The mind receives the signals from the senses. The intellect seperates the signals into other people, objects and events. The seperation of the signals into these categories of people, objects and events, is possible because of the ability of the intellect to seperate them spatially. The "events" occur because the mind has the capability to arrange the change that occurs (or is perceived to occur), into specific slots of time (past, present and future).
Birth of Perception caused by the pull of opposites.
of Perception caused by the pull of opposites.All physical phenomena that we observe, are caused by an imbalance. For example, electricity flows because there is an imbalance between the positive and negative ends of the wire. Likewise, water flows down the hill because of the imbalance created by gravity. Magentism is caused by an imbalance between the positive and negative polarities of the magnetic bar. Wind blows from a high pressure to a low pressure area.
So all physical flows are caused by imbalances.
The unique assertion of the PARAMATHMA is that the imbalance exists only in the mind. This imabalance in the mind is what manifests itself as the world that we PERCEIVE. But for this imabalance in the mind, there is no unverse and there is no matter.
The Puranas say that the continual flow of thoughts is also caused by imbalances. These imbalances are however not physical. The imbalance in the mind is caused by OPPOSITES.
Examples are;
Emotional (Happiness, Sadness).Attainment (Success, Failure).Financial (Wealth, Poverty)Health (Well, Unwell)Relationship (Love, Hate).Ownership (Possess, Deprived).Belief (True, False)Time (Past, Future)Human thought is constantly moving from one end of the balance spectrum to the other. It is never in a state of tranquility. Even when sleeping, dreams oscillate the mind between the two states.
Believing that this perceived world is real, we believe that the imabalances in the mind are caused by the impact of the physical world (which is assumed to be the Truth) as opposed to the Paramathma, who clearly says that there is nothing external to the mind.
The Puranas say that it is this oscillation of the Mind that is responsible for the imbalances caused in the physical world, which is only an effect of this mental cause. Consequently, the Puranas have taken the approach that the only source of all matter, space and energy in this universe arise from our thoughts.
The Puranas refer to these mental imbalances as OPPOSITES. So a mind driven by opposites cannot attain Moksham, because its primary objective is to maximize the experience of pleasure and minimize pain. Once embroiled in this struggle, no effort is expended towards attaining higher levels of thought. Life goes around in circles.
The imbalances have been further condensed and classified into three broad categories -the three Gunas. These are the Rajasic, Tamasic and Sattvic Gunas. It has been said that human perception is an effect of the imbalance between the three Gunas that impact the mind. If these three Gunas can be brought into perfect balance, then perception and events of this world come to a standstill.
So the Puranas recommend MIND CONTROL as a means to put the brakes on this wandering between the opposites, which actually gets us nowhere on the evolutionary ladder.
More in MIND CONTROL as a means to still the mind in later sections.
More on the three Gunas in the next section.-
The ability to perceive the external world is the primary source of knowledge for all living beings.
The Puranas emphasis that the objects of perception are illusory and the force of perception is the reality (which needs to be understood, for evolution to occur).
The western approach considers the material world as real and the force of perception as illusory. So the focus is on using physical forces to create an environment for self-sustenance.
The differences between the two points of view are laid out in the following pages of this web site.
Comparing and contrasting the two pathways helps in choosing the one that we believe to represent the truth.
Perception is the EFFECT and ATMA is the CAUSE. While perception experiences births and deaths, the ATMA has no birth or death, it simply moves from one JANMA to another, assumuing different forms (based on its KARMA. This cycle continues until MOKSHAM is attained, after which the ATMA is not subject to the PERCEPTION of the PHYSICAL WORLD any longer. It reaches a state of PERMENANCE.
THe Puranas however present the matter in a different manner.
According to the Puranas:
The experience of perception has been predetermined based on the individual's Karma.
The individual cannot position himself in any advantageous manner by use of logic/reasoning or rationale. So he cannot overcome the predetermined events by exercise of "Free Will" and "Rationale".
The individual is also bounded by Ignorance that severly limits decision making on the best avenues or paths to take.
The limitation imposed by ignorance reduces the "rationale" based decision making to one largely driven by conveniences, desires and temptations.
This is exactly the way KARMA wants the thought process to go, so it can be in complete control in taking it along the predetermined path.
When it is subject to information from the senses and the thought process, the individual conciousness, the Jiva Atma (not the universal consciousness, which is the Paramathma), becomes severly limted in its ability to gain knowledge and attain the Truth about its own existence.
This inability of the Jiva Atma to merge with the Paramthma encourages the growth of an Ego or "I", The "I" , to sustain itself, then attempts to take complete control of the Jiva Atma.
Purification of the inner self and surrendering control of the same to the Paramathma, will infinetly expand perpective capability and remove all constraints and limitations under which these work.
What about the physical properties (electrochemical, mechanical processes) of the sense organs that converts external world objects and events into thoughts?
The Paramathma and the Puranas do not consider the details of the mechanics of these organs as relevant or significant.
The fundemental reason for this approach is that the Puranas' focus is restricted to the ROOT CAUSE of all events, which is the thought process resulting from the separation of the Jiva Atma from the Paramathma.
All problems can be solved on one swoop with the merger of these two entities. Any other method will only provide, at best, temporary solutions.
Our Puranas are categorical that as long as the Atman is subject to the play of material objects, and does not turn away from these, it will not be able to obtain release from this sense bounded existence that is full of limitations and misery.
So the question arises as to what do we do with these sense objects. It is not within our power to turn them off. In fact that would makes us more entrapped in this world of Maya.
The problem and the solution are outside of the sense organs which are only the media or the instruments to perform physical transformation of information so these can be processed by the mind, sub conciously and consciously through the thought process.
Our minds process this information received by the process of virtualization. "REAL" world objects and events that were observed now become thoughts that have properties and characteristcs added on that may not have existed in the actual object or event.
These thoughts give the object and events a personal twist of interpretation and wrap them up in the fabric of MAYA. These objects and events are looked at by the "I" only from the point of view of its own sustenance and growth.
Any action that results from these thought will be only directed at self protection, self projection, or self enjoyment/fulfillment.
The thought process centered on the "I" thus "sees" only a very biased version of what is perceived.
This is why each of us perceives the same event differently.
The PARAMATHMA is categorical that if the thought process is opened up to look beyond the "I", then what is perceived will be unrestricted and complete, without any bias, and will expand the horizon of perception to unlimited extent,
If all the children of "I" (such as FEAR, PLEASURE, INSECURITY, EGO etc.) are dropped, then what is perceived will be only objects and events that are as Pure as the Atman.
In other words, what is perceived through the sense organs from the external world, is nothing but a reflection of the Inner self.
KrishnaUnlimited 