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.
