Self, Mind in Biology and Yog-Vedanta explained mechanistically

 Self, Mind in Biology and Yog-Vedanta explained mechanistically

The emergent mind in biology, also called the embodied  mind, is  due to  interactions between and within cells in the living organism, in organs throughout the body such as brain, heart etc . This is the biological basis of thought which occurs in the embodied mind. The physics of an emergent mind involves mechanisms of phase transition, the chemistry involves interactions between and within cells, the biology involves organization of cells in tissues and organs,  and the math involves fractal (self-similar) patterns of interactions.

The underlying mind according to the psychological practical experience of  Yog, specifically Raja-Yog which encompasses techniques of meditation, involves manas (recorder of perceptions), chitta (memory bank), buddhi (the determinative faculty , deciding the pros and cons-is this a chair or not) and ahamkara (the individualization capacity). The underlying mind has three attributes i.e, sattva (balance/harmony), rajas (activity) and tamas (inertia), which collectively constitute prakriti or internal nature.

Both the emergent, embodied mind and the underlying mind which identifies with the body, are subtle matter. During meditation, such as object based   meditation where one repeatedly dwells on sound and the mantra (words with meaning), when the underlying mind vibrational activity is stilled, because the mind is focused on the mantra, away from thoughts, the mind state is termed “chitt vritti nirodh” or literally translated into  mind activity stopped, the witness to mind activity is revealed. This witness to the mind activity is termed Purusha in Yog or Atman in Vedanta , which is translated as Self. The mind activity is movement or moving energy, and since movement can only be relative to that which is unmoving, the self is inert or inert energy.

In the experience of  meditation  this self in context of an  individual human being, termed Atman, is equated to the selves in all living beings, and pervades the entire physical and mental universes, which is termed Brahman or the underlying universal self. Brahman/Atman is inert unmoving/still energy and thus cannot be quantified or measured, while mental activity or moving energy i.e. Prakriti or Shakti, can be quantified or measured. This equation of Atman =Brahman, is the conclusion of A-dvaita (Non-dual) Vedanta , and can be intuited by rational enquiry of clear minds. This philosophical rational enquiry is the process  or technique of Jnana-Yog also termed Advaita Vedanta.

 According to Sri Ramakrishna, through practice of meditation, Brahman and shakti are identical, and he uses the analogy of fire and its power to burn.

The various states of samadhi which are a culmination of Yogic practice are degrees  of revelation of the Purusha, via Raj-Yog practice. The chakras in the Raja-Yog systematic practice are areas of concentrated energy, which are experienced. The energy chakras dealing with food/eating, sexual activity and excretion of waste products are dense, like tied knots. With advanced and sustained Yogic meditation, the knotted energy gets progressivley  untied, and energy chakra becomes lighter, as in the heart or anahata chakra. With progressive sustained meditation, the person feels happier, lighter and cheerful.

Sat-Chit-Ananda literally translated into Truth/Being-Consciousness-Bliss, can be narrated as when, mind activity is stilled, the ground of truth  i.e being is experienced and manifested as bliss. People experiencing bliss, manifest transformative behaviours such as calmness, eveness of mind (Stithaprajna), humility etc. This is the reason Swami Vivekananda said “Religion is realization” not talk, theory or intellectual consent. Realization is the lived experience of brahman, (Knowing by Being), the underlying non-quantifiable stillness, and a realized or enlightened person, manifests transformed behaviour, exhibiting kindness, compassion etc. Realization can also be termed as liberation from mental activity or “mukti/moksha”.

The basis of oneness/unity or connectedness of physical and mental universes, is this underlying still continuity which is termed Brahman in Vedanta. This Brahman is termed God, and Atman or the individualized self, is termed Ishvara (inner controller) or antaryamin or (inner seer).

It is the practice that finally matters, so that stillness, which feels as bliss is a lived experience.

The following is speculation: In the concept of re-birth, at death  the body decomposes, while the mental activity remains as a set of vibrations or forms a vibratory footprint. At conception, when  the sperm  physically, fuses with the egg to form the zygote it provides the environment for the vibratory footprint to take a home, and interactions of this vibratory footprint with its zygotic environment , produces a conscious living organism. The living organisms, takes in food from its environment and develops systematically into an adult human. The tendencies developed by a human being are not ony inherited, but coming from previous births. A realized or enlightened human, who has transcended mental activity no longer takes re-birth.

The physicist David Bohm, talks about wholeness and fragmentation. The wholeness refers to Brahman/Unity and fragmentation to vibratory mental activity.