STANDARD-NYAAYA VAISESHIKA
In the first standard or Nyayavaisheshika, the Mind is an unconscious entity (Dravya) separate from the Self (Atma or Purusha) by conjunction with which and the senses, the Self has conscious experience of objects.
SECOND STANDARD-SAANKHYA YOGA
In the second standard or Sankhya-Yoga, the mind is a Force separate from and independent of Consciousness which it apparently finitises (limits).
THIRD STANDARD-SAAKTA
According to the Sakta Doctrine, the Mind is a form of Maya, which is one with, and not independent of, Consciousness, being a Power of Consciousness, to remain what it is and yet to contract itself into being a centre of limited experience.
FOURTH STANDARD-MAAYA VAADA
In the Maya Veda Vedanta, the Mind is neither the first nor the second but a form of Maya which itself is an inscrutable, unexplainable mystery.
MIND, FUNDAMENTALLY A MISTERY
However related to Consciousness, Mind is fundamentally a mystery, Mind (Antahkarana) is through the sense organs (Indriyas) affected by the objects which it selects (as Manas), refers to itself the personal experience so enjoyed (as Ahankara) and then determines (as Buddhi). The one Mind does all this, but is variously named according to its various functions as separate principles or Tattvas.
In actual experience or functioning of the Tattvas in the fully evolved world, the knowing process commences with the last evolved subjective principle or the senses. The object of knowledge first knocks at this gate to be introduced within and to become subject to the inner operating principles, the last, of which to so operate is the determining faculty or Buddhi.
THE REVERSE ORDER IN EVOLUTION
But in the cosmic evolution of the Principles or Tattvas themselves, the order is reversed [*The order of evolution is Prakriti, Mahat or Buddhi, Ahankara. Then co-coordinately Manas and Indriyas (10) and their subtle objects (5) Tanmatra, and from the latter the fine forms of gross sensible matter (Bhuta). These with the Purusha make 25 Tattvas.] and the last to function in the evolved world becomes the first to appear according to either a temporal or logical prius. A logical analysis of experience establishes this. The general basis of experience, to which in the functioning of the individual mind reference is made last, must necessarily in the cosmic evolution appear first. It is also clear that the evolving principles have also a more abstract significance. Thus the I-making or individualizing and centre-making Principle (Ahankara Tattva) in individual experience is that aspect of the mind which refers its operations to that particular individual. Whereas in the cosmic sense it is the tendency to individualization which manifests later as the individual centre.
MIND IS BHAUTICA (Material)
The Mind (as Ahankara or the Yogadarshana Chitta) is neither all-pervasive nor atomic and partless. It is not therefore eternal, has a beginning, and has a limited extension, that is, it is a thing of finite dimensions. It is radiant, transparent, light (Tejasa) like the solar rays, light and mobile. It is a kind of `Radiant Matter’. In Vedanta, Mind is called `Bhautika ‘ because it is a mode of the unmixed Bhutas (Sukshma Bhutas) from varying aspects of which are derived according to the Maya Vedanta both Matter and Mind. Therefore these two are essentially similar. [*Chandogya Upanishad says that the lowest units of the food eaten (Anna) go to build up the `body’ of the mind.] Mind (Antahkara) is not rigid, that is having the same configuration always, but elastic (Samkocha Vikasa Sila). It actually goes out like a ray (though not in act of knowledge altogether leaving the body) to the object of perception, envelops it, and takes its form. Some may call this materialism, but the Vedanta holds not that mind is derived from matter in the physical sense but that they (mind and matter) are fundamentally and essentially one, that is, Pure Consciousness (Chit) stressing or energizing one way or the other. They are different modes of the One Power (Shakti) as Substance – Energy. [*The maya Shakti of Advaitar Vedanta and Shakti Veda corresponding to the Mula-Prakriti of Samkhya.]
KNOWER, KNOWN AND KNOWING
Mind then exists and moves in space. This is a statement which has an important bearing on Yoga, and occultism, such as thought-transference. Even Nyayavaiseshika which regards the Manas as Anu ascribes Vega or movement to it.
All Psychology recognizes the trinity of Knower or subject (Jnata), Known or Object (Jneya) and Knowing (Jnana) which is the stress or interaction between the two. The first Jnata is consciousness conditioned by Mind (Antahkarana). The second is consciousness conditioned by the material object in relation to which Mind energizes or functions and third is consciousness conditioned by the functioning of the mind.
Consciousness being polarized into 'I' (Aham) and this (Idam), there is an interaction between the two. Mind (Antahkarana) is with parts (Savayava) and can move in space. Mind is created i.e., it has a beginning. What is created is not partless, for creation is putting together of parts. Mind is a changing and differentiating thing. Mind is capable of moving from place and assuming the form of the objects of perception (Artha or Vishaya). This going out to an object and taking its shape is actual. Vishayakarakarita (See, Brihad Upanishad; 4-3-7; Katha Upanishad-2-21.)
|
|
|
Previous
|
|
|