The Story of Manas (Mind) 6
6. The Story of Manas (Mind)
Summary—After having shown that the mind manifests itself as the external world in the shape of pain or pleasure, the author now illustrates the fact that subjectively the mind is consciousness while objectively it is this universe.
The bliss enjoyed by the adulterous couple in the previous story was described for the purpose of giving a faint idea of Brāhmic bliss.
All persons have two bodies, a subtle one suitable to the mind and a gross one. The mind performs actions very speedily in this mental body and fluctuates thereby. But the gross body does not know anything and is inert.
At these words of Vāsiṣṭha, Rāma asked to be enlightened as to the nature of this inert and formless body of the mind. To which Muni Vāsiṣṭha of the nature of Jñāna replied thus, in the words of Brahma:
The form which the endless Ātman, full of all potencies, assumes through Saṁkalpa is Manas. All conceptions associated with actions arising out of that real state which is intermediate between the powerful Sat and Asat are nothing but the forms of the mind.
No matter whence that mind proceeds or in what form it manifests itself, if it is made to tread the path leading to Mokṣa or to merge into Ātman, then it will be conducive to progress.
Now hearken to an archaic story related by Brahma of old:
In the great forest of dire illusion, frightening to behold and the source of bitter pain, even a fractional part of which measured many myriads of Yojanas, lived a Puruṣa (personage) with countless eyes and hands.
He had a Citta (mind) which flitted everywhere. He had the extended form of Ākāśa.
He scourged himself with many carved sticks capable of great speed on his person, and then smarting under the pain and yelling vociferously, he would run in different directions without any mastery over himself.
Dashing himself against objects in the intense gloom, he would precipitate himself down the deep and desolate well of sin and there eke out a life of misery. Then emerging out of that well, he would, as before, lash his body and scream, restlessly moving on his heels.
In his impetuous haste, he would entangle himself in long brambles and punctured throughout the body, would flutter like a moth in a flame. Then running to a fine plantain garden, he would reach the other extreme of intense exultation.
Again and again would he return from this pleasurable garden to the thorny forest and fall into the well and go back again, finding pleasure in none.
Seeing him reel thus giddily many times, we (Brahma) caught him in our grip to free him from fear and questioned him:
Who art thou that thus groan under pain? What art thou about in this place? And what is thy intention?
To this that person replied:
All persons having the concept of “I” (and other differences) are non-existent to me. I have, not been able to find any actions for me to perform in this world.
I am quite pained by the heterogeneous differentiations set up by thee. Thou art my enemy, though paltry. It is only through thee that I have identified myself with the pain and pleasure from which I have been suffering.’
Having said so, he surveyed his body. His heart began to melt and he cried aloud. Desisting in a moment from his loud wails, he again cast his eyes over his beautiful form and laughed aloud for a long time, fit to burst open his belly.
Then, in our presence, he freed himself from the many gross bodies he had assumed (in the many births).
Through the force of grievous destiny, another person was born in another spot. He appeared before us in a plight similar to that of the other individual and scourged himself, when we consoled him as previously.
Then this wayfarer passed along the path and gave up that body. Again he came in another guise and in this life he fell into that deep well. We did not see him emerge out of the well for a long time.
Then there appeared in this ever-perturbed forest, this person in the shape of another who, though he was checked in his path and shown the road to true knowledge by us, spurned our advice and still persisted in the obstinate course of lashing himself as he went along.
Even now such ferocious persons exist, writhing under great pain and dwelling in such terrible forests full of sharp- pointed thorns and enveloped in such thick gloom as to instil fear into all hearts.
But wise men, even should they live in the midst of a fiery, burnt-up forest, regale themselves and rejoice in it as in a cool flower garden wafting sweet-odours.
Here Rāma asked the sage Vāsiṣṭha to explain the underlying meaning of this story. At which the great Muni continued:
(1) The interminable forest referred to in the story is this Samsara (mundane existence) which is devoid of beginning, middle or end, is associated with Māyā and is dreadful and replete with innumerable Vikalpas.
(2) The Puruṣa (personage) residing in this forest of a universe, filled with the vapour of fiery wrath, stands for the mind whirling with pain.
(3) He who checked the impetuous passage' of the mind represents discrimination.
(4) The mind attained through its opponent, discrimination, the quiescent state of Parabrahman.
(5) The mind at first turned away from discrimination and hence entangled itself in the Vāsanās of objects;
(6) The well into which the egos sink after macerating their bodies is Nāraka (hell);
(7) but the plantain garden symbolizes Svargaloka (heaven) full of enjoyments.
(8) The forest of trees abounding with thorns is this Bhūloka (earth) with the two sexes full of excessive passion.
(9) The personage who, after toppling into the well, was not able to rise from it for a long time stands for the mind not yet freed from sins.
(10) The long, pointed thorns represent the men and women of this world, full of passions.
(11) The words “Thou art my enemy though paltry” and “It is only through thee that I have identified myself with the pain and pleasure from which I have been suffering“ are the outbursts of the mind in its last gasp of death through discrimination.
(12) The cry is set up when the desires are sought to be annihilated.
(13) The bewailing and the invocation for aid result from the pain which the mind with half-developed Jñāna feels when it relinquishes desires.
(14) The final, calm joy and the consequent laugh is the bliss arising from the mind merging into pure Jñāna.
(15) And the real bliss is that which arises when the mind, divested of all desires through the eternal Jñāna, destroys its subtle form.
(16) The bridling of the mind through extreme power refers to the concentration of the same through initiation into Jñāna.
(17) The scourging of the body refers to the' pain caused by the extreme misconceptions of the mind.
(18) The peregrination of the person over-a vast field is the roving over the world, unconscious of the Reality which can be attained only through the mastery of the perishable Vāsanās.
Thus it is that all the Saṁkalpas and Vāsanās which a man generates enmesh him as in a net. All become subject to bondage through their own Saṁkalpas and Vāsanās, like a silkworm in its cocoon.
Having delved into your mind through your unsullied mind and thoroughly sifted it, may you destroy your impure mind!
So said the illumined Vāsiṣṭha to Rāma of clear mind.