THE REHABILITATION OF PERSONALITY
Humans Vs Animals
We had a significant discussion about the powers of
mind in my previous posts. It was seen that mind is only a function and not a
biological organ and its powers are generated by the flow of thoughts. In
animals, unlike humans, the mind is created by the impulses. There the pattern
if distinct thoughts is in its basic form and depends mainly on the stimulus
received through the senses. On the other hand, human have a capability of analyzing
the stimulus and react discriminately. But if a human reacts without the
control of this discriminating faculty, he indeed is nothing better than an animal. In Sanskrit a तिर्याक is the word used for
animals. तिर्याक means the one who has its body parallel to
ground. It denotes the animals because their heads and the rest of the body are
in a line and thus the head is, by its nature, considered responsible for every
thing that follows it (that is the rest of body). But a human is
different. He has his head above his body
over the shoulders and thus, unlike animals is destined to bear for more
responsibilities than that of his body. Vedanta believes that for that reason
they are in possession of a discriminative faculty called intellect.
Power of Discrimination
The human personality is defined by the quality and
the texture of the mind and the intellect. It is the mind and intellect
combination that can make or mar human personality. Since man alone has the
capacity to discriminate and analyze his feelings, as and when they arise, and
allow his actions to be guided and directed by his power of discrimination,
instead of being driven and carried away by momentary impulses and feelings (as
in the case of animals). This faculty of discrimination, this power of
judgment, this capacity to discern, what is right and what is wrong, what is to
be done and what is to be avoided, is the function of the intellect. The
dignity and culture of mankind lie in the exercise of this faculty and when it
is left neglected, man is bound to deteriorate to the status of an animal and
suffer the consequences thereof. Religion and philosophy helps man to
rehabilitate his personality by chastening the mind and educating the
intellect. By improving the state of his mind and developing a sense of subtler
discrimination, man enjoys a happier and more harmonious relationship with the
ever hanging phenomena of the external world of the things and beings.
Since man’s personality derives its essence from the
structure of his mind and intellect, all schemes and plans envisaged by
religion and the philosophies related to religion are directed to personality
rehabilitation. By that they promote the development in the over all character
of men and enable them gain perfection on this subtle equipment in him.
Dangers of Unbridled Mind
In the day to day experiences in a civilized and
modern society most actions seem to emanate from the realm of the mind and
people are misled by feelings instead being directed by discrimination. Generally
a man does a thing because he feels like doing it and not because he thinks it
right to do so. In these cases the intellect is divorced from his mind and
consequently there is no discrimination and considered choice in his actions. Such
actions depending upon the whims and fancies of the mind are detrimental and
dangerous to his welfare and prosperity. Religion helps man to keep his
intellect alert at every moment of his life. When the actions of an entire
society are thus guided by proper discrimination they become not only dynamic
and productive but at the same time bring about peace and cheer in that
society.
Differentiate Mind from Intellect
I have seen that most of the people are not aware of
the difference between ‘mind’ and ‘intellect’ and they frequently make use of
one in place of the other. The mind, though very powerful, but is only a
responsive institution in our body complex. It, if it is necessary to give a
practical example from outer world, may be likened to receiving clerk in an
office. The clerk may hold all the files, records and be an important person in
that office but there has to be an officer-in-charge. If the boss (that Officer-in-charge) is
incompetent and not available, and the whole office is left on the whims and
fancies of the clerk to do what ever he will, there is bound to be confusion
and disorder in the organization. This in short is the sad state of affairs in
the human system of the modern age. The mind receives impulses from the
external world and responds directly without the guidance or control of the
intellect which is the officer in charge or the boss within our body politic. Consequently
there is so much confusion within, leading to dissatisfaction and discontentment
in life.
The mind, you may recollect, was also defined as a
flow of thoughts just as the flow water in a river. In the case of a river its banks guide and
direct its flow and when the banks are not firm the water runs helter-skelter
and sometimes does tremendous damage. We have witnessed such damage in Uttarakhand
recently. Mind without any control of intellect, becomes extremely dangerous. I
have explained the virtues and evils mind in terms of Dasharatha and Dasanana
in previous chapters. If the intellect is not firm and determined, the mind
function as it wants, and man dances to the tune of his environment and
circumstances. To keep the intellect steady and the mind to be constantly
guided by its dictates, is the training imparted by VEDANTA.
Secrets of Sucess
The secret of success behind men of achievement lies
in the faculty of applying their intellect in all their activities without
being misled by surging emotions of feelings. Religion offers the technique of
developing this faculty and leaves the choice to man to make use of it and rise
to the highest perfection or ignore it and deteriorate to the state of other
living creature.
Live Gita within YOU
In life we pamper our innocent senses and take them to
their fields of enjoyment. Day after day we whet their appetites and excite
them to more and more sensual enjoyments. While cajoling and caressing them
thus, our intellects lose their control over them, until at last we realize to
our misfortune that we have become helpless slave to our passions. On the
contrary we can live GITA in us if and only if the mind becomes receptive to
the dictates of the intellect. Visualize the scenario of Gita. The Lord, in His high seat, keeps
mum and is almost deaf so long as we are arguing and asserting our maturity as
intellectual beings. But when we come down to live and act as emotional beings,
when tears of desperation trickle down the cheeks of true devotees, then,
unasked, the LORD OF COMPASSION rushes forward to reach the lost souls and
guides them out of their inward darkness to the resplendent LIGHT OF WISDOM. A
soul, identifying with the intellect, can seek and discover itself; but, when
it is identifying with the mind, it needs the help and guidance of the Lord.
Here, I would like to bring back the
allegorical significance of GITA that I gave in the previous chapter. Standing
between the two forces, the good and the bad, arrayed for a battle to death,
(as we are in the battles of our life) Arjuna (the jeeva) surrenders
completely, to the Lord (the subtler discriminative intellect), his charioteer,
who holds the five horses (the five senses) yoked to his chariot (body), under
perfect control. When the stunned and confused ego – Arjuna – totally
surrenders to Krishna , the Lord, with a smile,
reassures the Jeeva of its final victory, and declares the entire message of
spiritual redemption, the Geeta. Please
compare the story and and let your ego (Arjuna) in its dejection sits back in the body (chariot),
throwing down all instruments of ego-centric activities (Gandiva), and let the
sense-organs (the white horses) be held back, well under control, by the pulled
reins (the mind), then be sure that the charioteer (the Pure Intellect) shall
lend the ego a divine strength, and guide it to the ultimate victory over the
forces of Adharma with the help of the dynamism of Dharma, even though the
former may seem much stronger in force than the simple-looking dynamism in the
later.
YADURAJ SINGH BAIS
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