Mind--Its Mysteries and Control - The Divine Life Society

MIND—ITS MYSTERIES AND CONTROL
LINGA SARIRA AND ANTAVAHA SARIRA
Mind is the most important Tattva of Linga Sarira. Linga Sarira is the astral body or
Sukshma Sarira that is linked to the physical body through physical Prana. It separates itself at death
from the physical body and travels to Svarga or heaven. It is this body that does Avagamana
(coming and going). This body melts in Videha Mukti (disembodied salvation).
There is a difference between Linga Sarira and Antarvaha Sarira. Linga Sarira is astral body
with seventeen Tattvas, viz., five Karma-Indriyas, five Jnana-Indriyas, five Pranas, Mind and
Buddhi. Antarvaha Sarira is very pure. It is full of Sattva. It is free from Rajas and Tamas. It is with
this body that a Yogi passes from one body to another (Parakaya-Pravesa). Lila, through the grace
of Sarasvati, came out of the physical body and travelled to higher worlds with this Antarvaha
Sarira. You will find this in the Yogavasishtha. Sri Sankaracharya, Raja Vikramaditya,
Hastamalaka and Tirumular had Antarvaha Sarira. With the help of this special kind of pure body,
they passed into the bodies of other persons. A Yogi with Antarvaha Sarira has Sat-Sankalpa or
Suddha Sankalpa.
MIND IS SUBTLE MATTER
Mind is not a gross thing, visible and tangible. Its existence is nowhere seen. Its magnitude
cannot be measured. It does not require a space in which to exist.
Mind and matter are two aspects as subject and object of one and the same all-full Brahman,
who is neither and yet includes both. Mind precedes matter. This is Vedantic theory. Matter
precedes mind. This is scientific theory.
Mind can be said to be immaterial only in the sense that it has not the characteristics of
ponderable matter. It is not, however, immaterial in the sense that Brahman (Pure Spirit) as such is.
Mind is the subtle form of matter and hence the prompter of the body. Mind is made up of subtle,
Sattvic, Apanchikrita (non-quintuplicated) Tanmatric matter. Mind is all electricity. According to
the Chhandogya Upanishad, mind is formed out of the subtlest portion of food.
Mind is material. Mind is subtle matter. This discrimination is made on the principle that the
soul is the only source of intelligence; it is self-evident; it shines by its own light. But the organs
(mind and senses) derive their principle of activity and life from the soul. By themselves, they are
lifeless. Hence the soul is always a subject and never an object. Manas can be an object of the soul.
And it is a cardinal principle of Vedanta that that which is an object for a subject is non-intelligent
(Jada). Even the principle of self-consciousness (Aham Pratyak-Vishayatva) or Ahankara is
non-intelligent; it does not exist by its own light. It is the object of apperception to the soul.
THE MENTAL BODY
Just as the physical body is composed of solid, liquid and gaseous matter, so also the mind is
made up of subtle matter of various grades of density with different rates of vibration. A Raja Yogi
penetrates through different layers of mind by intense Sadhana.
3