How does the Mind Function?
Ram S. Ramanathan MCC
Systemic, Sustainable, and Spiritual Self Development Coach Author: Coaching the Spirit & Re-creating Your Future Books & Programs
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The Upanishad scriptures describe the functions of the mind depth. The science of Ayurveda developed from Vedic scriptures uses this wisdom to help wellness.
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The mind has four functions
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·????? Senses, indriya: The five senses of sight, sound, touch, taste and smell are the windows and antennae of the mind. These are termed gnyanendriya. Operating through the eyes, ears, skin, tongue and nose they collect metadata that they on to other parts of the brain, primarily memory and ego. The data received by the gnyanendriya after processing by memory, ego and intelligence, the other three functions, are acted upon by five karmendriya, which are functions of grasping, movement, speech, excretion and procreation.
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·????? Memory, manas: Metadata collected by the senses go to manas. This word manas has multiple meanings in Sanskrit including the heart and the mind as well. Manas corresponds to what is now known neurologically as the hypothalamus. It is the storehouse of all experiential data, some of it as conscious and readily accessible, and most submerged in the unconscious. This aspect of the mind known in both Vedic and Buddhist traditions, considered to be an impure and conditioned part of the mind, was spoken about first by Freud about a hundred years ago in the Western world, and then by Jung.
·????? Ego, ahankara: This is the part of the brain that is a key operational centre that processes memory through emotions creating a nodal identity of the mindbody self. Ego interprets and is conditioned and therefore, considered veiled in maya. Its non-judgmental part which governs the mind overall is termed Asmita, I-ness, as we discussed earlier. For the most part, Asmita is accessible only when the mind is still.
·????? Intelligence, buddhi: This is the cognitive centre, corresponding to what we know neurologically as the frontal cortex, the thinking brain. The emotional data interpreted by the conditioned ego is received in buddhi for a ‘higher’ level of analysis and decision-making. The output of buddhi activates the karmendriya through the hormonal system.
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When Patanjali says objects are known or not known to the mind, this refers to whether the object is identified by the data stored in manas to be interpreted by ahankara. It is also possible that as a result of the klesha, avidya ignorance, asmita I-ness, raga attachment, dvesha aversion, and abhinivesha, desire to live some distortion and deletion takes place. Even if something is known to the mind it may not be the right knowing. Some memories are buried by the mind in the deep unconscious to prevent pain and suffering. Objects and experiences related to these too may not be known, as in amnesia.
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In childhood development stages many objects and experiences are unknown. Seen and experienced for the first time, the mental activity is to observe and gather data as a learning process. These observations are stored. They later provide interpretation and conditioned perception. As we grow older the conditioned interpretation rules. One of the most powerful of all dharana is to look at objects and experiences as if seen for the first time, with no previous memory linkages. This is what Buddha refers to as the Right Memory, which has been interpreted wrongly as mindfulness.
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The mind, by itself, is not self-illuminating and self-governing. It is the atman, the all-knowing energy Self, as pure energy consciousness oversees the mind. In between is Asmita, I-ness, which stays non-judgmental as a connection to the higher Self. I would like to look at Asmita as a reflective superego in Freudian terms.
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Reflection
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Patanjali moves in a deliberate manner dissecting the mind from multiple perspectives. This analysis helps us understand how the mind through its functions, movements, and colourings senses external data and processes the data through memory and identity functions before the cognitive function decides on appropriate action through the karmendriya. All this information makes sense now. Even a hundred years ago, much of this wisdom would have been laughed at by the scientists.
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Patanjali provides the alphabet and lexicon to understand the mindbody self as well as the energy Self to build the science of wellness in Yoga. Nothing of this depth, breadth, context, content and value was available in any scripture starting till a hundred years ago. Even now much of what Yoga and Tantra speak of as energy pathways is unknown, and therefore doubted.
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Reflect on each verse of Patanjali. My interpretations are guidelines based on the little I know. What I have written on vasana, samskara, karma, Asmita etc are my interpretations, since no commentary I read connected the sutra verses. They may be incorrect. As I reflected on these sutra, after reading Vyasa, Vivekananda and others far more knowledgeable than I, still had doubts, some insights arose, which I filled in. This may be a case of a fool rushing in where the angels feared to tread. Only Patanjali knows!
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Ram is a co-founder and mentor at Coacharya . Ram's focus is the integration of Eastern wisdom with modern science, spiritually, systemically and sustainably.
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