Verse 17
मानसं तु किं मार्गणे कृते |
नैव मानसं मार्ग आर्जवात् ||
mānasaṁ tu
kiṁ mārgaṇe kṛte
|
naiva
mānasaṁ mārga ārjavāt ||
What,
then, is the mind? Upon seeking, there is not, indeed, the mind. This is the
direct path.
The path of Jnana Yoga as described by Sri Ramana
Maharshi is characterized by its directness of approach. To the great Maharshi,
the straight route, being the shortest, was the preferred route. Here, in His
characteristic fashion, He introduces and concludes the enquiry into the mind in
the same sentence!
All three paths discussed so far bring the mind into
the focal point sooner or later during the progress of Sadhana.
In Karma Yoga, Sadhana starts by performing actions with
the right attitude so that clarity and purity of mind are brought about and
eventually the Sadhaka has a clear and clean mind to deal with.
In Bhakti Yoga, the starting point is
external Pooja of an idol, which soon develops and brings the devotee to mental
worship which we call Dhyana or meditation. Once in the mind, the Sadhana takes
the course of going to subtler levels of the mind.
And in Ashtanga Yoga, we see how the Yogi starts by
attempting to bring his mind to the Laya state of blankness through control of
the breath, so that from that state he can launch his practice of nullifying
his negative tendencies (Vasanas) and begin to spend more time in
Self-abidance.
All three, in different ways, do more or less the same
thing – they bring the mind to the centre stage of the Sadhana process. In
Jnana Yoga, there is a completely different approach. It bears no resemblance
to what has been attempted in these earlier Yogas.
There is one very important precondition to this Yoga, and it is very significant. The seeker that starts this enquiry into Truth has to be a qualified person.
He has to have that special quality of detachment,
that spirit of bold enquiry which comes from courage to face oneself, a high
degree of purity and capacity to remain an independent observer of himself.
Also, the student must approach a qualified Acharya, who
has realized SELF and who can also teach the student clearly on enquiry of
SELF.
Enquiry about the mind
If the existence of mind is accepted, we get involved
in a full-pronged attack on it. The mind is then seen as an ‘enemy’. Much
effort goes in taming, inducing and coaxing it to change its ways; in
quietening, purifying and subduing it to change its inherent nature.
In Jnana Yoga, we do not question the mind. We only
ask, “What is the mind?” We enquire deeply into its nature, its form, its
status and its very existence. “Is it there?”
In all other paths which we have covered, the
existence of Mind is very much there.
In Bhakti, we channelized our mind to God.
In Yoga, we destroyed our mind, though only
temporarily. (Laya).
In Buddhism, mind is considered as unreal,
Mithya but it does not reveal a reality clearly, if Mind is a Mithya.
Now, let us see what Jnana yoga reveals to us about “Mind”.
Mind cannot be taken as real, because, it depends for
its existence upon I, Awareness.
Nor can it be dispensed off totally as unreal because
we know that it does exist.
Therefore, Mind is an apparent mithya, available for
various functions.
But is there anything prior to mind?? Is there
anything that illumines the mind?? From where does this mind derive its
“awareness” so as to function?
What causes this mind to function without which, the
mind is as dead as a dead body??
With this thought, this enquiry, the mind disappears
and the SELF, the I, the one who illumines the mind, stays and shines!!!
What remains is REAL. What disappears on enquiry is
only APPARENT but not eternally real.
This is the discovery out of straight, direct enquiry
into the nature of mind. Indirect enquiry does not help in this discovery.
In the path of Bhakti, you are channelizing your mind,
which has been taken as so real, towards God. Please remember, unless you have
become a Meera or a Tulsidas or a Kabir or a Tyagaraja and has dissolved
yourself and merged in God, the mind, which was considered real and dangerous,
is bound to bounce back with even more strength!!!
Whereas, in this royal path of Jnana yoga, by the
direct enquiry as explained earlier and with a series of spiritual sessions
rendered by a qualified Guru who has realized SELF, one gets into the depth of
contemplation and then, as he advances in his spiritual sadhana, he is free
from the agitations caused by the mind, he is free from the Vasanas which rules
his mind, he is free from Raga and Dvesha, the monsters who rule the
mind.
So, in nutshell, he has conquered his mind and the
mind can no more be a master, as he has mastered his mind, not for a day, not
for a month, not for a year, but for eternity hereafter!
Let us conclude this verse with gem of wisdom emerging
from Swami, during one of His discourses.
Swami says,
"Consider a cloth
which has been made into a handkerchief. Its basis is cotton, which does not
have any specific form. It may be considered as pure and unlimited. From this
cotton, has come the threads. By joining the threads together a cloth has
emerged. In the same way, from the pure and unlimited Atma the I-thought has
emerged. From this, in turn, has come the mind. Therefore, your mind and the I
have both originated from the pure, unlimited Divinity, the One Reality which
is your true Self."
Love.
