Acharya Mahaprajna
Though every man does possess a reasoning mind (and conscious reasoning), it is not capable of just and fair reasoning, until properly developed. Till then, man's response to the insistence of his impulses is based on his intelligence and a priori logic. His judgement is then devoid of conscious reasoning. In fact, the logic is often so tinged by the intense impulses that they overwhelm the supposed reasoning. At such times, reasoning seeks proofs to justify the action demanded by the instincts. Thus, it is essential to develop and evolve the reasoning mind in order to master the impelling forces of the primal urges.
Development of Reasoning Mind (Viveka-chetanã)
Systematic development of conscious reasoning and rational judgement alone can control and destroy the dominance of animal impulses, savage traditions, superstitions and numerous traditional and conventional beliefs. Dangerous impulsive forces would then either be creatively utilised or eliminated. What is necessary, then, is the development of that unique attribute of mankind which is called reasoning mind and rational thinking, and ultimately establish control of conscious reasoning over all the activities—physical, mental and emotional.
Harmony of the Endocrine System
The endocrines are the tuning keys that tighten up or soften down the driving forces of the organism. They are, therefore, the psychic centres. They form a system [1] and cannot perform or function separately. Each influences the rest in the chain. The system is interrelated by chemical process and interlocked with the brain and the nervous system. Our thoughts affect the endocrines as the latter also influence our brain and mind. Imbalance or discordance in the endocrine system will vitiate the thought and produce psychological distortions, e.g. over-activity of the gonads will cause the mind to dwell on matters sexual, cause peevishness or irrational fear.
Practice of the perception of psychic centres has the capacity to restore harmony and equilibrium in the endocrine system to strengthen the power of reasoning mind and weaken the forces of primal urges.
Incompleteness of the Surgical Remedy
Meditation is a process of integrated development of personality. It changes habits, refines attitude and behaviour and transforms the entire personality of the practitioner. The result of meditational practice can be observed, defined and interpreted scientifically. Modern science has proved the life's processes lie almost wholly within oneself and are amenable to transformation. It has been established by the use of the feedback equipments that meditation changes the electrical activity as well as transmutes the synthesization of hormones.
RNA (Riboneucleic acid) is a product of the internal cellular activities. It is believed that this chemical substance plays an important role in the personality of an individual. It follows that transformation of this factor can help in changing one's personality. Old habits can be changed to new ones.
Our organisation has three areas of successive stages of conscious activities. The first is the centre where most subtle conscious radiations are generated as waves (of urges and impulses). The second is the medium through which it is transformed into feelings and the third is the area where it manifests itself as a physical and mental activity. All these take place in the organism through the internal organisation. For instance, take anger: it starts, as an impulsive reaction to some aggressive situation, in the form of a wave-radiation from the innermost recesses of consciousness-stage no 1. It reaches and reacts with endocrine brain and nerves—stage no. 2. and finally manifests itself in various parts of the body—stage no. 3.
Modern science would describe the same sequence thus:
Anger starts as an impulsive reaction to some aggressive situation in the form of a wave-radiation from the consciousness. It reaches the brain and activates the pituitary through hypothalamus. Pituitary-hormone (ACTH) reaches and reacts with the adrenal gland and stimulates it to release adrenaline in the blood stream which reaches the motor area in the brain via the neuro-transmitters. Finally it manifests itself by producing certain physiological conditions making the body ready for aggression. Thus science is aware of the centre of generation of impulses and the paths of their transmission to the brain. If the transmission line is surgically destroyed, the instinct cannot generate feeling and is incapable of commanding action. By stimulating or inhibiting certain portions of the brain particularly hypothalamus, anger, fear, sexual excitement and other urges can be neutralized. The field that manifests them remains passive because the transmission is cut off. It must, however, be remembered that in such operation, only the transmission of the impulsive agitation is cut off but the generation is not stopped but continues. The manifestation in the final field does not occur but the primary centre of agitation remains active. This means that by blocking the transmission, a temporary transformation of the behaviour is achieved, but the origin of the agitation remains as active as before. In other words, a mask is used to hide the hediousness of the face while the face continues to remain as hedious as before. The change is external and superfluous, not internal and intrinsic.
Thus, the surgical treatment of controlling the impulsive forces can be looked upon as an expedient and not a permanent solution of the problem. The permanent remedy is to achieve a state of blissful tranquillity in which the impelling force of the urge fails to generate the wave. Frequent repetitions strengthen the agitational force of impulsive drive such as anger, fear etc. Anger, for example, grows if it is fed with anger. If no nourishment is fed to anger, it will wither and die down. Psychic science (adhyãtma) is based on the doctrine of equanimity and its technique is self-awareness. Self-awareness is the foundation of tranquil (waveless) consciousness. When one reaches this state, there is neither like nor dislike, neither attachment nor aversion. In this state of consciousness, the wave of anger is not suppressed, but the force which generates the wave of anger is eradicated. Whereas the surgical implements or medicinal remedies strike at the brain, spinal cord or nerves, i.e. the instruments of transmission, the self-awareness and tranquillity released by meditation strikes not only on the transmission system but the prime mover that drives the generator of impulses. It is a process of extermination from the roots and that is why the solution is permanent and everlasting. The technique of realising the tranquil (waveless) state is the perception of psychic centres. Thus the perception of psychic centres is not merely an important means of self-realisation, but it is the only means.
Contact with Subconscious Mind
Endocrine glands in our body are components of the sub-conscious self. Because they affect the brain, they are more powerful and important than the brain. If they are properly harmonised by systematic efficient meditation, one becomes free from fear; and freedom from fear means freedom from all hurdles. Endocrinology—science of endocrines—does not specify the proper method of harmonising the system. Only the psychic science can show the way in this regard. And the method shown by it is regular practice of meditation. Meditation (concentrated perception) of psychic centres (fields of neuronal endocrine action) removes distortion and discordance from the system. The more profound the concentration, the more harmonised will the system become. And this will result in freedom from fear, cruelty and other psychological distortions. A new personality will be evolved with regenerated, revitalised and rejuvenated conscious mind. The psychic centre of intuition (associated with pituitary) is the centre of intuitive insight. It is also the centre of internal vision and right vision. When one concentrates on this psychic centre and perceives it, one is able to reach and communicate with the deeper levels of consciousness.
The capacity of our conscious mind [2] is limited in the field of personality development. While it is adequately capable (if developed by proper education) of coping up with arguments, hypothesis, critical evaluation and creative imagination in the fields of science, art and literature etc., it is not always capable of controlling behavioural patterns of the individual. Indeed, by far the greater part of one's behaviour is not controlled by conscious decisions. It follows, therefore, that this faculty cannot bring about changes in the attitude and behaviour of a person, let alone realising a tranquil (waveless-bereft of agitation and excitation) state. However, when one practises perception of the psychic centre of intuition, one's will and determination can transcend the conscious mind and reach the deeper levels of sub-conscious mind. It can even penetrate further and reach the fields of leśyã and adhyavasãya i.e. the most subtle inner conscious levels. [3] Then the blissful tranquil state is realised, and attitude and behaviour drastically changed.
Tour of the Psychic Centres by Conscious Mind
Mind is ever wandering. It takes a tour of the body from head to foot. Sometimes it wanders about in the upper region and sometimes in the nether region. Sometimes it dips into the memory store and is suddenly filled with violence or hatred or intense dislike; on the other hand, sometimes it is filled with benevolent thoughts and at times it is mentally prepared to renounce the world. Why does this happen? Why do the sentiments change? Who opens the door or window of the memory-store? It is none else but our own conscious mind. Wherever and whenever our attention is fixed on whichever organ or gland or psychic centre or a particular part of the body, the attention is concentrated or focussed on that part and the organ or centre is stimulated. Once, this simple rule is known, it becomes easy for a sãdhaka to choose the centre of concentration. For integrated development of personality, it is necessary to meditate on those centres which are responsible for and control of our attitude, behaviour and personality factors. These are: (i) centre of purity (višuddhi kendra), (ii) centre of intuition (daršana kendra), (iii) centre of enlightenment (jyoti kendra), (iv) centre of peace (šãnti kendra), and (v) centre of wisdom (jñãna kendra). These five psychic centres regulate and control our personality factors and, therefore, our behaviour. Perception of these centres purges out distortions from our thoughts and deeds, changes negative attitudes to positive ones and aesthetises our character and behaviour.
It is true that environmental conditions do influence our emotional nature. But environment is not the material cause or primary reason. The main cause is the synthesization of hormonal secretions by our endocrines. This, then, is the material cause, while the environmental conditions are the immediate cause. We have to modify the material cause as well as the immediate one. However, primary importance must be given to the former, while the environmental circumstances can be given the second place. The impelling forces of the emotional drives are derived from the translation of the impulsive past recorded in the inner subtle body (karma-šarīra). The endocrine system is the inter-communicating computer or transformer between the subtle and the gross bodies. Hormones produced by the endocrines act as chemical messengers and integrate the organism. Once the wise sãdhaka learns this truth and its implications, he will not be bogged down in the superfluous outer bodily functions, but delve deeper inside. Ultimately, he will come face to face with the inner subtle body and the intangible code of the recorded past. This, in reality, is the main purpose of the spiritual exercises—to delve deeper and deeper, till one reaches the subtle body, decode and interpret the imperceptible forces of karma, which is the prime mover of the endocrine activity. Nay, he should go still further and realise his own real self, the psyche or the soul, who is the real master, animating the subtle as well as the gross bodies.
The psychic action is ceaseless, i.e. the flow of spiritual energy is constant. When the flow is directed towards upper psychic centres, the result is goodness or godliness, but when the flow is directed towards the nether centres which are the generators of passions and urges, the result is evil and distorted thought and deed. When the flow of psychic energy activate nether centres, i.e. adrenals and gonads which, by synthesization of their products, incite the passionate urges like anger and aggression, and which provide the impelling force to the primal drives,[4] the result will be irrational behaviour and impulsive action.
It follows from the above that once the rules and regulations [5] governing the flow of psychic energy are learnt, i.e. which flow produces evil and which produces good, we can remain in complete command of our urges and impulses, eradicate evil from our behaviour and achieve total goodness.
Thus we realise the truth that there are several psychic centres in different parts of the body. Focussing our psychic attention on these centres—concentrated perception of these centres—would open doors and windows through which the higher levels of our consciousness would give us a sense of wisdom and subdue our animal impulses.
What we mean by the term 'Conscious Mind' is the faculty which processes the raw sensations into perception, which initiates and controls muscular activity, which thinks and imagines, which is endowed with a memory store, and which is the substratum of all intellectual performance. In short, it is the faculty which transmutes the complex neuronal activity in the cerebral cortex, into conscious experience.
According to an archaic manuscript, when the psychic attention is focussed on a certain petal of navel-lotus, it stimulates anger; another petal incites haughtiness; a third one incites deceit; a fourth one arouses intense sexual desire, and so on. On the other hand, when it is focussed on the petals of the heart-lotus, the result is tranquillity and development of wisdom. When focussed on the top of the head, the capacity of extra-sensory perception and even omniscience is developed.
