This subject is often debated and questioned – does the mind fit into Self Realization?
As a Jnana Yoga teacher I always like to start any inquiry like this with the ultimate question: “What can possibly NOT be a an acceptable part of the singularity (Consciousness)?” The mind cannot be dismissed or negated, like everything it is a perfect part of creation. But why has it been deemed the enemy by so many teachers or methods?
Like anything else the mind has the potential to be in harmony or in chaos with the flow of nature. We find that the human mind is often in chaos due to misidentifying reality – like starting a math equation thinking that 2+2=5 – everything that follows is out of whack. This is the ultimate problem of the mind, it is improperly perceiving existence and therefore leading the perception of life into falseness.
Recognizing that the mind is the point where error has occurred many teachers negate and dismiss the mind encouraging students to totally abandon it, but this leaves two MAJOR questions unanswered: What about a healthy mind? And, how can we function without a mind anyway?
Our minds have been ignorant to the truth, habituated and deeply conditioned by our environment and social creation, but what happens if the mind is deconditioned, righted and able to perceive truth? This would be the optimal state of the mind and must be an accepted potential. Instead of throwing out the mind we can focus on allowing a healthy state to exist and begin to utilize it as the amazing tool that it is. This can be encouraged with meditation- calming the mind, becoming aware of thoughts.
Looking at the second question we see that without a mind we do not exist as unique manifestations. Sure we can say that we “go beyond mind” in deep meditation, but that does not account for living a healthy, optimal life. To live, breath, walk, speak, or interact with life in any way we need the mind, it’s the processor of our being. Unless we are void of animation we are using the mind. It is a translator of Consciousness- translating the ultimate energy of life into our unique expressions. Much like a computer- our human input is the dominant energy, the processor translates our keystrokes into the creation on screen. The same applies to the macrocosm of life – the heart and mind translate Consciousness to determine our unique expressions. If all the parts work in harmony we have a totally ignited existence! Imagine if the computer processor thought it was responsible for what was created on screen- it’s funny! Our mind is a processor.
When we think of Self Realization, what is becoming “realized”? It is our unique manifestation becoming aware that it is an expression of Consciousness and not a separate entity. The portal of which our unique manifestation is aware of itself is the mind. It is through the mind that we, as beings, become aware and awakened to anything.
As a guide and a teacher I offer encouragement in every class to celebrate the mind and its integral role in our lives! Let’s aim to harmonize the mind, decondition it, remove the filters and misconceptions so that we can expand our awareness and learn to flow more harmonically with the innate force of existence!
