PERCEPTION AND CONSCIOUSNESS

Thoughts are given the supreme status among all of Human prowess.  It is the Human thought process that is at the center of most of the Paramathma's teachings.

The Puranas ascribe a very close link between Karma and the Thought Process.  The basic movers of the thought process are the predetermined sequences of events waiting to happen.

Prior to establishment of the power structure within the mind, it is necesary to understand the various forces that are vying for control within our  "own" mind.

Western Science has taken the view point that thoughts and abilities are influenced by the activity levels of the brain, that are in turn influenced by the internal "wiring" and release of chemicals.  Consequently a lot of chemicals/drugs are developed and marketed as having the capability to enhance brain activity and functionality. 

This (western) approach is taken because the focus of the mind is supposed to be the external world,  where the individual's survival and growth depends on competing successfully against other people whose abilities, skill levels, knowledge and experience is always increasing.  So all external aids and influences (including medication) are used to push the mind to higher levels of energy and activity. 

The western view point of intelligence is focused on one's ability to absorb external world information, process the same, and attempt to control the sequence of events so that the individual benefits and enriches himself. 

The individual's "success" or "failure" will depend on the ability to outmaneouver the competition.  So all skills are measured and valued only on a relative scale. 

It does not matter how talented you may be or how much knowledge you have,  if you are not better than the competition, then you are a loser.  This approach applies at all stages of life from a child to an old person. 

The Western Rational Approach encourages the pursuit of material wealth and physical pleasures.  Actions directed towards maximizing these objectives (within the framework of the legal system), are considered ideal behaviour. 

Evolution of the thought process is considered only from the point of view of encouraging capabilities that maximize the pursuit of these objectives.
 

DRIVERS OF THOUGHT. The modern view of the  motivators of the mind are;

• Physical sustenance.

• Acquisition of material wealth and comfort.

• Projection of the self

• Acquisition of knowledge about the physical External world with a view to enhancing the eperience of worldly  pleasures and conveniences.

• Reproduction.

The modern way of life enhances and strengthens these motivators as a means of furthering one's self interest.

Is Thought a physical process? Are its capabilities solely influenced by the release of chemicals in the Brain? The Puranas take a different viewpoint.

THE PURANAS DO NOT IN ANY WAY ATTEMPT TO TRACE OR EXPLAIN THE HARDWARE SIDE OF THE PHYSICAL WORLD SUCH AS THE WIRING, THE CONNECTIONS AND THE HOUSING THAT THE BRAIN IS ENCLOSED WITHIN. 

The Puranas do not view the thought process from the point of view of a physical process.  The Puranas are not concerned about how our thoughts are physically generated.  The Human Thought process is not viewed by the Puranas from the point of view of being an Electrochemical reaction,  as western science is prone to do.  

The Puranas deal with only Pure Thoughts and its Channelization into the correct path.  Unlocking the power of the thought process is the only purpose of the Puranas.   The focus on pure thoughts is probably due to the thought process being the most significant part and also the only controllable part of our perceived world. 

The mind is most significant because it needs to achieve the purpose of life.  Controllable because all other aspects of life including the physical body are in synchronization with the evolution of the thought process.  

The thought process is born and, lives, in a physical world.  The purpose of the physical world is to create, set in motion  and sustain the thought process.  The experiences of the physical world are meant to turn the thought process away from the material world, (which represents only transcience),  and onto itself. Evolution is considered to begin only when the mind turns to inquire about itself. 

Also,  when the Jiva Atma attains Moksham,  one of the things that happens is that it is released from the limitations of physical attachments.  The Atma cannot hold on to the physical body and still attain Moksham, simply because the human body represent limitations and restrictions that constrain the evolution of the thought process and the Atman. This is why the physical world is not considered important.

KNOWING THE SELF;  The Puranas contain a self analysis of the thought process itself with the focus on evolving the internal drivers and the use to which the thought process is put. THE PURANAS DEAL ONLY WITH THE SOFTWARE SIDE OF THE  THOUGHT PROCESS,  ITS UNTANGLING FROM KARMIC FORCES  AND ITS EVOLUTION TO MOKSHA.  THE PURANAS FOCUS ALMOST ENTIRELY ON THE USAGE OF THE THOUGHT PROCESS.  THE USAGE IS RESTRICTED TO CERTAIN SPECIFIC PURPOSES BY THE PROCESS OF LEARNING ABOUT, AND CONTROLLING THE GENERATION OF THOUGHTS, USING THE POWER OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE SELF.

The Puranas consider the mind from the point of view of its relationships to the ATMA on the one hand and the external world on the other.

The Puranas  do not consider that success or failure in the material world should be anyone's primary objective.  Spiritual success, which is the ability to turn inward and seek the Truth, is not considered dependent on a high IQ or extraordinary energy levels.  Nor does it require scientific knowledge of the material world, nor extraordinary memory power. 

The Puranas say that the rules of thought control and evolution apply evenly to one and all (no distinction between caste, creed, wealth or knowledge), and represents the absolute eternal Truth.  Every living individual has to attain the objectives prescribed in the Puranas to be able to graduate to the next level.  There is no comparision and there is no competition.  The ability to turn inward and seek the Truth is not considered an option.  This has to be performed by every individual. 

 Material objects and their attributes are also products of the thought process.  These objects are "perceived" using the same forces that drive the thought process such as ownership, attachment, fear, ignorance, sense of pleasure, comfort, pain, etc.  The language used to perceive these objects is the language of the five senses and the "I".

BOTH THESE PATHWAYS HAVE THE SAME OBJECTIVE OF DISCOVERING THE SELF. IN FACT BOTH THESE METHODS ARE INTERTWINED TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT THE OBJECTIVE CANNOT BE ACHIEVED WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING BOTH THE SPIRITUAL AND MATERIAL PATHWAYS. 

WE ARE ALL THROWN INTO THE MATERIAL PATHWAY BY OUR KARMAS AND SO WE ARE FORCED TO GRAPPLE WITH IT WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT.  HOWEVER, IT IS THE SPIRITUAL ASPECT THAT HOLDS THE KEY TO THIS PROCESS, WITHOUT WHICH WE WOULD BE LOST IN MATERIAL MORASS. 



LIKEWISE,  UNLESS WE LEARN THE FUTILITY AND DANGERS THAT ARISE FROM PURSUING A MATERIAL LIFE, WE WILL NOT REALIZE  THE PURITY OF THE PATHWAY TO THE INNER SELF.