The Mystery of Consciousness – Part Four
According to the teachings of the ancient Rishis, all life manifests consciousness. What this means is that every creature in nature, whether it be human, animal, bird, tree, plant or even viruses and bacteria possesses consciousness. Even stones are conscious, albeit at a very low level. For as Jesus answered the Pharisees who called on him to rebuke his disciples who were publicly attesting to his glory: “I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out”. (Luke: 19:40)
Materially minded critics may scoff at such ideas, but they remain the bedrock of mystical truth as taught by the ancient Rishis. Whenever the basic energy of the universe (Prana) coalesces into form, that form becomes imbued with consciousness. That consciousness is characterised by a sense of personal identity which then permeates that form as the feeling “I am”. This sense of personal identity remains for as long as that form exists, and ends when that particular form “dies”.
Our lives consist of a series of thoughts, feelings, images and events that occur within consciousness. These sensations are associated with a sense of individual identity, and they make up the content of our personal lives. These conscious impressions are considered to be the product of a phenomenon called mind. The mind is thought to be a function of the human brain, which is considered to be the seat of consciousness itself.
But as we have seen in previous instalments, the idea of the brain giving birth to consciousness which then functions as mind does not stand up to critical analysis. The verdict of the sages confirms that it is the body and the brain that are the products of consciousness, and not the other way around. The entire universe is reflected in the mind. But what exactly is this phenomenon that we call the mind?
When the 20th century sage Ramana Maharshi was asked about the nature of the mind, he replied that there was no such thing as mind. He explained that what we have come to call “the mind” is nothing more than a collection of thoughts and feelings that exist within consciousness. What we call mind is actually a cloud of thoughts which cover the sun of Pure Awareness, or Reality.
The mind is simply a collective term for a variety of thoughts and feelings, all of which have their source in consciousness. And because each one of us associates our sense of individual identity with these thoughts and feelings, we believe that they are our thoughts and feelings. Yet if we search for the source of our individual identity, this personal ego disappears into consciousness itself.
As the Maharshi remarks: “The mind is only a bundle of thoughts. The thoughts arise because there is a thinker. The thinker is the ego. The ego, if sought, will vanish automatically. The ego and the mind are the same. The ego is the root-thought from which all other thoughts arise.” (Talks with Ramana Maharshi)
Once the root-thought of the “I” appears, all other thoughts emerge in relation to this “I”. The individual personality is thus the sum total of all the thoughts and feelings which have come to be associated with that “I” thought. The things that we associate with the outside world are also images in consciousness, and do not exist outside of ourselves. In this way each one of us constructs a sense of individual personality as well as an outer universe in which we function.
The two, ego and world, are thus inextricably intertwined. They are born of the same source, and both derive their meaning from the other. The ego exists in terms of its thought relationships with the outer world, while the world is the product of inner images projected by the mind. There can be no world without the ego, and no ego without a world to interact with. The Indian sage Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj puts it this way:
“As long as the mind is there, your body and your world are there. Your world is mind-made, subjective, enclosed within the mind, fragmentary, temporary, personal, hanging on a thread of memory.” (I Am That)
The universe is simply a collection of thoughts. This has not only been the teaching of mystics both ancient and modern, but it has also been the central core of the wisdom of the ages. As Ramana Maharshi has pointed out: “The thoughts are the content of the mind, and they shape the universe”. (Talks with Ramana Maharshi)
As we shall see in the following instalment, this is the crucial conclusion towards which all the previous entries have led. Once we truly understand the meaning of these words, then we shall come to understand our unique destiny. No matter whether we be rich or poor, educated or not, of whatever race, color or creed, each one of us alive today shares an inalienable right.
Each one of us has the power to shape the universe.
