TALK 38 by Prabhuji
MAY 10, 11.41
Let us understand one important aspect called inner instrument or Antahkarana. Our body is like a vehicle or car. The car has to be controlled, so the controlling function is done by the antahkarana, who is the driver? The Consciousness. So Antahkarana has four aspects: Manas, Buddhi, Ahamkara and Chitta. Manas receives the input from the senses and gives the input to Buddhi, intellect and in between it passes through the Chitta which is impressions and Buddhi takes the decision.
Let’s say you see a pot, Manas forms the image of the pot and deliberates – what this is? Because mind cannot decide, but when it passes through the Chitta which is the impressions or the memory, the pot is matched with the object and then input is given to the Buddhi and the Buddhi concludes that it is the pot.
Thus Antahkarana with its four aspects: Manas, Buddhi, Ahamkara, Chitta help to operate in this world. So Buddhi gives a command to the organs, ‘do this now’. For example, let us say you see a hundred rupee note on the street, eyes see and Manas forms the image, Manas itself cannot take a decision so the image goes to Chitta, there then based on the past impressions or memory and Buddhi decides that it is hundred rupees note whether to pick it up that or leave it. These three aspects work perfectly well. Please understand these three are not the parts of the mind, but they are three functions of the mind. The same mind has three functions. Now in between there is one more aspect that comes into picture called Ahamkara, means feeling of ‘I am’ ness. This feeling of ‘I am’ ness arises in the Manas when you see something, the Manas also creates a thought process or ideas that ‘I am seeing’. This Ahamkara or ego starts controlling the Buddhi. In reality the light of Sakshi or witness Consciousness should fall on Buddhi or reflect in Buddhi and Buddhi should take decision in an unbiased way. But the Ahamkara the ego will come up because of the operation of the Manas and this Ahamkara take control of the Buddhi. Buddhi influenced by Ahamkara will become biased and now all your actions becomes selfish in nature. The whole of spiritual sadhana is to remove this or drop this Ahamkara so that the Buddhi directly acts under the influence of Sakshi or the witness Consciousness or the Atma. That is all the spiritual sadhana is about.
Transcription by Atmajyothi Satyavathi
Light of The Self Foundation 