Have you noticed how two people going through the same experience react and intepret them differently? Even in the case of twins who grow up together in the same house with the same parents there is vast differences in personality. Ever wondered what the cause of this is?
Vedanta explains this beautifully.
Vedanta says humans essentially comprise of 4 facets, 2 of which are the same for all, 2 of which are unique and characterestic to each of us. The 4 aspects are –
- Physical Body
- Mental Body
- Intellectual Body
- Spiritual Body
Here’s what’s common to all
The first the physical body is the same for all. We all have our heads on top, legs in the bottom, a torso that’s erect with a spine in the back to support it. All our organs are in the same order. Physically we are all contructed in a similar fashion.
Similiarly, spiritually we are all the same. The highest self or spiritual self that resides in me is the same that resides in you and all other humans, in fact, all other existences on this planet. The spiritual core of all of us is one and the same, cut from the same cosmic fabric. Hence the traditional indian greeting of Namaskaram or Namaste. When we bow down to the other and utter this word, what we are stating is that we recognise that “I am You and You are Me” at a spiritual level. I bow down to you because I recognise the same higher wisdom that resides in me in you.
What sets us apart is the mental and the intellectual body
The mental body construes of our sensory perceptions, thoughts, and feelings. The inputs the mind takes in from the environment arounds it and the meaning it adds to it determines how we see the world. That’s the reason they say there are as many worlds as the number of humans, because each of us perceive it in a unique fashion. The mind is by nature wavering, indecisive, and confused.
The intellectual body is the decision maker or the officer in charge in us. The intellect takes in the information gathered by the mind and makes informed choices. The intellect is said to be deterministic, steady, and clear, but In most of our busy hustling lives, the intellect is mostly absent. The desires of the mind overpower the intellect and leave us susceptible to fulfilling every sensory pleasure.
For example, the intellect knows we must not have the second help of sweets at our friend’s wedding. But our mouth waters at the sight of the stalls and our minds immediately rationalise our craving. Oh, I’ve had a hard week. I’ve been dieting the last 3 days. I’ll give up sugar after this. And we give in before the intellect has a say in the matter.
The quality of our mind and intellect determines the quality of our lives.
The scriptures give many ways to purify the mind and intellect. They are broadly divided into 2 parts:
- Detach – We need to detach ourselves from all that’s not serving us. Overindulging, Overeating, Overworking, Overstressing are things we need to detach ourselves from. Here mindfulness and sense control is key so that we are not running behind every new desire. Practice of Yoga and pranayama helps in sense withdrawal. Satsang – or surrounding ourselves with the right set of people with similar motivations and ambitions also helps in keeping us on track
- Attach – We also need to find higher ideals to work towards. Here the practice of introspection or journaling, reading scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita can help direct the mind and intellect towards unlocking and fulfilling our true potential. These practices could also help us identify and develop a larger purpose in our lives, a mission which we find worthy enough to dedicate our lives to.
🤔💭Questions to Introspect:
- What activities can I do daily to purify my mind and intellect?