> Dear All,
>
> Is the mind pure and stainless and does our mind remain unaffected
> by food and
> outside impulses ? ( Though a lot of discussion has already taken
> place on 'mind
> and food', this topic is a bit different.)
>
> Or is purity of mind is actually a state which is the aim/ the ideal
> state to be achieved? Not an existing reality.
>
> I know the Soul ( Atma) is always pure and stainless, but mind ?


dear Yashendra

it would be helpful in the interest of intelligent debate to make
sure your quotes are accurate, so that misunderstandings don't occur
and are not tirelessly perpetuated

as per your question:

> Is the mind pure and stainless and does our mind remain unaffected
> by food and
> outside impulses ?

my original statement was:

> "the true mind is pure, unstainless, and beyond the
> limitations of body - this mind is sattva"

as you can see, what you neglected to add in your post is the word
"true" mind, not just "the" mind, which hopefully you will allow are
two separate things

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)

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

whether it is ashtanga yoga or buddhism or another path, a common
thread to liberation/moksha/nirvana involves restraint of the senses
(to control manas), non-attachment (to control ahamkara), and the
development of absolute equinamity (to foster buddhi)

as per patanjali

"smrtiparishuddha svarupashunyevarthamatranirbhasa nirvitrka" (1:43)
when the mind is focused on the object of meditation, the ideas and
memories of the past (the conditioned existence of ahamkara)
gradually fade, leaving nothing but pure perception

"tasyapi nirodhe sarvanirodhannairbijah samadhih" (1:51)
in this state, the mind is free of any impression - open, clear and
transparent (stainless)

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

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.

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.

I liked personally your post on Breathing. Its quite interesting & also post on Prana by Dr.Bhate !

With warm regards,
Dr.Aashish Phadke
www.ayurvision.com

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