By the students of Narayana Ayurveda
According to Ayurveda, Humans are beings who are layered and multidimensional, comprised of a Triad of Existence which consists of the Body, Mind and Soul. These parts are inseparable and coexist together in order to maintain our life and consciousness.
Beginning with the Soul, or Atma, there is a spark of Divine Consciousness. The Atma is like the God particle, an inseparable part of us which resides in and is the Universe. This indestructible energy animates our body with Prana (subtle and vital life-force energy) and it also interacts with the external world via our mind and senses. Soul resides in the Heart. This essence can transmigrate from one physical being, carried with the subtle mind and ego, to the next in a progression of reincarnated existence. Bliss is the natural state of the Atma.
Mind is an integral part of humans which interacts with both the soul and physical body and could be likened to the Conductor in a Symphony of Life. Mind, or Manas as it is known in Ayurvedic terms, is our consciousness and becomes both Ego (Ahamkara) and Intellect (Bhuddi) as it evolves. Our Ego is the first layer after the Atma, providing our sense of identity and purpose, it is the doer. Bhuddi, or Intellect is responsible for our powers of logic, reasoning and memory, it resides mostly in the head.
Manas is the Sanskrit word for Mind, there are many other names for Manas; including, Chitta, Chetas, Sattva, and Atindriya. How we relate to the world around us is through Manas.
Manas is NOT considered the brain. According to Ayurveda, the mind is a conscious entity that makes us knowledgeable. It is deep within us and reflects our living tendencies.
The mind is located in the heart but is present all over, it permeates the entire body through the circulation of Prana. Manas is the connecting link between the Atma (soul) with Sharira (body) and therefore, influences both.
Manas is the control center of all the sense organs, it is referred to as our sixth sense organ or Indryia, considered as an organ or perception and action. It connects our external world to our internal world through the senses.
The mind is a tool for both sensory and motor organs, (Atindriya).
Manas is atendriya which means extraordinary sense organ (11th sense organ) with dual action both motor and sensory. It has quality of ekatva (oneness) doing one thing at a time but very fast which makes it look like doing many things at a time, and anutva (minute to atom) which means it aborbs itself in an activity when present fully.
Mind is anutva i.e. it is atom like. This can be related to size because it is so minute and cannot be seen or it could also be related to the quality of being anywhere and everywhere just like an atom. Even if we do not visit a place physically we can visit any location using our imagination or creative forces which is generated by manas.
Manas is very subtle - Anutva - we cannot see it we can only judge it. The mind is one - ekatva but performs many various functions so rapidly.
We can not see the mind, it is subtle, we can only judge it by its presence or absence, (Anutva). We don't necessarily think about using our mind, we experience it. For example, when reading a book we create a scenario in our mind.
The mind is one, ( Ekatva) but performs various functions so quickly that we feel as if multiple minds are at work.
Mind is ekatva i.e. it is one and not many. Although it appears as many because of its contact with the doshas, sense faculties etc. it is one and only one. It does not initiate more than one faculty at a time.
The mind can be broken down to 6 major functions:
1- To think or Vichar
2- To Judge or Uhya
3- To keep control on all orgnas- Indriya Nigraha
4- To keep a control on self or Swasya Nigraha
5- To take a decision or Sankkalpa
6- To set goals or Dheya
The mind is also composed of three super qualities or Gunas. These 3 qualities are, Sattva ( intellegence, light), Rajas (distraction, activiy) and Tamas (inertia, darkness). Just as the physical body is made up of Doshas, the mind is made up of Gunas.
Rajas and Tamas are needed to have a connection to the physical body and Sattva is needed for compassion, clarity and intelligence.
We use our minds, but we are NOT our minds.
