Consciousness According to Sankhya and Modern Science. Class 2
Bhakti Vijnana Goswami · Indian Institute of Technology Mandi · 2023
Chapters
Overview of Sāṅkhya philosophy session
Okay, so I'm very happy to greet all of you for this session on Sankey philosophy. And as far as I could see from this model which was shown on the screen. It's the model of classical Sankhya.
I will explain a little bit about the Bhagavatam model of Sankya, which is slightly different than this, with some important addition.
And I will first I will explain the correlation between this model and the findings of the modern science, specifically with the model of triune brain. With the different functions which are specific to this model.
Then I will very briefly explain the model of Bhagavatam Sankhya.
And then hopefully I will try to explain the concept of purification of the mind, which is central to any spiritual practice, what does it mean in practical sense in terms of this model?
How the different stages of purification are related to this model, and what it mints in reality specifically in regard to bhakti style of purification because there are different. concepts of purification.
So I will be speaking about this particular idea of what does it mean to purify the mind or the mirror of the mind as uh Caitanya Mahāprabhu calls it, Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. Marjanam.
So that's uh briefly the plan of my uh presentation today. I don't know how deeply I will be able to uh go into it. We have only one hour, right? Uh okay we can go up to uh twelve noon. Okay.
Um if you of course if you want some more time, uh we can actually request the students to stay a little longer. Some of them may have a class, I'm not sure, but uh yeah. Okay, anyway.
I'll I'll try to be concise although the topic is big. Anyway, so you know perhaps you know the famous model of the brain, which was suggested by some neuropsychologist Paul Maclin, which is called Triune Brain,
and And this model, based on his or common evolutionary speculation, consists of three units of the brain.
The most basic unit of the brain, which they call reptile brain, which is in charge of the most basic functions of human body, totally unconscious functions of the human body and the most fundamental ones like self-preservation, instinct, sexual impulse and drive, hunger, thirst.
It regulates automatically regulates certain functions of the body like heartbeat, which do not require our conscious involvement.
Or you know, it's good that they do not require our conscious involvement, otherwise, we would have to constantly remember that our heart has to beat and our lungs has to have to breathe and so on and so forth.
So that's the most fundamental part of our consciousness, most primitive part of our consciousness, and
then over it laid the emotional part of our consciousness, which is called limbic system, emotional part of the brain, which is programmed to produce certain emotions very important for us human beings.
Usually we proudly say that human beings are homo sapiens, but in reality, we are homo emoticus. We are more emotional than reasonable, rational.
So that's part of the brain which is in charge of this function of our conditioned consciousness is called limbic system and it is it is a part of mammals species, so
more developed species from reptile to mammals and then neocortex, which is again according to the evolutional evolutionary evolutional theories of the modern science is a new development of the brain cortex.
So, you know, if we neocortex which is more developed only in human beings and certain apes, of which we are supposed to be close relatives. So if we consider this three layers.
Although there is a lot of it's a controversial model, not everyone accepts it, but still it's a very useful model because it very clearly distinguishes the functions of the brain into these three big areas.
One is instinctive self-preservational, and you know in charge of very basic instincts, let's say.
Another one is emotional, which is more reactive, which is more in connection with our interaction with the environment, and which produces basically double signal. I like, I don't like, negative, positive.
So this limbic system is programmed in this way: plus-minus. I like, I don't like. And the big spectrum of emotions which is produced by this system of our brain is in between these two poles: hatred and love.
And then at last neocortex, which is a much more complex system, is in charge of our speech of our more developed thought process about the imagination, about the prediction of the future, about remembering the past, and so on so forth.
So, this part of the brain is called executive brain because it executes very important functions and it also has very important place very important role in the cognitive processes because it is by this part of our brain we recognize things and we interact in a more how to say coherent way with the reality.
And by all these functions of imagination and so on and so forth.
This part of the brain can tell us what will be the some remote consequences of our actions, whether they will be positive or negative. You know, this is a unique privilege of developed brain like human beings.
We can foresee the consequences of our action and remodel or somewhat change our behavior at present to make sure that the consequences are good.
Correlation between Sāṅkhya and triune brain
So again, this is a simple model, but it's very useful. And when we look at this model, we cannot...
And if we know the Sankhya system of cognition, Sankhya theory of cognition, it will be very clear that there is a very direct correspondence between this model and Sāṅkhya model.
As you have seen on this diagram and learned during the course,
and there are three main elements of Sankhya cognitive process, which is ahaṅkāra, the ego. And then mind, emotional mind, or interactive mind, as it was said in this diagram, the mind which is directly involved in the interacting with the senses and the mind which is defining what is good, what is bad.
The mind which is telling you this is a good sensation, this is a good experience, and this is the bad experience. So that's this mind, or manas, according to Sāṅkhya terminology, is emotional.
mind, and it has very clear correspondence with this limbic system, and ego, which is according to, again, Sāṅkhya conception is the representation of earth element. Ego is a very how to say this, rigid element in our psyche, therefore it corresponds to the earth element, emotional mind corresponds, of course, to water element, and then intelligence of body, rational mind, or conscious mind corresponds to fire.
So if we take this model, then the The ego system corresponds to this reptile brain.
And this is a very important function of ego because one function of ego is just to make sure that all the necessary functions of our body go on without our conscious involvement.
Ego is deeply subconscious and ego is making sure that we exist.
As I said, the main function of ego is self-preservation and exactly all these instincts which regulate our bodily functions are they executed from this part of brain. From stem, brain and reptile brain.
So limbic system as I said corresponds to mind and mind according to Sankhya has two basic functions, sankalpa and vikalpa, accepting and rejecting.
I accept everything which is pleasurable, which is nice according to my value system. But the value system is deeply ingrained in my ego.
So there is ego which actually rules the whole show because the most deep instincts are there and the value system are there. Actually, the mind is not independent. The mind depends on ego.
And if we see this diagram of the evolution, or rather involution of consciousness according to Sankhya, we can see that the mind is a derivative of ego.
Ahaṅkāra is producing the mind. So ahaṅkāra is the foundation of everything and it's the most basic and somewhat invisible element of our consciousness, whereas the active emotional mind with its two functions, accepting and rejecting, liking and disliking, attaching and being disgusted with something is much more visible and very pronounced in our interaction with the world.
And then we have buddhi which is rational part of our consciousness and which is also in charge of the recognition of the objects and proper interaction with the objects according to the system which is there in the intellect.
And this buddhi basically, you know, when we see the functions of the buddhi we can see that these functions of the buddhi define how accurately the buddhi works in recognizing certain objects in the outer world.
Like sometimes we may have doubt, and it is said that doubt is the function of buddhi. What does it mean? It means that we see something and we are not sure what it is. It's not a clear perception.
So when Sāṅkhya philosophy or yoga or Sāṅkhya in Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam explains the functions of the buddhi, it explains correct perception, incorrect perception, very clear or doubtful perception, which is not clear.
Then the sleep when there is no perception at all, and memory, which is the main function of buddhi.
Buddhi is this rational mind which goes, which is very active, which has the nature of element of fire, and it goes into the subconsciousness and goes back and forth.
Basically, the memory, the mechanism of memory, the executive memory which we have, which is corresponding to this buddhi function of our consciousness the ability of our conscious mind to go into the subconsciousness
and to compare the image which we have of something with some stored image in our memory. And then retrieve this memory from the subconsciousness and say, Oh, yeah, I know what it is. I have seen it. I know what it means.
You know, we may see something which we didn't know, but then the function of the buddhi, which is supposed to recognize this object, is to go into the memory, you know, very quickly goes through all the files which are there stored in the memory, compare with them.
It's a very genius computer-like system. Uh, you know, with the search.
Basically, buddhi is the search engine which sees something in reality, compares with something which we have known and stored in the memory, and saying, oh, yeah, that must be this. This is what it is.
This is the cow using the classical example of Sāṅkhya. You know, you see something which you don't know, but you compare it and you say, oh, yeah, that must be a cow. So again, we don't have time to go too deeply into it.
Role of Citta in Bhāgavatam Sāṅkhya
What I wanted to say more to to stress that there is a fourth element of our consciousness which is called citta, and Sāṅkhya calls the classical Sāṅkhya calls this citta as buddhi, but and they actually miss one element.
They only have three elements of cognition, but Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Sāṅkhya says that the basic element of consciousness is
citta, which has the nature of the air. We have four basic elements. Earth is ahaṅkāra. Then we have water which is manas, then we have fire, which is buddhi, and finally we have air.
This airy very translucent layer of our consciousness, which is called Chitta, and which is actually the primordial two other three functions.
The ahaṅkāra, buddhi, and manas are nothing but aṅgas of this limbs of this complete whole which is called citta. You know, in classical Nyāya or Sanskrit language, there is aṅgī and aṅga.
Aṅga is a limb, aṅgī is the whole.
So citta is the whole, according to again to Pāñcarātra theories citta is Vāsudeva and Vāsudeva, uh, and then we have, uh, functions of, uh, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha or ahaṅkāra. Pradyumna is buddhi and Aniruddha is manas. So they are parts of the whole which is called citta.
Citta has all the functions in it and the different functions which are there divided into these three categories of ahaṅkāra, buddhi, and manas, is nothing but the description of the general functions of citta.
So again I have to be very brief, but what is very interesting: how this involution of consciousness is being described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Usually we say evolution, but this is not evolution. This is involution.
This is the opposite process. How, you know, from the most subtle things, the process of grossification takes place. The most subtle thing is consciousness, pure consciousness.
Pure consciousness of ātmā or pure consciousness of Paramātmā. But then the first material element which is overlaid over the pure consciousness is called mahat, or in our microcosmic scheme of body, it's called citta.
So mahat or citta, universal intelligence, is most subtle intelligence, is most subtle element which is material, subtly material laid over the consciousness and kind of covering the consciousness and helping the consciousness ultimately to identify with the matter.
So, and this is the first level of grossification, and what happens next, according to Sāṅkhya philosophy of Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam, then this citta which doesn't have any concrete form.
It doesn't have any root as such because it's air, or it's formless.
But this citta, you know, becomes very gross due to the overlay or how to say this superimposition over this citta the gross element of earth, which is a hangar. So we have a subtle pure spiritual consciousness,
which is a completely irreducible different entity. Then in between we have this cheetah which is material element covering our consciousness but it's still very translucent and very
It can very accurately reflect the reality, therefore, Caitanya Mahāprabhu calls it darpana. It's a mirror. It can reflect, it can reflect the material reality.
And then over it we have an ahaṅkāra which is the sum total of different saṁskāras, different subliminal impressions, different experiences which we have.
So, this saṁskāras, some total of these saṁskāras, constitute the false ego. The ahaṅkāra false ego is nothing but the collection of different experiences which we had in the past.
You know, and then you know this is the subtle replica of our body. Our body is nothing but the gross manifestation of our ahaṅkāra or ego and ahaṅkāra or ego is nothing but the collection of our past experiences.
And this is compared as the dark cloud which is covering this translucent air of Mahat or original intelligence of citta.
So we have this translucent citta and over it, overlaid the very dark cloud, the you know collection of millions and millions and millions of different experiences which we store in our consciousness.
And this dark cloud definitely has some shape. It's very gross. Then what happens next? You know, we have mahā-citta, and then there is an ahaṅkāra which gives it gross shape. And in this in this shape which is like mold.
You know, because we need to have certain form, certain rūpa. So this mold is there, and in this mold, there
is this liquid of our emotions, of our emotional mind, and then the fire of intelligence which makes the whole machine work. You know, this is uh this is the model, the Sāṅkhya model of our human body. What it is?
It is first and foremost citta, the intelligence by which we recognize the world, interact with the world.
Nature and function of Ahaṅkāra
And then the ahaṅkāra, which is a very gross element of our consciousness, very rigid and very stubborn element of our consciousness.
So ahankar, the very important function of ahankar is to separate us from the rest of the world. This feeling of separateness is the main function of ahaṅkāra. I am separate and I am special.
It is said that Shambhau, Shiva, is a special representative of the Supreme Lord who is entering into our individual consciousness and gives us this pṛthak-bhāva.
The pṛthak-bhāva or the feeling that I am separate from the rest of the reality or from the rest of the universe, I am unique and I am the center of this whole thing is coming from Shiva, Mahadev,
and that's the key word of our individual consciousness, pṛthak-bhāva. I am separate. I am myself. I am independent.
This feeling of independence, of feeling of separateness from the rest of the world is extremely important feature of our ahaṅkāra. And actually, this feature determines everything else.
That's the key, that's the axis upon which everything
else, you know, around each everything else rotates. You know, all the functions of our body and everything else is supposed to preserve this uniqueness of ours or our separateness.
Or you know, you can call this pṛthak-bhāva by different names. It's basically egotism or selfishness. You know, we're selfish by nature. Every one of us has this selfish nature. And that's uh and that's very strong.
It's a very strong element because uh you know it's uh Lord Shiva Mahadev himself. His uh Amsha, his uh uh little portion is entering in our consciousness and creates it.
And you know this feeling of uniqueness, of course, that has some particulars according to the shape of our ego.
As I said, the ego is unique according to the experiences which we had, either in this life or in previous lives. So the sum total of this experiences they constitute our feeling of uniqueness.
How I am unique, how I am very special. But the very feeling, pṛthak-bhāva, I am special, I am separate, you know, it's there in everyone.
How I'm special, it determines by our unique individual experiences in this life and in the previous lives.
Functions of Manas and Buddhi
So that's ahaṅkāra. And then we have emotional mind which is ruled by ahaṅkāra, as I said, because it's ahaṅkāra which determines ultimately what is good, what is bad. And manas is only obediently, you know, reacting.
You know, the the program which determines the function of our manas is recorded in the ego. There is a very m peculiar example of
this, little story, when, uh, devotees went to Burma, I I believe, then they, you know, experienced a very strange thing, because the local people in Burma, they take dead bodies of some animals, put them together, and then, you know, some juice of it is collected, and they use it as a spice.
You know, this completely disgusting, smelling badly juice of the dead bodies. And, uh, and then the local people, they complained when, uh, the, uh,
the devotees went to Burma and they started, uh, frying something in ghee, some patties. They complained about the smell of the ghee.
They didn't like the smell of the ghee, but they liked the disgusting smell of this liquid.
So what I mean to say is that, you know, our likings and dislikings are determined by our past experiences, which is ego. So, you know, different people like different things and dislike different things.
You know, something which is very pleasant for one may be very disgusting for the other one.
The mind is basically determining or measuring the external experience according to the recorded experience or recorded program, which is deeply ingrained in our ego or the sense of identity, our unique sense of identity based on our on our experiences.
And then we have rational mind or buddhi, which is, which is like, you know, which is connecting all this, going back and forth, going into the memory, coming back to the rational conscious mind, you know, saying this, imagining the future consequences of what we're doing, this and that.
So that's what the function of Buddhi means. So then, basically, how it works: first there is Chitta.
And then overlaid over this citta is ahaṅkāra. Then overlaid over ahaṅkāra is manas, and then overlaid over manas is buddhi.
And that's exactly this model of triune brain, you know, where three brains are overlaid over each other, and they all actually are executing
the functions of the heart, because according to Sāṅkhya philosophy, citta is in the heart, is in the area of the heart, physical heart, but it's sometimes translated as the heart. And indeed, it is in the area of the heart because there are some neurons in the heart which are connected with the neurons of the brain. And the different neural network which is connecting the brain and the heart,
they are there, and the heart is actually controlling the brain. Brain is controlling the heart to a certain extent, but there is more neural connections, neural connections controlling the brain from the heart, coming from the heart to the brain than the neural networks which are coming from the brain to the heart.
Citta as a mirror of reality
So that's citta, that's the most important function. And these three functions which are overlaid over citta: like ahaṅkāra, manas, and buddhi are actually nothing but the contamination of citta.
The original citta, by its very nature, is as I said, translucent, and the amazing quality of this citta,
according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, is that it can not only reflect the reality as it is in a proper way, but it can also kind of catch the image of God.
The people with very clear mind, for them there is no question whether God exists or doesn't exist. You know, because it's God is their direct experience. It's their pratyaksha.
It's something which is directly available to them and
therefore it is said in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that the main function of citta is bhagavan-bimba-grāhītvāt. It has an ability to reflect the image of God while absorbing the reality because the mind of such a pure person
uh is is is so pure that he can not only see the reality as it is but he can see the deeper uh reason or the deeper cause behind the reality which is God. So the main function of citta is to reflect God,
but because all this dirt is overlaid over the citta, we cannot reflect, we cannot see God. We cannot even see the reality as it is.
You know, because the first the first contamination which is there in our citta is ego and ego is disturbing or not disturbing how you say it?
Distorting the reality. There is some issue on the mic's end, like on their end. Because sir, you're not audible for me. Oh. Gitanchu, I think there is a problem with your connection. Yeah, we are able to hear. Yeah.
Yeah, Gitanchu there is a problem with your connection. Uh others are able to hear I think. Okay, I can continue. Okay. So uh as I said, uh the first and foremost and the grossest form of contamination which is there is this ego, which we sometimes don't even know because it's so deep.
And we see realities through the lens of ego. And therefore, the image of reality which we get by looking at the outer world through this ego or through our numerous or innumerable experiences are distorted.
You know, we know that some people had some miserable childhood and they had very painful experiences in the childhood. So that has become a part of their ego.
And what whenever they see in reality, you know, they see it through the lens of these experiences and that becomes a problem, big problem for them.
They cannot, for example, if they were abused by their parents, they cannot trust anyone. They cannot see anyone who is trustworthy.
They will, you know, they will associate with somebody who is totally, completely, 100% trustworthy. They still will have some mistrust about this person, some severe doubts. Why?
Because this is how the reality reflected through their ego is being distorted through the lens of ego. And so on and so forth. That's just one example.
So, what to speak about seeing God if we have all this stuff overlaid over our consciousness we cannot see the reality as such.
We cannot really interact with reality in a proper way because because because of ahaṅkāra, manas, and ego, and primarily because of ahaṅkāra, primarily because of this pṛthak-bhāva sense of independence and sense of uh separateness from reality, from the rest of reality.
So, and therefore, any spiritual tradition, either implicitly or explicitly, consciously or unconsciously, is working on the purifying of Chitta. That's the goal of any spiritual discipline, and you know any spiritual discipline developed certain methods of how to if not purify completely but at least to alleviate this contamination which is overlaid over our consciousness. And if we consider the practices of different religious traditions or different spiritual traditions through this lens we can see that actually there is a lot of common uh practices and things because ultimately all the spiritual traditions are dealing or even philosophical tradition, no, well not philosophical, are dealing with the same problem.
This problem is one contamination over our consciousness.
And when as it is said in yoga, you know, when the cittā-vṛtti completely stopped, when the functions of the mind are completely stopped, then svarūpāvasthāna, tadā draṣṭuḥ svarūpe avasthāna, then draṣṭā, the sākṣī, the particle which is endowed with consciousness.
The witness which is our ego, which is witnessing all the processes in our brain and in our subtle body and gross body and reacting
into this svarūpāvasthāna it obtains or rather restores the ability to see himself and in case of bhakti to see God. So every tradition, whether it's yoga or any religion, deals with the same problem, citta-vṛtti-nirodha.
And citta-vṛtti is more or less it's a very scientific description of what contamination of consciousness means. Contamination of consciousness is nothing but the waves on the surface of citta.
And because of the waves, because of these disturbances in the citta, we cannot really see the reality clearly, and we cannot really see ourselves. What to speak about ourselves?
We are looking through this muddy waters of our contaminated consciousness.
And when we have the direct experience by purifying the consciousness of us as eternal conscious entities and uh of God, uh who is the eternal uh origin of all consciousness and all matter, in fact, uh, then uh the problem is solved.
As they say in Hindi, āpat miṭī or something like this. So then it's done. No problem anymore.
Purification of consciousness through surrender
So what I want to say within a few minutes, which is still within the a lot of time, what does it mean to purify the consciousness? I already explained this, but in a more practical sense.
And how it works and how what is the sequence of purification of consciousness?
Again, I am very briefly giving some conceptual model which may help you perhaps maybe in your research or in your thinking process about what is going on in our heart.
So So as I said before, the main problem, the root cause of the problem, the deepest, the most deeply rooted cause of the problem is this pṛthag-bhāva, which is the essence of ahaṅkāra. And everything else, buddhi, manas, is the manifestation of this problem and the peculiarities of our ahaṅkāra, of our ego consciousness, are just, you know, little particulars of this root. This is more or less the leaves and the flowers and the fruits of this root. So, therefore, in bhakti process the main the first step of purification which you have to do and which is unique to bhakti and which makes bhakti such a radical and scientific process in fact, is that you have to surrender yourself.
They deal directly with ego. Some other processes they may deal with the problems of our intelligence. They're trying to correct our intelligence. This is good, this is this is not good.
You know, some other processes are trying to correct our our mind and the you know the programs within our mind.
Some other processes are trying to correct our saṁskāras, which is distorting element in our cognitive interaction with the world. Like for example, psychology.
Psychology basically deals with exactly the same problem, but it deals with a particular saṁskāras, which are again stored deeply in the subconscious and trying to purify the saṁskāras, some fear, saṁskāra, some you know emotional trauma which we underwent in some early childhood.
By the way, just for curiosity's sake, I wanted to say why why all the saṁskāras or purificatory rituals are performed in the childhood.
It's interesting the very concept, the very concept of saṁskāra is you uh through the media of the ritual you You create a positive saṁskāra or positive impression within your mind, and it's only possible in the childhood.
When the citta is very vulnerable. In the childhood, ego is not so strong, and therefore, we can have directly access to citta. But then, when the person grows up, his egos becomes much harder.
But in the beginning, citta is very pliable because the ego is not so strong. It's like: you know, the pot. When you make the clay pot, when it's still wet, you can make all different kinds of drawings on the clay pot.
But then when you put it in the fire, you after some time you can do anything. There is already this pattern in the clay pot, because it was burned. So exactly the same thing is happening with us.
You know, in the childhood, we can have these impressions
easily, and therefore, saṁskāras are done, all the saṁskāras are done in the childhood. Actually, you know the last saṁskāra is Vivāha saṁskāra. After vivāha the pot is already burned. No other no other impressions can be done.
So that's the last saṁskāra which we can experience. But before that, when still our consciousness is more flexible and more pleable, then you can have some positive impressions and create a more wholesome being.
But that's a side remark. My main topic I still didn't touch yet. So well, I started. I said that different processes are dealing with different parts of this contamination of a citta. Like for example, repentance.
What is repentance? Repentance means that you are by your intelligence, you remember some bad thing which you have committed and you dwell on this and by the fire of intelligence you basically burn this saṁskāra.
By the fire of repentance, uh you know you you may have some experience, some deeply emotional experience connected with some sinful activity, and every sinful activity actually is connected with some emotions. That's why it's called sin.
Sin if we translate it into Sanskrit, it's called Agha. Agha means from the root verbal root han. Agha means agha, something which has an unerasable unerasable saṁskāra, very deep trace. Impression, yeah.
So something which leaves a very deep impression. So what for example what repentance does a very common practice of purifying your consciousness.
You remember this thing which left some impression and you try to undo it by repentance, by you know regretting about this, by making it or you know the same processes uh being applied and curing people from some addictions.
You know, they're addicted to this drug or that drug, and they show them the consequences of this. They, you know, employ the imagination. This is what is going to happen with you if you continue with this habit.
So, this is all to a certain extent alleviate or erase completely saṁskāra from the consciousness. So, that's definitely purifying, there is no doubt about it. Different psychological processes can be very purifying.
There are many processes. But Bhakti says, no, no, let's go to the root cause. The root cause of all problems. We may purify this samskara or that samskara.
We may you know little get little relief by this practice or that practice, but the main problem remains intact.
And this problem is so deeply hidden, it's hidden so deeply that we don't even understand sometimes consciously this problem. I am separate, I am unique, I am special, I am independent, I am independent on God.
So therefore, the first step in bhakti for the purification of cheating is called Saranagati, and Saranagati means I'm not independent anymore.
You go directly to the root and uh uh you admit that I'm not independent anymore. I don't have this independent uh existence, I am dependent on God. Uh uh, who am I?
And then this Saranagati has six limbs which are very interesting and which, in my humble opinion, represent the stages of purification of manas, buddhi, and ultimately ahaṅkāra. So that's the stages of purification of chitta, which ultimately is supposed to allow us, allow us to see God.
So first in Saranagati, what Sharanagati means, I am not independent, I declare my dependence. You know, the step number one, I relinquish my imaginable, imagined independence. I recognize the truth I am dependent.
I am dependent on so many things and ultimately I am dependent on God. So what does it mean in practical sense?
The first step, the first practical step in declaring this dependence is instead of using my ingrained program.
This I like, this I don't like, I change this program onto something which is not mine but which is given to God. Which is given by God to me.
I'm not saying that this is what I like and therefore I will do it, and this I don't like, this is uh and that's why I will avoid it by all means.
From the Saranagati point of view, I'm saying because I am not independent, I do not determine which is good and which is bad. You determine it for me. What you think is good, I will accept as good.
What you think is bad, I will accept as bad. If you think that get up in the morning is good, I will get up in the morning because you think it's good, not because there are some scientific reason behind it.
It's very interesting that in Vedic culture they never explained the rationale. Every little Vedic ritual has deep scientific foundation. But they don't explain why?
Because it's more important for us to follow this without asking why. It's much more beneficial if we just say this.
And therefore, Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpa, if you think it's good, I will do it. Not because it's good by this scientific reason and that scientific reason, because if this rationale is there, I'm still independent. I'm still the judge who determines what is good, what is bad.
By different process, by scientific process, no problem. But you know uh you know we're not supposed to kill other uh living entities. We we're supposed to be vegetarian. That's a very basic thing, uh e in the rules.
You know, most of the rules of religion or you know spiritual traditions is what you should do what you shouldn't do so and that's and that's the basic will of the Lord.
The basic will of the Lord is how you sustain your life. You know, by which means you sustain your life. There are some legitimate means and illegitimate means.
So the first thing I purify my emotional mind, my reactions on what is good, what is bad.
You know, from this point, I you know I may have some you know I'm I may belong to this Burma and I still may have this very pleasant experience of eating this you know, liquid of the dead animals.
But nevertheless, I say that ghee is good and this is bad. So, despite the program which is there in my mind. So, that's the first stage of purification and we can see it works rather quickly.
When we adopt the value system which is given to us by the scriptures, this is good, bad. This I uh accept and this I reject. Then very quickly we understand actually this is really good. This is good.
This is good not because it is said, but because this is the way I am constructed. This is because the way I am.
So that's the first step of purification when we react, uh emotionally react on the reality, not according to our program, but according to the program which is given to us by God.
And the second stage is anukūlyasya-saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyasya varjanam rakṣiṣyatīti viśvāso goptṛtve varaṇaṁ tathā, the two next varjanam rakshisha titi viswasovo koptritve varanam tatha the two next
limbs of śaraṇāgati is to understand that I'm not protecting myself.
God is protecting me, God is behind everything which is happening with me, and I'm not maintaining myself. God is actually making sure that I get everything. And that's directly connected with buddhi element.
Because buddhi element is exactly this rational intelligence which you know by which we think I'm the doer. I protect myself uh and I maintain myself and if I don't do this nobody will maintain me and uh this and that. So this Saranagati addressing
the problem of the ego, you know, first deals with purification of the mind, then gradually, gradually purifies the intelligence. You know, God is guiding me, God is directing me.
Like yesterday when I was giving my talk, one uh person approached me at the end and he said, you know, what would happen with you uh if somebody else you met? If you met somebody else on your path and you would become something different, you think,
you know I said, no, it's not possible.
Because uh you know I I clearly see that there is some you know some force behind my life which is guiding me and it's not that I'm completely free to to see and it's not by accident.
You know people with muddy intelligence think that uh you know they're free to choose and uh you know the everything which has happened by uh accident and uh by their intelligence they have to counteract this negative accidents and to make sure that they're successful.
But you know ultimately when your intelligence is purified, you can clearly recognize that there is some force behind your life and behind everything which is happening with your life.
And again, this is the question of intelligence, of clear intelligence. You know, we're not relinquishing intelligence, we're not relinquishing the mind, at least in bhakti process.
We don't try to deny the existence of this very important elements of our consciousness, but we changed the program which is within this.
So we are understanding more clearly how you know there is a higher force behind our life which is guiding us. And then finally two last limbs of Saranagati is Karpanya what is it Atmaniksyapa
karpanyama clearly related to the ego uh portion of our consciousness. I become very humble and meek. Karpanyam I don't have inflated sense of my importance and Atman Niksepa, I.
Nikkshepa means I literally throw myself down in front of God. Atmaniksepa. I'm yours. I'm the part of your being. I am not separate.
And that's the last and the most painful and the most difficult element of purification of ego.
Because again, the fundamental element of ego is I am separate, and you know by, this Sharanagadi process you you say, no, I'm not separate. I belong to you, I'm part of you, I'm you know I'm eternally connected with you, and I am dependent on you. I am not independent.
So initially we declare independent dependence. You know, like in every country there is a declaration of independence or Independence Day. So and um we also celebrate our Independence Day.
It's called the birthday, you know, my Independence Day. Here I am, I'm born as an independent living entity in this world. But then our real birthday is when we declare dependence on God.
And when we declare dependence, the purification process starts and gradually unravels and then, you know our real ego manifests through this process.
I am there, I am individual, I am individual living entity, I am aṁśa. Krishna says, mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke. Jīva, the spirit, soul is the aṁśa of me, a part of me. So this clear understanding is coming at last.
We start from theoretical understanding that I am dependent, I am part of God,
but the realization of it is coming last because again the ego layer is the deepest layer of our contaminated consciousness and therefore contamination of ego is the most difficult.
And therefore, many people they adopt external lifestyle of spiritual or religious people, they adopt rules and regulations, no problem. Many people kind of understand that they're dependent on God,
but still they they hide deeply down the spirit of independence or the pride. I am very special, you know. I am very special in the kingdom of God. Of course, we are very special, but not in the sense as we usually sing.
So that's how you can utilize this model. And then as I said, when these three elements which are superimposed upon our citta are cleared when they become very clean and translucent,
transparent, then our ego obtains again three qualities. It can reflect the image of God, it becomes
very peaceful, śānta. It doesn't have all these negative emotions and uh it uh becomes free from attachment and uh uh hatred. So the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam compares this citta with pure water.
And water means pure water. You know, when we say water we mean pure water. We don't mean muddy water. Mud is something external which is superimposed upon the water. So consciousness means pure consciousness.
And even material consciousness, satvik consciousness, which we are talking about, we are not talking yet about the spiritual consciousness means pure. And pure water is transparent.
Pure water is very peaceful. It's not being you know shaky or disturbed by wind or whatever. And the pure water has very sweet taste. It doesn't have this uh negative elements or flavors in the taste.
So that's what citta is, and when this citta becomes pure, by whatever means you manage to make it pure, and of course, you know, as I was trying to show that this bhakti process is a very efficient process because it goes directly to the root, then the problem is solved.
Then there is no problem because all other problems are derivatives of the main problem which is contamination over our consciousness. But when we understand reality of us, we understand that we are eternal,
that we're not, you know connected with this body which is destined to die, then you know what is the problem? There's no problem. I am not the body, I'm the soul.
But realization of this consciousness doesn't come immediately. It takes some time before all these processes will be completed. So that's that's basically it. Thank you Maharaj, this was very wonderful.
Hierarchy of Sāṅkhya cognitive elements
Uh I learned so many things. I see that there is a question in the chat. Uh I just read it out to you. Uh this is Sakshi.
Sakshi is actually a PhD scholar in Ikshma Center, and she's written, uh Sir, is this defined somewhere that the hierarchy of Mehat Putti and uh Ahankar is fixed? Uh if the if yes then okay, if not then why?
So she's asking about the hierarchy of the Mehad Buddhi and Ahankar. Mahatma. Manas Manas Buddha Nankar. Yeah, in uh it is very clear Mahat is the first element, it's the highest element,
and again according to Pancharatra literature, Mahat uh and Vāsudeva is in charge of Mahat, uh he is the main, he is the boss. And uh Sankarsan Pradyumna and Nirudd, they are the parts of uh this whole.
So Mahat is the first and then from Mahat ahaṅkāra comes and also in this scheme after Vasudev Sankarshan. Sankarshan isletown the predominating deity of ahaṅkāra, of our ego element, ego mind. And then there is Pradyumna.
Pradyumna is the intelligence and there is Aniruddha, Aniruddha is mind, representative of the mind. So from ahaṅkāra, which is tamasic by nature, we have predominantly sattvic mahat. Mahat is very, very sattvik.
It has you know highest percentage of sattva possible and therefore it's so translucent and so you know so beautiful.
And then we have tāmasika ahaṅkāra, and you know, sāttvik portion of tāmasika ahaṅkāra becomes mind, and the rajasic portion of tāmasika ahaṅkāra becomes buddhi.
So buddhi according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is rajasic portion and manas is sāttvik portion of tāmasic transformation of Mahat, which is ahaṅkāra. So that's the hierarchy of these four elements.
Mahat on the top, then goes ahaṅkāra and the from the ahaṅkāra two derivatives are the mahat, which is most sāttvik uh mahat which is most sāttvik and buddhi which is more rajasic. Thank you Maharaji.
Uh there is also a connected question I think which has already been answered which, is is what the difference between Mahat and buddhi. I think uh this uh is already covered from what you have just uh mentioned.
Yeah, and I I can also add that uh you know classical Sankhya, like in Sankhya Karika, they call Mahat as Buddha, and therefore there is some confusion. It's a different nomenclature.
If we accept the version of Sāṅkhya which is presented in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then buddhi is something different than the buddhi which is described in classical Sāṅkhya.
The buddhi described in classical Sāṅkhya is nothing but Mahat. They call Mahat or Mahatattva as Buddhi because that's the universal intelligence, that's the information field.
That's another description, very important description of what Mahat or buddhi in Sāṅkhya. So please do distinguish between this buddhi and that buddhi that's a completely different entity. Great.
That's why I think uh these students had this question.
Citta as the whole in Bhāgavatam
Great, very nice. Uh uh Maharaji, one small question from my side. Uh, this is related to citta. And uh you know what I understood is that uh of course I've been also learning, but uh
citta is like, you know, some part of consciousness, uh, where, uh, other parts are, like, you know, this, uh, intelligence, ego, and, uh, you know, the other uh the sense mind.
So is this true, uh, as per you, that, uh, citta is like one part of consciousness where the other three parts are? Like, for example, in yoga, they don't distinguish even yoga is so closely related to Sankhya, but still they don't distinguish all these uh things.
They only say citta: citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ. So citta is the whole. Citta is aṅgī, and ahaṅkāra, buddhi, and manas are aṅgas, different limbs of citta.
Citta is the whole, and, uh, citta, but of course, citta cannot function without ahaṅkāra, manas, and, uh, you know, uh, in the present.
You know, in many, maybe in some very spiritually developed people, who somehow rather go beyond other's functions, they're just sitting there completely immersed in the pleasantries of their citta experiences.
But, you know, actually, these other three functions, they are just limbs or different functions of original citta, or original ahaṅkāra, or original citta of Mahat.
So, and, uh, these functions may or may not be there. Like for example, when we are in a deep sleep. In a deep sleep, this is a very prominent state of consciousness which we go every night.
You know, this ahaṅkāra is not there. We don't have separate existence. The intelligence, of course, not there, and mind is not there. They all immersed into into this.
But the citta is still there. So the consciousness is still there. And therefore, the very first moment if you notice yourself when When you wake up, there is no I consciousness when you wake up.
It's just the consciousness. The feeling that I exist but without I.
The feeling of existence, yes, because it's like nirvikalpa pratyakṣa, it's the first indeterminate understanding of existence. Exists something, but I don't know what. You know, that's exactly what it is. And then very quickly you remember, oh yeah, this is me. This is me means you know I'm professor such and such, or I am sannyāsī such and such, or this and that.
You know that comes very quickly. But that's the second element, the first moment, the first very first moment uh momentarily we just exist without this and that's basically
citta which is the beginning and then all other functions they are uh one by one you know then uh you you realize who you are and then you realize what you like, what you don't like, you realize everything which happened yesterday which you didn't like and you know somebody disturbed you and then by your intelligence you s start making plans what to do, how to counteract these unpleasant things or how to increase the pleasant things in your life.
So that's how it is, and that's why this is the hierarchy. And that's why it is there in the in this model of uh triune brain by Paul MacLean. Very interesting Maharaji.
Delta waves as a biomarker for Citta
Maharaji one thing I uh uh can you hear me? Yeah. So scientifically we know that we have four phases of sleep, and this uh deep sleep is uh particularly characterized by delta waves.
Uh, delta waves are uh you know, I'm talking about deep waves, uh it is 0.5 hertz to 2 Hz, very slow frequency.
And right now you actually mentioned very interesting thing that it's actually when we are in deep sleep, uh what is there is citta. Means uh we don't have any mind uh or any of those sense or things working.
And of course uh our body is like paralyzed. I actually gave an example that if you're holding on to something when you sleep, you will drop it. Uh if you are holding onto phone, oftentimes we find that this happens.
So anyway, so my question is this uh is this delta wave can be taken as a biomarker for citta? Yeah. Uh some kind of uh curious about it.
Yeah, see yeah, because uh as I said yeah I think it it can be taken as biomarker for citta because ultimately citta in its original stage it's very calm, it's undisturbed, and in the deep sleep, you know, this sort of state of consciousness is being restored.
Whereas you know in our waking state we have this you know beta waves which are uh you know which has uh such uh high frequency and you know there is also stressful beta waves there are different also grades of beta waves according to the disturbance of citta. So yes, uh definitely deep sleep and delta wave can be taken as as some sort of marker, at least uh in a first approximation
interesting so this can actually give us uh insights into how EEG can be used particularly deltautely. Ask deeper questions about citta. Yeah, I see another hand raised, uh Ruhit Daspuria. Go ahead, Ruhit.
Thank you, Maharaj, for such a nice trust. Um yeah, this always question always puzzles me because in uh Patanjali uh and the classical definition of Sankhya, so chitta is not considered a separate element.
So it's a sum total of uh managudisankha. Yes. Yes. Bhagavatam is clearly mentioned as a separate element. So always had this doubt. So I got some more clarity.
Maharaj, can you once again tell why in Bhagavatam it has specifically uh taken as a special element, not in classical sati? Can you explain that a little bit more? I don't really know. I don't really know.
I'm not such a big uh expert in classical Sankhya. I have uh I know that there is a difference. Uh I mean they do have the understanding of Chitta or Mahat, but they call it Buddhi, they call it differently.
But in general, my understanding is that in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Vyāsadeva he synthesized all different theories which were existent about the reality into the coherent whole by taking the concept of Bhagavan as the personality of Godhead.
So Shimad Bhagavatam is the synthesis and when you synthesize something, some different you know things, naturally the different you know theories they become enriched by the process of synthesis.
So that's my explanation. The Sankhya of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is definitely much richer than the classical Sankhya because it takes advantage of other you
know other theories like in in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Vedanta Yoga Sankhya and you know this agamik series of you know this Vjuha Chaturvjuha, they all synthesized. Otherwise, they existed separately.
In Agamas, there is Chaturviewha, Sankhi is separate, yoga is separate, this is Vedanta is separate. So Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the musically enriching synthesis of all these different theories.
And that's why they are somewhat modified, but at the same time the the best, the cream of them is presented in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in a much more complete and coherent way.
Thank you Maharaj so much and a second point Maharaj like you said very interestingly that the Chitta is situated in the heart and you said that uh there are more uh nerves I mean the neural uh network which is going from heart to control the brain, not the vice versa like we normally think.
So maybe this also can be uh area where we can study more at the maybe bio. Yeah. So heart can be like a biomarker for chitta? Yeah. Absolutely, yes. Yes, yes.
The coherence of the heart, the the you know differences there, uh markers for the chitta, yes. Yes. Yeah, I think uh we have uh had a very good interaction.
Uh we really should thank Maharaj for spending time and explaining these very subtle and difficult concepts and how they are divergent in the different literatures we have, but I think this has been a very good learning.
I have got several ideas as well using delta waves as biomarkers of chitta.
So again I'd like to thank uh Maharaj uh for your kind uh time and uh help in delivering this nice lecture. We have recorded this and uh sir if you need the recording we'll definitely share it with you.
If you allow we can post it on our, you know, course.
Absolutely please post it yeah yeah no problem please so that students can refer to it in future uh because this is a like uh once in a uh you know blue opportunity, yeah.
Thank you so much Maharaj for uh your kind time and uh thank you students for patiently listening and uh interacting. Thank you again. Thank you very much. Take care. Hare Krishna. Namaste. Namaskar