Namaskar The below article summarizes the 5 layers of mind and the tools that go with them for spiritual development. Dharma Meditation and Mind by Acarya Pranakrsnananda Avadhuta The mind is composed of five layers. These five layers resemble the petals of a banana flower which has many layers of petals. The outer layers of the flower are harder and the inner layers are softer. So the layers of the mind are similar to the petals of the banana flower. The outer layers of the mind are harder or crude and the inner layers of the mind are softer or subtle. In order to properly utilize the mind, we must be very clear about its resources. We must understand the mind by what it does, so that we can follow the best method to develop a particular layer of the mind. Yoga is an exact science which prescribes a systematic procedure for each human resource; therefore we must clearly know the function of each resource and apply the necessary technique. FIRST LAYER OF THE MIND The first layer of the mind performs three functions - sensing, desiring and acting. This layer of the mind is the link between the five senses and thought, between thought and the five motor organs. The five senses are eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. The five motor organs are the vocal chords, hands, feet, genital organs and anus. Because the five senses come in contact with the outside world, the first layer of the mind has desire. This mind then wants to fulfil its desires through the five motor organs. If this layer of mind is not just preoccupied with the senses, then no ordinary or mundane desire results. It is like a child sitting in the class-room thinking of his/her favourite TV programme or imagining some fantastic thoughts of voyages to outer space or perhaps preoccupied with higher creative potential. The teacher may be giving a lesson in maths or science, but because the child's first layer of mind is not in contact with the sensory organs (i.e. of sight and sound), the child's senses do not see or hear the lesson. Now whether the child is better or worse off may depend on the child's ideation. Mere wandering of the mind is not meditation. Contemplation on the spiritual essence of one's being is part of meditation. However, one can also do that and still participate in the lesson. It depends on how the mind is used and how it is absorbed. Normally, the first layer of the mind must be in contact with the senses so that an impression can be made. ETHICS Morality is the process to develop the first layer of the mind - the layer that is in ordinary contact with the world. Morality is the force which carries you to your destination. It determines your participation in the world and what impressions you want to create in your mind and convey externally as well. Obviously the mind must have a goal. In which direction should the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin move. Before moving you should decide where you are going. What is the goal of life? Why did you come to this planet? If you do not have a direction, then your energy is scattered - it is difficult to achieve anything. Alternatively, what you do achieve is a mere passing and fleeting thing, which does not give any sense of real happiness, but only a sense of the ego having accomplished something which you dwell on. Consider the effort football players exert in training to participate in league championships. Do you think they would have the same enthusiasm for the game if the goals on either side of the field were removed? All the practice of the team players with the help of experienced coaches is done to be able to score more goals than the opponent. If there are no goals, then what is the point of practicing days and weeks for competition? Even the thousands of football fans would never come to the game just to watch the players expertly kick the ball around the field for hours. It is the goal that makes the sport of life interesting and exciting. Oh dear, but even having won the game, it is gone - over and done with - so the mind again tries to seek happiness. The players train, they learn the rules and they learn comradeship and teamwork. Morality means the proper use of the sensory and motor organs. So one can struggle and participate as in the sports game, but still feel a sense of accomplishment and movement towards a goal in an appropriate manner. So, winning or loosing the game - one is still content, as the best effort and highest ideals were put into it. Likewise, the eyes should see only those objects which bring the mind closer to the goal of life. The ears should hear only those sounds which carry the mind within reach of Infinite Happiness. The skin should only bring the mind in touch with those objects which remind us of the all pervading spiritual essence. Just as in a sports game the senses are transcended or used for certain reasons only to move towards the goal and perception of success - so in meditation there is proper application and transcendence to achieve mental success in the practice of meditation. So, every sensory and motor organ should be utilized in relationship with the goal of Infinite Happiness and Peace. The sensory organs should bring the mind closer to the Inner Essence and the motor organs should inspire others to follow our personal example. Much the same analogy as in the sport's field, but the objective or goal is far more subtle. To achieve the goal and to harmonise the mind ethical outlook and practice is essential, else the mind is disturbed by the negative vibrations and impressions that are created through limited thought and narrow outlook and actions that serve no greater purpose. SECOND LAYER OF MIND The second layer of the mind thinks, remembers and experiences. Whatever has been received through the doors of the mind, the five senses, passes through the first layer to the second layer of the mind. The experience is held here for a short time to analyse all its qualities, to compare this thought with memories of the past and to enjoy its pleasure or pain. The most important quality of this layer of the mind is its capacity to hold the experience. Everything in this universe is rhythmic. The brain gives a specific number of impulses per second, the heart beats regularly a number of times per minute and the body breathes a certain number of cycles per minute. Now a normal healthy human being breathes 16 to 18 times per minute or approximately 1 breath every 4 seconds. The pattern of breath is as follows: breathing in --pause-- breathing out --pause-- breathing in --pause-- breathing out --pause-- etc. As you can see there are two times in the cycle of breathing when the breath stops or pauses. These two pause periods are important for different reasons. The pause with the breath in is important for lifting things. A weightlifter breathes in before lifting heavy weights during the Olympics. However when you are watching a very exciting program on the television, perhaps a fight between good and evil, while the struggle is going on, and your mind is completely absorbed in the action on the screen. When the exciting scene is completed, your natural reaction will be to take a very deep breath and exhale. Why? Because of your complete concentration, the breath is automatically held in the pause with the breath out. Therefore it is important in the strengthening of concentration to consciously develop the pause with the breath out. PRANAYAMA This process of breath control is called pranayama in yoga. Prana in Sanskrit language means vitality. Vitality is that quality of a thing that makes it alive, a living being. Yama in Sanskrit means control. The control of the vitality of the body is pranayama. The practice of pranayama in yoga means the control of the breath. Breath is the link with the prana, therefore the control of breath leads to the control of prana. Since the practice of pranayama is for deeper concentration of mind in meditation and for greater power of will, pranayama must always be linked with ideation - the sentimental and intellectual meaning of mantra (an acoustic sound appropriate to the individual empowered by the Guru). Increasing psychic strength without proper psychic direction is dangerous. A car driving at high speed without the aid of the steering wheel will lead to disaster. To understand clearly the relationship between the mind and the breath, we need a good analogy. The mind in thought behaves like a lake full of water. Every time we think a thought, the water of our mind-like lake reflects that thought. Perhaps you have seen in the cinema or television a drama where a beautiful princess is sitting by the side of the lake admiring her reflection in the water. Because there are no ripples, no waves in the water, she can see her reflection clearly. Meanwhile a mischievous boy or man, most likely the future husband of the princess, throws a stone in the water to tease the princess. When the stone enters the water, it breaks the calmness of the water destroying the reflection of the princess by creating ripples or waves. The breath is like the stone entering the water. The mind wants to hold the reflection of the thought, but every breath breaks the reflection, disturbing the mind. If a person breathes 16 to 18 times per minute, the psychic reflection is broken every 3 to 4 seconds. In meditation our effort is to keep the flow of thought continuous without break or pause. Pranayama is taught to increase the holding power on thought by reducing the number of breaths per minute. At Stanford University in California and at the University of Connecticut Medical College, the Ananda Marga meditators were monitored with the help of highly sophisticated machines to determine the heart rate, blood pressure, basal skin tension, breath rate, etc. during meditation. The average breath rate of all the participants was 2.2 times per minute. This means that the flow of concentration in thought was only broken every 30 seconds or more depending on the efficiency of the practitioner. Since meditation is the process to increase the speed of the mind towards the Supreme Goal, pranayama is an essential ingredient and should be learned by every meditator from a competent teacher. However, without morality, proper direction of the mind toward the goal is unlikely. Pranayama practiced without a firm base of morality will lead to degeneration. Therefore the spiritual aspirant should be careful in the observance of morality. THIRD LAYER OF MIND The third layer of mind is the storehouse, library or archive of all experiences which the second layer of mind has ever held. Whenever anyone performs an action, the mind associates with the action in three ways. (1) The mind identifies the object, makes the object part of itself, it has a sense of ownership, control, domination. (2) The mind has the vanity that it is doing the action. The mind wants to take credit for acting. It looks around to see if others have noticed that it is acting now. (3) The mind wants to maintain its separateness, its individuality. It wants others to see that somehow it is different, unique. These three dimensions of the same action create a distortion in the mind, colours the mind. It is through this distortion or colour that the mind views the world, communicates and makes decisions. If the mind is filled with positive, good and noble experiences, then it sees the world as good and noble. However, if its experiences are negative, evil and degrading, then it sees the world as bad. It is because of these distortions that the ordinary person, even spiritual aspirant, cannot see beyond, gets entangled in life's ups and downs, heavens and hells. Some call this opportunity and accept the challenge; others call it fate and submit to it. SENSE WITHDRAWAL If mind is to go beyond this layer of distortion, it must withdraw its identity from these three conditions. At the time of learning meditation from a competent teacher, you will be told to withdraw your mind from the external influence of the society, i.e. family, friends, professional associates, etc. during the 20 to 30 minutes of meditation. Our behaviour is strongly influenced by the environment. Most people do not have the courage or strength to act according to their own inner voice. Society pushes and pulls the mind this way and that, demanding and expecting, emotionalizing and pressurizing until we are unsure whether the desires we have are our own or someone else's. Pass the examination very well, get into the science stream, go to the University, get married to this girl not that, have five children or have two, like these people, shun those people, this fashion, that fashion, etc. are all decisions demanding action, but based on external influences. So in developing the mind, one has to bring the mind temporarily away from these outside forces. Then that mind, disassociated from external pressures and influences, is brought beyond identity with the body. Human mind is more attached to the body than its environment. It will save its life at the expense of others. Again it is more attached to the face than the foot. A scar on the foot, arm or leg does not disturb the mind, but a scar on the face needs to be hidden with clothing, cosmetics or removed by plastic surgery. The mind must be brought beyond body consciousness. The mind is then brought to a point, a seat. The body has a seat, and so the mind also. The subtlest mind, the existential feeling of “I EXIST” has a seat. If someone asks you: “where are you?” your reply will be, “I am here”. But where is that “here” where “you” are? That point where “you" are is your mental seat. To withdraw the mind to that mental seat is called sense withdrawal. This accelerates the process of reaction of all your previous actions, good and bad, which act as a barrier to the real experience of Infinite Happiness. The person who properly performs this technique of yoga finds the mind rapidly changing in attitude, emotion, rationality, conviction, compassion and motivation. The distortions of the mind are removed one by one. The world and the creation are seen as they are and not as we imagined them to be. The mind is purified. FOURTH LAYER OF THE MIND Discrimination and non-attachment are the functions of the fourth layer. Decisions are based on the capacity of the mind to see the situation clearly, sharply and precisely. The greater the capacity of this layer of the mind to discriminate, the better the possibility for proper decisions, without fear or favour. However decisions must be acted on. Action is prejudiced by the attachments of mind and proper action depends on non-attachment. The ship’s captain may decide to sail away from the harbour into the vast sea, but if the ship is still tied, attached to the pier, the ship will not move. Those attachments, ropes tied to the pier must be cut or loosened so that the ship can reach its destination. CONCENTRATION Once we have decided on the goal of life, all our physical and mental strength must be focused on it. The procedure for developing a precise mind, able to pierce through each attachment as it is confronted with the power of a passionate perspective for recognising the Consciousness pervasive in all things and to experience this is a special force called pointed concentration. Concentration focuses power. The fine tuning of a sitar or the precise focusing of the camera gives the music or the picture its impact. The impact, the power of the mind gives speed to action, accelerates movement towards the Goal. As the mind moves nearer the Goal, as the iron filings move closer to the magnet, the speed of its movement increases. In that movement decisions must be made and acted out sacrificing whatever is necessary of self to achieve that Infinite Love. The process of concentration contains the elements which enhance this movement. THE FIFTH LAYER OF MIND “I” feeling is the subtlest mind. It is the very edge of the mind. If one goes beyond "I" feeling, one’s individuality, specialty and uniqueness merges in its Origin. It is because one identifies with the society, the body, the senses, the intellect, the past, the conscience or the ego that the “I” cannot experience its true essence. The "I" associates itself with so many limitations that its thirst for limitlessness is frustrated. MEDITATION The endeavour to associate the "I" feeling with its true self by the use of acoustic sound, sentimental and intellectual meaning by the power of mantra, is called meditation. Morality is the foundation, meditation is the means and the recognition of Oneness is the Goal. Science tells us that all physical things are merely compressed energy and logically that must also include our physical existence. The yogic philosophy goes further and says that all energy is merely compressed vibrations and this is merely Consciousness. So, to make meditation effective, five fundamental elements are needed - morality, sense withdrawal, concentration, breath control and of mantra. Each aspect of meditation develops the appropriate layer of mind unfolding tremendous mental strength and stamina leading to the real experience of the existence of recognising that Oneness with an overwhelming devotion. It is the stillness of mediation that is required for this - otherwise the mind is attracted to all the relativities around it. However, the mind can do more than that, it can perceive far more subtle aspects of existence. To do so it needs a subtle tool or special inner sense derived from the practice of meditation. By the repetition of the proper acoustic vibration following the breath with sentimental understanding of the meaning, the power of the mantra used in meditation awakens the spiritual potentiality in the mind and body and brings the "I" feeling in union (Yoga) with the Consciousness that is all pervading. This is the meaning of Yoga and the motivation for the development of mind. This is the systematic and scientific process for the realization of self and for the development of neo-humanistic spirit and service to the world of plants, animals and human beings of this entire universe. --- What is Dharma by Shrii Shrii Anandamurti Human beings are the highest-evolved beings. They possess clearly-reflected consciousness, and this makes them superior to animals. No other being has such a clear reflection of consciousness. Human beings can distinguish between good and bad with the help of their consciousness, and when in trouble they can find a way out, with its help. No one likes to live in misery and suffering, far less human beings, whose consciousness can find means of relief. Life without sorrow and suffering is a life of happiness and bliss, and that is what people desire. Everyone is in quest of happiness; in fact it is people's nature to seek happiness. Now let us see what one does to achieve it and whether it is achieved by those means. In their search for happiness people are first attracted towards physical enjoyments. They amass wealth and try to achieve power and position to satisfy their desires for happiness. One who has a hundred rupees is not satisfied with it, one strives for a thousand rupees, but even possessing thousands of rupees does not satisfy. One wants a million, and so on. Then it is seen that a person having influence in a district wants to extend it over a province, provincial leaders want to become national leaders, and when they have achieved that there creeps in a desire for world leadership. Mere acquisition of wealth, power and position does not satisfy a person. The acquisition of something limited only creates the want for more, and the quest for happiness finds no end. The hunger for possessing is unending. It is limitless and infinite. However dignified or lofty the achievement, it fails to set at rest people's unlimited quest for happiness. Those who hanker after wealth will not be satisfied until they can obtain unlimited wealth. Nor will the seeker of power, position and prestige be satisfied until he or she can get these in limitless proportions, as all these are objects of the world. The world itself is finite and cannot provide infinite objects. Naturally, therefore, the greatest worldly acquisition, even if it be the entire globe, would not secure anything of an infinite and permanent character. What then is that infinite, eternal thing which will provide everlasting happiness? The Cosmic Entity alone is infinite and eternal. It alone is limitless. And the eternal longing of human beings for happiness can only be satiated by realization of the Infinite. The ephemeral nature of worldly possessions, power and position can only lead one to the conclusion that none of the things of the finite and limited world can set at rest the everlasting urge for happiness. Their acquisition merely gives rise to further longing. Only realization of the Infinite can do it. The Infinite can be only one, and that is the Cosmic Entity. Hence it is only the Cosmic Entity that can provide everlasting happiness -- the quest for which is the characteristic of every human being. In reality, behind this human urge is hidden the desire, the longing, for attainment of the Cosmic Entity. It is the very nature of every living being. This alone is the dharma of every person. The word dharma signifies "property" . The English word for it is "nature", "characteristic" or "property". The nature of fire is to burn or produce heat. It is the characteristic or property of fire and is also termed the nature of fire. Similarly, the dharma or nature of a human being is to seek the Cosmic Entity. The degree of divinity in human beings is indicated by their clearly-reflected consciousness. Every human being, having evolved from animals, has, therefore, two aspects -- the animal aspect, and the conscious aspect which distinguishes a person from animals. Animals display predominantly the animality, while human beings due to a well-reflected consciousness also possess rationality. The animality in human beings gives them a leaning towards animal life or physical enjoyment. They, under its influence, look to eating, drinking and gratification of other physical desires. They are attracted towards these and run after them under the influence of their animality but these do not provide happiness as their longing for it is infinite. Animals are satisfied with these limited enjoyments as their urge is not infinite. However large the quantity of things offered to an animal may be, it will take only those which it needs and will not bother for the rest. But humans will certainly act differently in these conditions. This only establishes that animals are satisfied with the limited, while the desire of human beings is limitless, although the desire for enjoyment in both is prompted and governed by the animal aspect of life. The difference in the two is due to the possession by the human being of a clearly-reflected consciousness, something which animals lack. The infinite nature of the human urge for absolute happiness is due to their consciousness alone. It is this consciousness alone which is not satisfied with the physical pleasure of possession, power and position -- things which in spite of their huge proportions, are only transitory in character. It is their consciousness which creates in human beings the longing for the Cosmic Entity. The objects of the world -- the physical enjoyments -- do not quench the thirst of the human heart for happiness. Yet we find that people are attracted by them. The animality in people draws them towards gratification of animal desires, but the rationality of their consciousness remains ungratified since all these are transitory and short-lived. They are not enough to set at rest the unending and unlimited hunger of the human consciousness. There is, thus, a constant duel in humans between their animality and rationality. The animal aspect pulls them towards instant earthly joys, while their consciousness, not being satisfied with these, draws them towards the Cosmic Entity -- the Infinite. This results in the struggle between the animal aspect and consciousness. Had the carnal pleasures derived from power and position been infinite and endless, they would have set at rest the eternal quest of consciousness for happiness. But they do not, and that is why the fleeting glory of temporal joys can never secure a lasting peace in the human mind and lead people to ecstasy. It is only the well-reflected consciousness which differentiates human beings from animals. Is it then not imperative for human beings to make use of their consciousness? If their consciousness lies dormant behind their animality, people are bound to behave like animals. They in fact become worse than animals as, even though endowed with well-reflected consciousness, they do not make use of it. Such people are not behaving with the deserving status of human beings. They are no different to animals in human form. The nature of consciousness is to seek for the Infinite or realize the Cosmic Entity. Only those who make use of their consciousness and follow its dictates deserve to be called human beings. Therefore, every person, by making full use of his or her reflected consciousness, earns the right to be called a human being and finds his or her dharma or nature to be only the search for the Infinite or Cosmic Entity. This longing for the Infinite is the innate quality or dharma which characterizes the human status of people. Happiness is derived by getting what one desires. If one does not get what one desires, one cannot be happy. One becomes sad and miserable. The clearly-reflected consciousness in people, which alone distinguishes them from animals, seeks the Cosmic Entity or the Infinite. And so people derive real happiness only when they can attain the Cosmic Entity or get into the process of attaining It. Consciousness does not want earthly joys because being finite none of them satisfy it. The conclusion we arrive at is that the dharma of humanity is to realize the Infinite or the Cosmic Entity. It is only by means of this dharma that people can enjoy eternal happiness and bliss.