By Sandra Corder, Ayurveda Counselor
In the hierarchy of “being”. At the top, of course are Purusha and Prakruti – one directs existence and the other the creative force of action. Next is Mahad or Buddhi, which cosmic intelligence, then the Ahamkar, or ego. At this point in this hierarchy, there is a branching between subtle and gross. Subtle being Sattva, and gross being Tamas with Rajas sliding between the two.
Our mind, or manas, is on the subtle side of the branch. This branch descends from Satva and is organic in nature. This branch is awakening, stability, purity and the essence of light. This subtle side of our existence encompasses the mind as well as in organs of perception. It does not have a perceivable organ, just a function. Its job is to interpret the information that it perceives from the organs of cognition (ears, skin, eyes, tongue, and nose) and the organs of action (mouth, hands, feet, reproductive and excretory organs).
We live out lives in a physical world surrounded by the millions of combinations of the gross elements (space, air, fire, water, earth). Inanimate objects (inorganic) also reside in a world surrounded by those same objects. The difference is that as a “being” we have a mind to interpret the data that our sense organs encounter. Manas resides in the heart, but permeates the body via prana. It manifests the consciousness of atma in connection to with the body and senses. Knowledge and realization are both functions of manas and is intimately tied to the soul and to intelligence.
I am a fan of science fiction and one topic that is frequently brought up is the question of artificial intelligence. Can an artificial being become conscious? Can they ever move from inanimate to animate? Can they ever be given a mind?
I hold that no inanimate object could ever be given manas because it is such a subtle essence that is truly tied up the line of hierarchy straight to the creator level. Sure, the circuitry could be built and algorithms created to detail action in extremely complex situations, but the true subtle essence would be mimicked. Manas isn’t something that can be created because it isn’t a “thing” that can be measured.
I am at a loss for words that make sense, so I will give an example:
You are driving down the road and there is a turtle in the road. You see the turtle, your mind recognizes that it is a turtle, accesses your higher self and is told that object holds life and is precious, you have a visceral reaction to the thought of taking that life. Your mind directs your hands and feet to make the necessary adjustments to save the life. The mind is what interpreted the information, accessed appropriate memories, and, most critically, engaged the emotional centers that told it to be merciful.
A little farther up the road, there is a tire in the road of approximately the same size. Your mind again interprets the data but chooses to not make the corrections to miss the debris.
A self-driving car has no manas. It can be programmed with proximity alerts to take action when something is in the road, but it will never FEEL bad if it hit a turtle. It wouldn’t suffer guilt or feel relief for missing it. The physical circuitry of the car plays the part of our brain. But our brain is just the hardware. The software of the car can mimic manas, but true manas can only exist in a living being that has a tie to the creator and is able to feel emotion.
In the case of missing the turtle, all the functions of manas were performed”:
To think – To be take in the sensory data
To analyze – recognition of the turtle
To speculate – to know that it would not survive the collision
To keep control of the organs – to trust the information given
To keep control of self – to “handle” the situation through focus on the issue
To make a decision – to take evasive action
To set goals – to safely navigate the obstacle and continue the journey without remorse
So, one could say that the manas, or the mind, is the connector between the gross and subtle elements in us and around us. It ties us to the physical world by interpreting the sensory data and directing action, but it also ties us to the non-spiritual world that includes our morals, ethics, intelligence, soul, and even our tie to the creator.
