(53) (U-5) What is the mind?

WHAT IS A MIND?

रामोवाच​भगवन्मनसो रूपं कीदृशं वद मे स्फुटं यस्मात्तेनेयमखिला तन्यते लोक​मञ्जरी ।  

Rama spoke: Bhagavan, explain to me clearly what the nature of the Mind is, by which the entire cluster of world arises.

वसिष्टोवाच रामास्य मनसो रूपं न किञ्चिदपि दृश्यते नाममात्रादृते व्योम्नो यथा शून्यजडाकृतेः ।  

न बाह्ये नापि हृदये सद्रूपं विद्यते मनः सर्वत्रैव स्थितं ह्येतद्विद्धि राम यथा नभः ।   

इदमस्मात्समुत्पन्नं मृगतृष्णाम्बुसंनिभं रूपं तु क्षणसन्कल्पाद्वितीयेन्दुभ्रमोपमं ।  

मध्ये यदेतदर्थस्य प्रतिभानं प्रथां गतं सतो वाप्यसतो वापि तन्मनो विद्धि नेतरत् ।

(Mind is just a name for the appearance of the world.)

Vasishta spoke: Rama! Nothing as the form of the mind is observed to exist except as a name, like the (name) ‘space’ which refers to something void and inert. There does not exist, a form for the mind either outside or inside the heart Rama. Understand that it exists everywhere like the sky. This (world) which has arisen out of this (mind) is like the waters of the mirage; and its form is just a momentary delusion like the vision of two moons. That which is the ‘appearance of the objects’, ascertained by all as existing, whether real or unreal, know that alone as the mind and nothing else.

यदर्थप्रतिभानं तन्मनेत्यभिधीयतेऽन्यन्न किंचिदप्यस्ति मनो नाम कदाचन ।

What appears as the object; that alone gets known as the ‘Mind’

There never exists a thing called mind (separately) anywhere.

संकल्पनं मनो विद्धि संकल्पात्तन्न भिद्यते यथा द्रवत्वात्सलिलं तथा स्पन्दो यथानिलात् ।  

यत्र संकल्पनं तत्र तन्मनोsङ्ग तथा स्थितं संकल्पमनसी भिन्ने न कदाचन केचन ।  

Samkalpa is the Mind; it does not differ from the Samkalpa.

Because of liquidity, the water exists; because of the wind, its natural movement is there. (Mind is there because of conceptions.)Where the act of Samkalpa exists, my dear child, the mind exists in that manner only. If the Mind is separated from the ‘Samkalpa’, there does not exist anything anytime.

सत्यमस्त्वथवाsसत्यं पदार्थप्रतिभासनं तावन्मात्रं मनो विद्धि तद्ब्रह्मैव पितामहः ।

Whether real or unreal, know that the appearance of objects alone is the Mind.

That alone is the Great Grandfather of the world, Brahmaa.

आतिवाहिकदेहात्मा मन इत्यभिदीयते आधिभौतिकबुद्धिं तु स आधत्ते चिरस्थितेः ।  

The one which has the subtle AatiVaahika form is the Mind. It alone contains the idea of AadhiBhoutika  as if it is of a stable structure.

अविद्यासंसृतिश्चित्तं मनो बन्धो मलस्तमः इति पर्यायनामानि दृश्यस्य विदुरुत्तमाः ।

Avidyaa, worldly existence, cognizing faculty (Chitta), mind, bondage, taint, darkness; all these are the synonyms for the ‘perceived phenomenon’ according to the excellent men of wisdom.

न हि दृश्यादृते किन्चिन्मनसो रूपमस्ति हि दृश्यं चोत्पन्नमेवैतन्नेति वक्ष्याम्यहं पुनः ।

Mind has no shape or form apart from the Seen.

(It is unreal; and the perceived is also unreal.)

I once again declare with ascertainment that the perceived phenomenon is not produced at all.

WHERE IS THE PERCEIVED?

यथा कमल​बीजान्तःस्थिता कमलवल्लरी महाचित्परमाण्वन्तःस्तथा दृश्यं जगत्स्थितम् ।  

Similar to a lotus creeper staying subtly inside a lotus seed, this perceived world stays inside the minuscule atom of the Chit.

प्रकाशस्य यथाssलोको यथा वातस्य चापलं यथा द्रवत्वं पयसि दृश्यत्वं द्रष्टरीदृशं ।

अङ्गदत्वं यथा हेम्नि मृगनद्यां यथा जलं भित्तिर्यथा स्वप्नपुरे तथा द्रष्टरि दृश्यधीः ।

एवं द्रष्टरि दृश्यत्वमनन्यदिव यत्स्थितं  तदप्युन्मार्जयाम्याशु त्वच्चित्तादर्शतो मलम् ।

The perceived world is the inner essence of the perceiver, like the sight for the light, like the movement for the wind, like the liquidity for the water. The idea of perception in the perceiver is like the armlet in the gold, like the water in the mirage, like the solid walls in the dream-world. In this manner, the perception stays inseparable from the perceiver. I am going to completely erase off even that taint from your mind-mirror.

यद्द्रष्टुरस्याद्रष्टुत्वं दृश्याभावे भवेद्बलात्तद्विद्धि केवलीभावं तत एवासतः सतः ।

तत्तामुपागते भावे रागद्वेषादिवासनाः शाम्यन्त्यस्पन्दिते वाते स्पन्दनक्षुब्धता यथा ।

असंभवति सर्वस्मिन्दिग्भूम्याकाशरूपिणि प्रकाश्ये यादृशं रूपं प्रकाशस्यामलं भवेत् । 

त्रिजगत्त्वमहं चेति दृश्येsसत्तामुपागते द्रष्टुः स्यात्केवलीभावस्तादृशो विमलात्मनः । 

When there raises the non-perceiving state for this perceiver, then by force there is the state of Kevalatva (left-over state of Reality) where the reality alone shines from the unreal.

When the winds stop blowing, the waters remain still. If the state of reality is realized, Vaasanaas like attachment, hatred etc, subside off.

When there occurs not the appearance of ‘the directions, Bhoomi (Field of experiences), and Aakaasha’ in its entirety; that state of illumination will be taintless.

When the three worlds, you, I and all such perceived becomes non-existent in the seen, when there exists merely the state of the Seer; that is the state of the Taintless one.

अनाप्ताखिलशैलादि प्रतिबिम्बे हि यादृशी स्याद्दर्पणे दर्पणता केवलमात्मस्वरूपिणी

अहं त्वं जगदित्यादौ प्रशान्ते दृश्यसंभ्रमे स्यात्तादृशी केवलता स्थिते द्रष्टर्यवीक्षणे ।

When the entire hosts of objects like mountain etc are not there to reflect,  the mirror with its nature of reflection stays as it is as itself; similarly, when the concepts of ‘I’, ‘you’ etc subside off in the grand show of the perceived, a similar leftover state will be there in the perceiving consciousness when it is not perceiving.

रामोवाच​ सच्चेन्न शाम्यत्येवेदं नाभावो विद्यते सतः । असत्तां च न विद्मोsस्मिन्दृश्ये दोषप्रदायिनि ।

तस्मात्कथमियं शाम्येद्ब्रह्मन्दृश्यविषूचिका मनोभवभ्रमकरी दुःखसंततिदायिनी ।  

Rama spoke: If this (world) is real, it can never disappear. The real can never cease to exist.

I do not understand this perceived as unreal, though it gives suffering only.

Therefore Brahman, how will this cholera of perceived can be cured; for it deludes the mind and gives to succession of sorrows.

वसिष्टोवाच अस्य दृश्यपिशाचस्य शान्त्यै मन्त्रमिमं शृणु रामात्यन्तमयं येन मृतिमेष्यति नङ्क्ष्यति ।

Vasishta spoke: Listen to this Mantra hey Rama, which will drive away the ghost called the Seen.

Surely, this ghost will get completely annihilated and die.

यदस्ति तस्य नाशोऽस्ति न कदाचन राघव तस्मात्तन्नष्टमप्यन्तर्बीजरूपं भवेद्ध्धृदि ।  

स्मृतिबीजाच्चिदाकाशे पुनरुद्भूय दृश्यधीर्लोकशैलांबराकारं दोषं वितनुतेsतनुम् ।

इत्यनिर्मोक्षदोषः स्यान्न च तस्येह संभवः यस्माद्देवर्षिमुनयो दृश्यन्ते मुक्तिभाजनम् ।

यदि स्याज्जगदादीदं तस्मान्मोक्षो न कस्यचित्बाह्यस्थमस्तु हृस्थं वा दृश्यं नाशाय केवलम् ।  

What exists, of course can never cease to exist, hey Rama. Even if destroyed, it will remain as a seed inside the mind. The perceiving consciousness will rise again in the Chit-expanse from the seed of Smriti; and will spread out abundantly the fault of the perceived in the form of mountains and skies.

In such a case, the fault of non-liberation will arise. Such a possibility is not possible as we know that the divine sages and saints have attained liberation.

If the world with all its faults is real, then there is no chance of liberation at all for anyone.

Whether the perceived phenomenon is projected from the mind or it exists as an absolute reality outside, it leads only to complete ruin.

तस्मादिमां प्रतिज्ञां त्वं शृणु रामातिभीषणां यामुत्तरेण ग्रन्थेन नूनं त्वमवबुद्ध्यसे ।  

अयमाकाशभूतादिरूपोsहं चेति लक्षितः जगच्छब्दस्य नामार्थो ननु नास्त्येव कश्चन ।  

So Rama, listen to this terrible oath of mine!

By the scripture which is going to be taught to you now, you will definitely understand that ‘this Jagat which is a name that refers to what is seen as the solid world made of elements like Aakaasha and the ‘I’ does not exist at all.

यदिदं दृश्यते किन्चिद्दृश्यजातं पुरोगतं परं ब्रह्मैव तत्सर्वमजरामरमव्ययं ।

पूर्णं पूर्णं प्रसरति शान्ते शान्तं व्यवस्थितं व्योमन्येवोदितं व्योम ब्रह्मणि ब्रह्म तिष्टति ।  

न दृश्यमस्ति सद्रूपं न द्रष्टा न च दर्शनं न शून्यं न जडं नो चिच्छान्तमेवेदमाततम् ।  

Whatever is seen in front of you is Para Brahman alone, which is eternal and unchanging.

The Whole spreads out in the Whole.  Tranquility is in Tranquility. Void comes out of void.

Brahman exists in Brahman.
There is no Seen which is real; there is no Seer; there is no seeing; no emptiness; no ।inertness.

Only the tranquil state of Chit pervades everything.

श्री रामोवाच​ वन्ध्यापुत्रेण पिष्टोsद्रिः, शशशृङ्गं प्रगायति, प्रसार्य भुजसंपातं शिला नृत्यति ताण्डवं,  

स्रवन्ति सिकतास्तैलं, पठन्त्युपलपुत्रिकाः , गर्जन्ति चित्रजलदा, इतीवेदं वचः प्रभो।  

जरामरणदुःखादिशैलाकाशमयं जगन्नास्तीति किमिदं नाम भवतापि ममोच्यते ।

यथेदं न स्थितं विश्वं नोत्पन्नं न च विद्यते तथा कथय मे ब्रह्मन्येनैतन्निश्चितं भवेत् ।

Rama spoke: Barren woman’s son powdered the hill; hare’s horn makes music; rock spreads out its hands and dances wildly; oil oozes out of sand; statue-ladies talk; painted clouds thunder! Your words sound the same way. How can you tell me that this world filled with pains of aging and death, and hills and skies does not rise ever or exist ever? Tell me O Sage, how can I ascertain the truth of your words?

वसिष्टोवाच नासमन्वितवागस्मि शृणु राघव कथ्यते यथेदमसदाभाति वन्ध्यापुत्र इवाssरवी।  

Vasishta spoke: I do not speak nonsense. Listen! I will tell you how this unreal shines like the screaming barren woman’s son!

इदमादावनुत्पन्नं सर्गादौ तेन नास्त्यलमिदं हि मनसो भाति स्वप्नादौ पत्तनं यथा।

मन एव च सर्गादावनुत्पन्नमसद्वपुर्त​देतच्छ्रुणु वक्ष्यामि यथैवमनुभूयते।  

This unreal world   never ever arose in the beginning of the creation; so it does not exist at all.

This shines only in the mind like the city in a dream.

This mind also did not arise in the beginning of the creation; so it is also unreal.

I will tell you listen, how this is understood in real experience.

मनोदृश्यमयं दोषं तनोतीमं क्षयात्मकमसदेव सदाकारं स्वप्नः स्वप्नान्तरं यथा।

तत्स्वयं स्वैरमेवाशु संकल्पयति देहकं तेनेयमिन्द्रजालश्रीर्विततेन वितन्यते।  

Mind alone produces the fault namely the ‘Seen phenomenon’ of perishing nature, which though unreal appears to be real like the dream-world inside the dream. Mind wantonly conceives a body-structure. It presents this magical show of the world through that imagined body.

स्फुरति वल्गति गच्छति याचते भ्रमति मज्जति संहरति स्वयं

अपरतामुपयात्यपि केवलं चलति चञ्चलशक्तितया मनः ॥

Vibrates, gallops, goes, begs, wanders, sinks, kills itself, attains a different identity; mind merely moves by its power of fluctuation.