Samkhya Yoga - Part 12 - Mind...Intellect...Soul

Chapter 2- part 12

Bhagavad Gita: Steadfast Consciousness

Those who are with a definitive intellect can escape from karmaphala, which causes repeated karma through rebirths. Thus they becomes free from worldly life of births and deaths. Finally they reach a place of no sorrows. This is place of Brahma.

When we do karma and when we enjoy its results, we usually keep a mentality of 'doer-ship' and 'experiencer-ship'. This mentality creates new 'vasanas' which in turn causes to do karma again in a new birth. This is the bond or chain which creates several births and deaths. So it is clear that if we perform our duty without an attachment to result, does not create vasana and free us from bonds of life.

When we experience life, knowingly or unknowingly, we respond to life either with liking or with aversion. If we like something or somebody we respond favorably. But if we don't like then we respond unfavorably. These two factors create vasanas. In a strong response, the liking becomes desire or passion and the aversion becomes anger or rage. This is because of the mentality of doer-ship and enjoyer-ship. Leave all these traits and become free from all bonds of life.

It is now understood that karma phala produces rebirths. It is said that karma should be performed without expecting a certain result. But still the mind may wish for the fruits of every karma. Why it is so and what is the solution? It is because of delusion. What is the delusion here? If the ultimate truth is not known, one may imagine that there is no soul and the visible body and universe is real. So he runs after many things to satisfy senses. This is the delusion. Feed intellect with right information about the ultimate truth (tathwa bodha) and remove all delusions. When intelligence passes all delusions then one can detach from fruits of all desires. At this state of mind one becomes indifferent to all what is heard and all what is to be heard. What are the things that were heard and to be heard? This is the ignorance about the  truth of life which is heard from others. This creates delusion. Perform karma and renounce the attachment towards the fruits of result. Do not expect a favorable result always. If the result is favorable or unfavorable keep same or equal mentality. This will give strength to move forward. That is the reason Gita says to renounce the emotional attachment towards the result of a karma. Do karma and receive the result whatever it may be. Attaching to the results emotionally may produce vasanas. As said earlier this will cause karma again in a rebirth.

Experiencing the Soul or Brahma

It is said when intellect stays firm within the Soul, in stillness and without any mental vibrations, then one experiences the soul.

When intellect accepts various things (names and forms) it becomes defocused and wander around many things. After this, mind follows various kinds of infatuations.When budhi becomes still without any mental imagination then intellect looks back to the soul. When mental projections are completely stopped and intellect becomes steady at that time the soul shines within. Here one enjoys soul experience. In this state the jivathma and paramathma enjoin and becomes one. If the soul experience stays without any stop, that is called sthitha prajna. That person is called sthitha prajnan or man of steady consciousness.

Sthitha Prajna or Steady Consciousness

The state when all desires in mind are given up and when ananda is found in the soul by the soul, is called a steady consciousness. Or, One who gives up all desires of mind and finds ananda in soul by the soul, is called a man of steadfast consciousness (sthitha prajnan). When all vibrations of mind are stopped, budhi (intellect) stays in the Self or Soul and becomes still and firm. How the vibrations of mind can be stopped? It is possible by giving up of all desires from mind. When all the desires are given up, the mind becomes still and intellect stays firm. At this stage, ananda or bliss will be found out in soul by the soul. The ecstasy is felt not in mind or budhi but in soul. And the ananda is found out not by mind or budhi but by the soul itself. This is the deep meditative state of a sthitha prajnan. At this stage he dwells completely within his soul.

One who stays, unperturbed by sorrows or uninterested in worldly pleasures and unaffected by liking or fear or anger and who is silent, is known as  sthitha prajnan. When a man of steadfast consciousness is in normal state, he is not influenced by sorrow or happiness or other feelings like attachment, fear, anger. He does not speak or speak very less.