On 12-Jul-06, at 11:19 AM, ayurvedaonline (AT) yahoogroups (DOT) com wrote:

> Dear Dr.Todd,
> I would like to suggest a little addition on what you have already
> mentioned in your post - You have mentioned
> " mind is chitta, from the root "chit" to be aware, and represents the
> total field of consciousness, comprised of buddhi (higher intellect),
> ahamkara (self-identification)"
> I think if I recollect correctly, CHITTA is comprising of basically
> three components viz. Manas, Buddhi ,Ahamkara.

hi dr phadke

just scroll a little further down and you will see that i said:

"all intelligence/wisdom arises from buddhi, but what we understand
or ascertain by buddhi is conditioned by ahamkara, which confuses
object (i.e. corporeal reality) with subject (purusha) - as a result,
manas or "lower mind" is formed, which coordinates an awareness that
is derived from our sensate interaction with corporeal phenomena"

i am borrowing the causal, numerative approach of the Sankhya
darshana, from which one thing arises another - thus manas arises
from the interaction of ahamkara and buddhi within the field of
chitta - without either, manas does not exist, i.e. if ahamkara is
transcended and one rests in buddhi, the manas is no longer relevant;
and in the same sense, ahamkara without buddhi means the subject is
without sentience, and thus no manas, for e.g. a plant which
maintains a sense of self (as an autonomous being) but without a mind

>
> In the second post what you have said is correct but again with a
> little modification, Panchamahabhootas are created from Not only
> Tamas but in conjunction with Rajas Ahamkara & Tamas Ahamkara gives
> rise to generation Panchatanmatras & Panchamahabhootas ( evolutes
> of Srishti utpattikrama ) Ref.Sankhya Karikavali.

agreed - while tamas ahamkara is homogenous and inert, the tanmatras
arise from the aggregation of tamas with rajas - in this sense, rajas
is the doer, that which gives the inertia of materiality a
vibrational quality

it is important to note however, that sattva doesn't play a role in
panchabhautic evolution, and thus from my understanding, isn't
present in the elements themselves, and thus food, clothing and other
elements of our material lives - sattva is only present in our
awareness of it - would you agree?

best... todd

Todd Caldecott
todd (AT) toddcaldecott (DOT) com
www.toddcaldecott.com