62. Mental Consciousness
Those on the Mental planes are not conscious of the Gross or
Subtle planes. How then is it possible for one on the Mental plane
to speak, eat, drink, etc.—in short, to perform actions the same as
those of an ordinary man on the Gross plane?
It is just as we hear of people walking or eating, drinking, writing,
pilfering and so on in their sleep, and yet they are absolutely
unconscious of doing these gross actions. It is not uncommon for
a person to talk in his sleep. All those around him can hear him
speaking in his sleep, but the person himself is not aware or
conscious of his own speaking. In the same way, the ones on the
Mental planes are totally unconscious of gross and subtle actions
and spheres, although all their gross and subtle actions are the
outcome of their thoughts and feelings—the functions of Mind.
Those on the Mental planes, while controlling the thoughts and
consequent actions of others on the Subtle and Gross planes, are
themselves not conscious of their own gross and subtle actions.
This is because such a thing as gross or subtle does not exist for
them. Their consciousness is totally severed and dissociated from
the Gross and Subtle spheres. For instance, an ordinary man
cannot but say he is man, for he identifies himself with the gross
body. He is gross-conscious and his consciousness of being is
associated directly only with the gross body (sharira). Another,
who is on the Subtle planes, cannot but identify himself with the subtle body (prana); while yet another, who is on the Mental
planes cannot but identify himself with the mental body (mana).
This 'Mind personified' atma of the Mental plane, who as MANA
cannot by any remotest possibility ever identify itself as Sharira or
Prana, is wholly dissociated from the gross and subtle bodies and
cannot experience the Gross and Subtle spheres.
For example, let us imagine India as representing the Gross world,
England as the Subtle world, and America as the Mental world. If
A is in India he has full consciousness of India and has totally NO
consciousness of England and America. When A goes to England,
he is obviously neither in India nor in America. He is now entirely
removed from these two places. He possesses full consciousness
as before, but this same full consciousness is now absolutely and
entirely in England. India is totally dropped form the orbit of his
consciousness, while America has not yet entered into it.
Similarly, when A goes to America, he is neither in India nor in
England. He is now entirely withdrawn from these two places. He
continues to possess full consciousness as before but this same
full consciousness is now absolutely and entirely in America. India
and England are totally dropped from the orbit of his
consciousness.
Again, consciousness may be compared to the light from a
flashlight or torch. The area illuminated by the light of the torch
represents the particular plane of consciousness. Imagine three
regions stationed at increasing distance from you termed M, S,
and G, to represent the Mental, Subtle, and Gross planes; these
are in complete darkness to begin with.
When the light of the torch is directed on G (representing the
Gross plane), which is furthest from yourself, this region comes
under the direct focus of light and is fully lit, with its immediate vicinity dimly glowing from the
reflection of that focussed light. The areas S and M are yet in total
darkness.
If this light is at last made to shift nearer toward you to focus on S
(representing the Subtle plane), the region G is left in total
darkness. Now S alone is fully illuminated, with the dim glow of
reflection having moved to the vicinity of the newly focussed area
of light.
If this focus of light is shifted still nearer toward you to M
(representing the Mental plane), both the regions G and S are left
in total darkness. It is now M that receives the full and direct focus
of light, and it alone is fully illuminated; while the dim glow of
reflection is automatically thrown around this newly focussed area
of light.
When the focus of this same light is finally shifted still nearer, not
only toward you but actually ON you, it is yourself that is fully lit,
and all the three regions, G, S and M, are in total darkness. You
are thus fully conscious only of your SELF. This final focussing
of the light (consciousness) on to your Self is the Goal. This
is Self-illumination, or in other words God-realization.
Any action performed by one on the Mental planes, as observed
by the gross-conscious or subtle-conscious atmas, is nothing but
a gross or subtle manifestation of a mental action. The apparently
gross action that you on the Gross plane see performed by one
on the Mental plane, is merely the pattern of that mental function
translated on the screen of your own gross consciousness. Hence,
the one on the Mental plane, totally dissociated from the gross
and subtle, does NOT speak, eat, or drink in the sense that those
on the Gross plane eat, drink and speak, though he appears to do
so. When you see such a one eating, drinking, speaking, etc., it is nothing but your own gross interpretation of the reflection of his
mental activity.
For example, when you see the moon reflected in a lake, to all
intents and purposes it is in the water as long as your gaze is
directed at the lake.
The moon is not in the water. The reflection of the moon is in the
water; but it appears as if the moon is in the water.
So, the consciousness of the one on the Mental planes is not here.
The reflection of his consciousness is here; but it appears as if he
was conscious of the Gross plane.
When one on the Mental planes performs an action, that act
cannot be comprehended by any one having consciousness only
of the subtle or the gross. That same act is interpreted differently
by the ones on the Subtle planes and the ones on the Gross
plane, in the light of their own respective consciousnesses.
In short, the function of Mind of one on the Mental planes, when
received by you on the Gross plane, comes through the channel
of your gross consciousness and reaches you in the shape or
movement familiar to your range of awareness and capacity of
comprehension.
Subtle planes. How then is it possible for one on the Mental plane
to speak, eat, drink, etc.—in short, to perform actions the same as
those of an ordinary man on the Gross plane?
It is just as we hear of people walking or eating, drinking, writing,
pilfering and so on in their sleep, and yet they are absolutely
unconscious of doing these gross actions. It is not uncommon for
a person to talk in his sleep. All those around him can hear him
speaking in his sleep, but the person himself is not aware or
conscious of his own speaking. In the same way, the ones on the
Mental planes are totally unconscious of gross and subtle actions
and spheres, although all their gross and subtle actions are the
outcome of their thoughts and feelings—the functions of Mind.
Those on the Mental planes, while controlling the thoughts and
consequent actions of others on the Subtle and Gross planes, are
themselves not conscious of their own gross and subtle actions.
This is because such a thing as gross or subtle does not exist for
them. Their consciousness is totally severed and dissociated from
the Gross and Subtle spheres. For instance, an ordinary man
cannot but say he is man, for he identifies himself with the gross
body. He is gross-conscious and his consciousness of being is
associated directly only with the gross body (sharira). Another,
who is on the Subtle planes, cannot but identify himself with the subtle body (prana); while yet another, who is on the Mental
planes cannot but identify himself with the mental body (mana).
This 'Mind personified' atma of the Mental plane, who as MANA
cannot by any remotest possibility ever identify itself as Sharira or
Prana, is wholly dissociated from the gross and subtle bodies and
cannot experience the Gross and Subtle spheres.
For example, let us imagine India as representing the Gross world,
England as the Subtle world, and America as the Mental world. If
A is in India he has full consciousness of India and has totally NO
consciousness of England and America. When A goes to England,
he is obviously neither in India nor in America. He is now entirely
removed from these two places. He possesses full consciousness
as before, but this same full consciousness is now absolutely and
entirely in England. India is totally dropped form the orbit of his
consciousness, while America has not yet entered into it.
Similarly, when A goes to America, he is neither in India nor in
England. He is now entirely withdrawn from these two places. He
continues to possess full consciousness as before but this same
full consciousness is now absolutely and entirely in America. India
and England are totally dropped from the orbit of his
consciousness.
Again, consciousness may be compared to the light from a
flashlight or torch. The area illuminated by the light of the torch
represents the particular plane of consciousness. Imagine three
regions stationed at increasing distance from you termed M, S,
and G, to represent the Mental, Subtle, and Gross planes; these
are in complete darkness to begin with.
When the light of the torch is directed on G (representing the
Gross plane), which is furthest from yourself, this region comes
under the direct focus of light and is fully lit, with its immediate vicinity dimly glowing from the
reflection of that focussed light. The areas S and M are yet in total
darkness.
If this light is at last made to shift nearer toward you to focus on S
(representing the Subtle plane), the region G is left in total
darkness. Now S alone is fully illuminated, with the dim glow of
reflection having moved to the vicinity of the newly focussed area
of light.
If this focus of light is shifted still nearer toward you to M
(representing the Mental plane), both the regions G and S are left
in total darkness. It is now M that receives the full and direct focus
of light, and it alone is fully illuminated; while the dim glow of
reflection is automatically thrown around this newly focussed area
of light.
When the focus of this same light is finally shifted still nearer, not
only toward you but actually ON you, it is yourself that is fully lit,
and all the three regions, G, S and M, are in total darkness. You
are thus fully conscious only of your SELF. This final focussing
of the light (consciousness) on to your Self is the Goal. This
is Self-illumination, or in other words God-realization.
Any action performed by one on the Mental planes, as observed
by the gross-conscious or subtle-conscious atmas, is nothing but
a gross or subtle manifestation of a mental action. The apparently
gross action that you on the Gross plane see performed by one
on the Mental plane, is merely the pattern of that mental function
translated on the screen of your own gross consciousness. Hence,
the one on the Mental plane, totally dissociated from the gross
and subtle, does NOT speak, eat, or drink in the sense that those
on the Gross plane eat, drink and speak, though he appears to do
so. When you see such a one eating, drinking, speaking, etc., it is nothing but your own gross interpretation of the reflection of his
mental activity.
For example, when you see the moon reflected in a lake, to all
intents and purposes it is in the water as long as your gaze is
directed at the lake.
The moon is not in the water. The reflection of the moon is in the
water; but it appears as if the moon is in the water.
So, the consciousness of the one on the Mental planes is not here.
The reflection of his consciousness is here; but it appears as if he
was conscious of the Gross plane.
When one on the Mental planes performs an action, that act
cannot be comprehended by any one having consciousness only
of the subtle or the gross. That same act is interpreted differently
by the ones on the Subtle planes and the ones on the Gross
plane, in the light of their own respective consciousnesses.
In short, the function of Mind of one on the Mental planes, when
received by you on the Gross plane, comes through the channel
of your gross consciousness and reaches you in the shape or
movement familiar to your range of awareness and capacity of
comprehension.
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