Understanding the Mysteries of the Body, Mind and Soul

The Atma is subtler than the mind; therefore it gets into the mind itself. It is greater than the greatest things. Atman itself is man and man is Atman. God takes the form of man. Human birth is very difficult to attain. The extraordinary Atmic power exists in the form of man. God descends on earth in order to save man, protect Dharma and lead man on to the right path. 

The Four Forms of the Body

Man should not consider and give too much importance to the gross form. The gross body is only a protection and a shield to the inner and the most powerful Divinity existing within. There is a causal body, which transcends and exists beyond the subtle body and the gross body. There is the supreme causal body, which transcends the causal body itself. Man is the combination of these four forms of body: Sthula (gross), Sukshma (subtle), Karana (causal) and Mahakarana (Supreme causal). Man has not been able to recognise and realise this truth. Therefore, he is giving all importance to the physical body, which is made of five elements, and in order to protect it and foster it, he is spending all his energy and time. 

Four blind men had once gone to an elephant, to find out its form. One of the four blind men went near it, touched its stomach and said that the elephant is like a wall. Another blind man touched its ears and said that the elephant is like a winnowing pan. The third blind man happened to touch the leg and said that the elephant is something like a pillar. The last blind person happened to touch the tail of the elephant and thought that the elephant is like a broomstick. In the same way, 99% of people consider the physical form as the real man and give all importance to that particular physical frame alone. These people can be considered as blind, who do not know what true knowledge and wisdom is. Few others believe that man essentially means the mind, which is a conglomeration of thoughts that forms an account of the thought processes.

One in a million people has considered the Mahakarana Tattva, the great causal principle, as the real man. If you view it scientifically and in the true sense, you are the most fortunate one if you have realised this truth. One who recognizes the great causal body, which transcends the others, has sanctified his life. The gross body, which is made up of the five elements, is something like a cover. This is only one fourth of the personality of man. Mind, which is very powerful, which is all-pervasive, is strong in its force. When it is also considered, it forms only half of the personality of a person. The other part of the personality consists of the Antah Karana. When that is added, three fourths of the personality is covered.

The principle of Atman - which is permanent and eternal - alone, is the real man. The Purusha Suktam has clearly declared that this particular Atma Tattva (Principle of the Atman) has thousand heads, thousand feet and thousand hands. All people who exist, all the forms that we see, are essentially the manifestation of this Atman. This particular body may be described as a Puramu (a town). The nature and principle of mind, which comes between the gross bodies and the other bodies has to be clearly understood. Mind may be considered as a service man. This particular person can be either promoted to a higher stage or he may be demoted to a lower stage if he commits mistakes. Therefore if you were to base your conduct on the principle of mind, it is possible for you to either get promoted or be demoted. It is in this context that it has been declared that it is the mind, which is responsible for both bondage and liberation. There are two tendencies or principles, which the mind follows. These two are Vikshepa and Laya. Vikshepa refers to the external activity. This Vikshepa functions and exists with reference to the activity associated with the external world. In the external world, it is impossible to find mind in a stable state. It is wavering continuously. This is described as Vikshepa.

That which is impermanent, that which is wavering, that which is always moving, may be described as Vikshepa. This is related to the gross world and the material world. Laya refers to the state where nothing exists - that is Shunya Sthiti. This is obtained in deep sleep state. During the deep sleep state, you will not be able to experience the existence of the mind. Mind does not function in that state. The thought processes will come to a standstill. It would be a state of total ignorance and total darkness. While Vikshepa is found in the waking state, Laya is found in the deep sleep state. When one takes these two paths of waking and deep sleep state, he is bound and cannot be liberated. Day after day, he is getting bound in a stronger way. The right royal path, therefore, is the path of concentration. If you give up the wavering states - the waking state and the Shunya state (deep sleep state), and take up the path of concentration, you are likely to get liberated.

Why is man subjected to difficulties and problems? 

The reason is that his mind always indulges in the gross world. Body consists of twenty four properties – 5 Karmendriyas (senses of action), 5 Jnanendriyas (senses of perception), 5 Pranas (life breaths), 5 Koshas (life sheaths), mind, intellect, heart and ego. That is why body appears to be having more responsibilities. The subtle mind on the other hand, is based upon 14 principles; 5 Jnanendriyas, 5 life breaths, mind, heart, intellect, ego sense. For mind, there are no Karmendriyas or sheaths.

The conglomeration of thoughts has been described as mind. For the causal body, there are only tendencies. They are the mind and intellect. All the others are absent. When the mind comes in contact with the intellect, they become one. The Mahakarana Tattva does not have any attribute. It is very subtle. It is the Atma. It is all pervasive and it can be given any name. These four are described as gross, subtle, causal and Mahakarana (great causal).

Gross body is associated with Indriyas. The causal body is associated with tendencies. Mahakarana does not have any attributes. Gradually, the number of principles decreases as you travel from gross body to Mahakarana, from 24 to 14, 14 to 2, and then to nil. As the power of senses and feeling go on increasing, bondage also proportionately increases. That is why it is said, one can increase his concentration through meditation and that concentration can be fixed on God. Thus, the mind merges in God. It will become one with God. So long as you go on increasing your thoughts and desires, there will be only sorrow and misery. You cannot be happy.

Wind is described to be very fast moving, but mind goes faster than wind. It is very powerful. Mind can reach a place faster than light or sound. If you want to exercise control of mind, there is only one way. There was a British scientist who conducted a number of experiments and after all that, he wrote a single sentence in his diary - ‘Universe is a thought of God’. He declared that the entire Universe has emerged from the thought of God and therefore, it is impossible for anybody to understand it. But foolishly, we are trying to understand it. He came to a conclusion that only the Creator will be able to understand the Universe and none else. It is said that Hari alone can understand all His miracles. Only when man recognizes this truth, can he stop his wicked thinking. So long as man suffers from the burden of ego, he would not be able to clearly understand anything at all.

Temporarily, it is possible to exercise control and attain success in the world. We experience that coming together is always associated with separation of things. When things are separated we grieve. So long as we want to acquire a particular thing, we face many troubles and sorrows. We experience some happiness when we get that trivial thing. But, the moment we lose that particular thing, again we are stricken with sorrow. Essentially, we are sad both before acquiring the thing and after it is lost. Then, where is happiness? It exists between two difficulties. When was this Universe born? Anything that is born will have an end too. Before we were born, the world did not exist for us. Once we are dead, the world will not exist for us. Only between the birth and death, we are conscious of this world. If you mentally recognise this truth, it is possible to obtain the state of Madhava Sannidhyam (nearness to Divinity). Mind essentially means Madhava. Madhava also means man. Man means mind. If we recognise the unity of these three, then we will be able to achieve equality and only then will we reach Divinity. If we want to attain the state of equality, we should have unity. When we develop this unity, we can reach the Divinity. The process is as follows: From equality, we get purity; from purity we get unity; from unity we get Divinity. This is the path that we should follow. Therefore, there is a need for equal mindedness. For everything, we need to develop and foster love. Love is God and Live in Love.

Source: Mind, Body And Atma, Discourse 12, My Dear Students Volume 1, Divine Discourse at Sathya Sai Hostel on September 11, 1986