Understanding the mind - Insights from Vashishtha

Day 112

Understanding the mind - Insights from Vashishtha

VASISTHA* continued:

The light of awareness, overshadowed by a strong belief in the existence of the mind, becomes what we call the mind. This mind takes different forms, like humans, gods, demons, and celestial beings. It also manifests as various behaviors and even the structures we see around us, like cities and towns. So, instead of focusing on external appearances, it's more useful to examine the nature of the mind itself. When we deeply look into the mind, we realize that everything we perceive is just a creation of the mind, except for the infinite consciousness. By observing the mind closely, it merges into its source, leading to supreme happiness and liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

RAMA* asked again:

But how did all this happen in the pure infinite consciousness? How could the mind, which seems to be a mix of reality and illusion, arise in it?

VASISTHA* said:

Rama*, think of space in three ways: the infinite space of undivided consciousness, the infinite space of divided consciousness, and the physical space where the material world exists. The first one is everywhere, inside and outside, as the pure witness of what's real and what appears to be. The other two depend on the first one. When consciousness thinks it's intelligent or inert, that's the birth of the mind. From this misunderstanding, all other aspects of our experience—both physical and mental—are imagined to exist.