Friday, August 5, 2016

MIND, its capacities and functions Part I ~ Atman Nityananda


MIND
 its capacities and functions Part I


The mind is fed by the impressions that perceives. The impressions that we constantly receive through senses are the food of the mind.
The qualities of the impressions we take in determine the quality of the mind. Sattvic impressions and actions create a sattvic mind and rajotamasic impressions and actions create a rajotamasic mind. The former is a mind luminous, sharp, clear, serene, content, peaceful, happy and the later distracted, passionate, discontent, hyperactive, dominative, desirous, egoistic, greedy, full of pride, (when predominates the rajas guna), and lethargic, dull, dark, obstinate,  lazy, suicidal, (when predominates tamas).
The mind processes the impressions that receives by the senses, modifies them and then express them in its own way. 
The creativity of mind works in relation with the impressions we take in.
The mind attracts situations according to its contents which are the result of the impressions that have been stored in the mind.
The mind perceives and interprets the external things according to its contents and its conditioning that is the result of the previous experiences.
The mind creates an external reality according to its contents.
Τhe mind is a transmitter and receiver; interacts with the minds of others as well as with the cosmic mind. It is in tune with the minds that vibrate in a similar frequency.
The mind of everyone influences the minds of other humans as well as those of the animals and plants. Our mind is also influenced by the mind of others. Naturally the stronger mind has a greater impact on the weaker one.
The mind is the creator of our character. The mind through the chain of attraction-desire-action-habit creates our character and our destiny. 
Mind only is subject to bondage and freedom. Our suffering and bondage or our happiness and freedom are depended exclusively on mind´s state. A pure sattvic mind is the key for success in life and spiritual realizations. Our true Self is always free.

The four aspects of mind and the its various functions:
The four aspects of the mind is 1. Chitta,(mamory, general field of mental consciousness) 2. Buddhi (intelligence-intellect), 3. Manas, (the external mind; the thinking-emotional-sensory-motor mind), 4. Ego or ´Iness (the center of our illusory identity, which make us identify with body nd personality).

Although mind has different levels of function and certain qualities and functions belong to one of its aspects the mind  functions as a whole.

More about the capacities and the functions of the mind:
 
1.      The mind has perceptions, thoughts, feelings, emotions, moods.
2.      Mind can have correct or incorrect ability to perceive, Judge, reason, understand and discriminate.
3.      Mind functions in dual mode. It moves between Likes-dislikes, attraction-repulsion, love-hatred, happiness-grief, exhilaration-depression, enthusiasm-disappointment,  etc.
4.      Lust and desire are the nucleus of the egoic mind.
5.      The mind can be passionate or dispassionate, attached or dettached.
6.      Mind can be pure, dull, confused or can be pure, clear, sharp, and luminous.
7.      Mind likes the pleasure, pleasant sensations and situations, comforts, dislikes the pain, discomfort and the unpleasant situations.
8.      The rajasic sensual mind wants variety, more, better experiences of pleasure and it is attached to them.
9.      The tamasic sensual mind seeks pleasure in perversions and in brutal instincts.
10.  The mind wants to avoid everything that makes it experience pain and is attracted to what gives it pleasure.
11.  The mind can be concentrated or distracted. When mind is interested about the object on which contemplates, or experiences pleasure then the mind is easily concentrated.
12.  The mind can be attentive or inattentive. Attention is mostly manipulated by the impulses of desire and the emotions.
13.  The mind can do only one thing every time.
14.  The mind most of the time is unsteady; it moves like a monkey from one thing to another
15.  The mind is habitual, has habitual, reactive, automatic responses; Creates habits at all levels (Mental, emotional, bodily movements and functions, and energetic). What we call patterns of thoughts and emotions are emotional and mental habits.
16.  The mind is creative. Its creativity is related with its contents.
17.  The mind becomes easily attached and addictive.
18.  Imitates
19.  Perceives
20.  Thinks
21.  Feels
22.  Enjoys
23.  Identifies
24.  Associates
25.  Imagines
26.  projects
27.  The mind coordinates, the movements of the body and the senses.
28.  The mind associates; makes associations and links between thoughts-sense perceptions–emotions-vital formations and experiences.
29.  The mind projects its own contents, imaginations, feelings, opinions onto things, situations and persons.
30.  The mind assumes the form of the object that contemplates
31.  The mind absorbs the qualities of the thing that is in tune or in touch.
32.  The mind functions like a clock. The mind can repeat better the same things if it does them at the same place and hour.
33.  The mind memorize-thoughts-emotions-vibrations etc. (memory is of the chitta which functions together with manas)
34.  The mind memorize its reactions on external circumstances and repeats them mechanically.
35.  The mind recreates what has stored in the subconscious consciously or mechanically.
36.  The mind modifies its contents and creates new experiences.
37.  The mind is repetitive: wants to repeat the same experiences that give it pleasure. Does not want to lose its pleasure and its pains also.
38.  The mind due to egoistic tendencies does improper or excessive use of senses, body, mind and vital energy. Due to this the pleasures can turn in suffering and diseases.
39.  The mind learns through repetition according the quality-quantity of the experience.
40.  The mind resists and fears changes. Mind doesn’t abandon easily its habits- objects of pleasures, its pains, ideas, believes etc.
41.  The mind has the capacity to make decisions, to reason, to understand, to discern, to contemplate, to reflect. (Buddhi aspect)
42.  The mind has the power of Will.
43.  The mind has curiosity

A greater analysis about the nature of Mind and the constitution of a Human Being will be posted later