Happiness is what the mood is and the mind reflects it. If a person is happy, his disposition towards all will be one of happiness and joy. Unfortunately, the Mind has enormous energy and vibrates at tremendous speed in different frequencies, wavelengths and amplitudes and intensity; this is 'chitta vrutti', the nature of the Mind. It is this wavering that causes dis-ease and the yoga should bring it back to its earlier state of 'at ease'. Unfortunately, yoga is not possible with a disturbed mind and one cannot fight it! It is of no use to fight the energetic mind and it is futile like trying to control the turbulent waves of the Sea. The best thing is to leave it like that! There is, however, a beautiful way to make friend with the Mind and tutor it. The Mind has no support whatsoever and it clings on to whatever it can hold on! So the jnyanis advice us to give the name of the Lord to chant and it sits quiet canting the name; thus, the problem is solved.
Now, the Mind plays truant and becomes the cause of all diseases. A clean mind allows no pollutants to affect the body adversely.
Yoga aims at uniting the four constituents of the jiva and work it in unison with the goal of emancipation, together with knowledge, wisdom and renunciation. It is the main objective of the jiva to get out of the bondage, it has created on its own, due to avidya. This bondage is of repeated births as a result of its desire, attachment (moha), and greed (abhinivesha) accruing vasanas and karma kleshas endlessly. This avidya is the sheath of ari-shadvargas that have clouded its discretion power (viveka). Thus, the cause of bondage, once known, the jiva works out through yoga to attain its liberation.
What are the afflictions of the Mind?
The afflictions of the mind are many and varied. Mind is a fertile slush ground that breeds all pollutants harmful to the jiva. The two other factors that support this volatile mind are the ahankar (abhiman) or ego and the intellect. The buddhi is a double-edged razor. It works both ways- harmful as well as beneficial; If the buddhi is guided by prajnya, it works for the benefit of the jiva. If the jiva is living an erratic life, one of 'egoist', durabhiman / durahankar, and of perverted intelligence, then the jiva is ruined by its own unmindful acts (aviveka); even God cannot help such a jiva, but, may be, a Guru can help such unfortunate ones. The role of a Guru is eulogized here. But the Guru we talk of here is not just a human being roaming about preaching what he does not either practice, or know full well. He is Yogi who sits like a rock and absolves all the jiva's karma kleshas. One should be lucky to get such an attained person. Anyways, "there is light at the end of the tunnel", goes the adage. The true nature of a Guru is well defined in the 'kularnava tantra' and it stipulates the way to approach to Guru. Total humility and surrender is called for here. The Guru is a burning pot, homa kunda, into which we offer our ego/ahankara. The afflictions of the mind are removed in the nearness and service of the Guru. It is not that we serve Him, the Guru, Shiva or Maheshvara, It is He who serves us, the afflicted souls and lifts us up from the mire!
The afflictions of the mind are numerous and follow in a train of accessories, such as drinks, playing, cards, hot rajasic food and associated things like that.. Women play a major role in the life of such unfortunate jivas. Often we find many a rich families are ruined and have been reduced to beggary! Where is the buddhi, viveka, one may ask? Some say, it is one's karma; may be, it is the ill-gotten wealth that finds its way out, say the others! The Lord has clarified, "It is the 'Free Will' that I have granted in order to enable him to enjoy life with wisdom, and the fool, mudha, aviveki uses it to gratification of the senses, and forgets Me"!
We have seen how the jiva unnecessarily gets into bondage. There is a Zen story. Then Master shows a person holding a rope tied to the cow and asks him who is controlling whom? Obviously, the disciple says, `it is the person who holds the rope tied to the cow who controls it'. Immediately, the Master cuts the rope and the cow runs away making the person run after it. The Mater says, 'see how the poor fellow is running after the cow'! We think we control things and unnecessarily complicate our life. We go after wealth, money, power, name and fame in order gain control over things that really do not belong to us. We run after things that are not really giving us happiness. The afflicted mind, full of greed, miserliness, ego, envy, competition, eagerness to acquire more and more, pride, show off that 'i am better', etc., cannot have discrimination, wisdom, and thereby suffers.
Now, the problem is very clear. The jiva that is bestowed with `Free Will', an intellect, and a powerful tool such as the mind, should elevate it(the jiva) from its animal state living an instinctive life, to a more human, and then, onward to a divine state. The purpose of the jiva is to attain to its highest potential, the state of 'unity consciousness' samyak prajnya, the Buddha state, from its buddhu (ignorance) state, via the buddhi (viveka).
What are the afflictions of the Mind?
The afflictions of the mind are many and varied. Mind is a fertile slush ground that breeds all pollutants harmful to the jiva. The two other factors that support this volatile mind are the ahankar (abhiman) or ego and the intellect. The buddhi is a double-edged razor. It works both ways- harmful as well as beneficial; If the buddhi is guided by prajnya, it works for the benefit of the jiva. If the jiva is living an erratic life, one of 'egoist', durabhiman / durahankar, and of perverted intelligence, then the jiva is ruined by its own unmindful acts (aviveka); even God cannot help such a jiva, but, may be, a Guru can help such unfortunate ones. The role of a Guru is eulogized here. But the Guru we talk of here is not just a human being roaming about preaching what he does not either practice, or know full well. He is Yogi who sits like a rock and absolves all the jiva's karma kleshas. One should be lucky to get such an attained person. Anyways, "there is light at the end of the tunnel", goes the adage. The true nature of a Guru is well defined in the 'kularnava tantra' and it stipulates the way to approach to Guru. Total humility and surrender is called for here. The Guru is a burning pot, homa kunda, into which we offer our ego/ahankara. The afflictions of the mind are removed in the nearness and service of the Guru. It is not that we serve Him, the Guru, Shiva or Maheshvara, It is He who serves us, the afflicted souls and lifts us up from the mire!
The afflictions of the mind are numerous and follow in a train of accessories, such as drinks, playing, cards, hot rajasic food and associated things like that.. Women play a major role in the life of such unfortunate jivas. Often we find many a rich families are ruined and have been reduced to beggary! Where is the buddhi, viveka, one may ask? Some say, it is one's karma; may be, it is the ill-gotten wealth that finds its way out, say the others! The Lord has clarified, "It is the 'Free Will' that I have granted in order to enable him to enjoy life with wisdom, and the fool, mudha, aviveki uses it to gratification of the senses, and forgets Me"!
We have seen how the jiva unnecessarily gets into bondage. There is a Zen story. Then Master shows a person holding a rope tied to the cow and asks him who is controlling whom? Obviously, the disciple says, `it is the person who holds the rope tied to the cow who controls it'. Immediately, the Master cuts the rope and the cow runs away making the person run after it. The Mater says, 'see how the poor fellow is running after the cow'! We think we control things and unnecessarily complicate our life. We go after wealth, money, power, name and fame in order gain control over things that really do not belong to us. We run after things that are not really giving us happiness. The afflicted mind, full of greed, miserliness, ego, envy, competition, eagerness to acquire more and more, pride, show off that 'i am better', etc., cannot have discrimination, wisdom, and thereby suffers.
Now, the problem is very clear. The jiva that is bestowed with `Free Will', an intellect, and a powerful tool such as the mind, should elevate it(the jiva) from its animal state living an instinctive life, to a more human, and then, onward to a divine state. The purpose of the jiva is to attain to its highest potential, the state of 'unity consciousness' samyak prajnya, the Buddha state, from its buddhu (ignorance) state, via the buddhi (viveka).
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