Mind has no life

The western and Indian concepts of the mind proceeds from two different points of views. In the west mind is even now considered as a part of consciousness, while in the east especially in India since the time of Kapila, mind is known as an entity evolving out of matter and thus inert and controllable. It is categorized as an object without any properties of awareness(achethana). This is an important divergence. It has its uses in something that concerns us. More about it later , but let us consider what mind is according to the Samkya system.
This system is the most ancient of all the Indian systems of philosophy. Kapila's original work is no more available. The system is now known from its commentaries. The most well known of them is the “Samkya Karika” of Iswarakrishna the commentary bears strong atheist connotations.
The basic concept of the Samkya theory is that the universe evolves out of two primary substances. One is named the “Purusha” which could be roughly translated as “consciousness”. The other is called the “Prakriti” which again we may translate as “matter”. But it should be remembered that these concepts go much further than what we understand by matter and consciousness at present. But considering them thus somewhat lessens the complexities of getting an insight into the system.
I have a strange fascination for Kapila’s theory. It almost explains the beginning, existence and end of the universe without resorting to a prop called the god. He exhibits lucid reasoning and logic in outlining the system. Vivekananda once remarked that the more ancient the author the more precise and clear the views are. This is true in the case of Kapila.
After naming his primary substances he discusses their properties. The Purusha (consciousness) is the unmovable, changeless entity. It is not affected by anything and it can not be corrupted. It is somewhat like the “super soul” (paramatma) of Vedanta.
The Prakriti (matter) on the other hand has three qualities. They are the Satwa(Light) Rajas(Energy) and Thamas(mass). Please again remember that the terms in the brackets are given for the sake of clarity. It is easier to understand Kapila this way. These terms are not exact representations and in no way replaces the original concepts. He further states that Prakriti is atomic in its subtle state and thus can evolve (the big bang?). When the world is resolved within itself, all the three qualities of the Prakriti are contained within it and are equal. When these three qualities are so there is no manifestation and the Prakriti remains in a subtle atomic form...
According to Kapila the universe evolves in the following manner, in the beginning both consciousness and matter are in a un manifested state. World comes into being when the matter comes in the proximity of consciousness and consciousness is reflected in it. This is the most confusing of all the statements in the system (no wonder Sankara had to invent “Maya” the theory of Delusion to extricate himself from explaining this strange concept). According to Kapila Consciousness in no way directly influences this change in matter, but matter somehow is prompted into activity by the mere presence of consciousness and begins to come out of its un-manifested state. The first evolute of prakriti is mahat (primary blueprint of the world) which we may call an undifferentiated sense of being.
Because the mahat is an evolute of Prakriti (matter) with its three qualities mahat contains all these three qualities within it. And these qualities of mahat produce the following
Satwa (reflected Light) produces Ahamkara (“I” ness) and Antakarana (Inner vehicle)
Rajas (reflected Energy) produces Indria’s (Senses) and physical particles
Thamas (reflected Mass) produces Chitta vritti’s (mental activities)
Well you have guessed it. I can’t take the analogy any further!
Any way it was not my intention to compare the system to modern cosmology which would be absurd. But all the same I would have loved to investigate it further if it could in any manner produce a similarity in the concepts which would lessen the effort to study the system of thought in these times. But then Kapila plays a strange trick on the unsuspecting student. Further on in the theory he would say that Purusha is not single and is many. This is purely based on the fact that the experiences of no two individuals in the world are alike. When one is laughing some other is crying, when one is being born into the world another would be dying and leaving the world. We could not call them all the experience of a single entity.
Well, there are ways to reconcile these two concepts, the concept of the purusha causing the cosmic evolution and the multiplicity of purusha’s. It would take a little bit of explaining. Most of the other systems of philosophy in the land have made extensive use of Kapila’s work in arriving at their own different systems. The Samkyan astuteness is revered by all. So they had something going for them.
But our main concern is the difference in the concepts of mind among the western and Indian thinkers. I have shown that from Kapila onwards the Indians considered mind as an inanimate object and thus thought it is controllable. In fact it does not even figure among the first stratum of evolution given by Kapila, and evolution is wholly a “matter affair”, consciousness has nothing to do with it.
This is a valuable teaching. The system of Yoga as well as Vedanta is based on this concept. If the mind is no way linked with consciousness our effort to control it becomes easy. We can handle it like we handle any other object. We need not pay any heed to it even, because it is a mere vassal of consciousness. It is not the king we believe it to be. It is a servant and because of our own lack of understanding we have permitted it to control us, the conscious beings.
The moment we realize this fact controlling the mind becomes achievable. What is needed is shifting consciousness from the mind. We need to shift consciousness to itself and stop thinking that we are what the mind shows us to be.
I grant you that this is not easy. Years of practice of taking the mind as an animate entity would not become nullified all of a sudden. But knowing this you are armed against the tricks of the mind. You can start ordering it about its business. The mind has a strange quality; it assumes the shape of the thing it is allowed to get near. It would pose as consciousness if you allow it to be.
Divest it of the throne it has usurped and you are saved. Such a change in concept would arm you against any sort of mental invasion. Center yourself in your consciousness and order your mind to not to obey any one else. If you can once grasp the idea and execute it even the unconscious would do as you tell it let alone your subconscious mind.
Good luck with the practice.