Practical Vedanta

Practical Vedantanot see it move towards me. That which comes from the flower and in contactwith my nose is called the Tanmatra, fine molecules of that flower. So with heat,light and everything. These Tanmatras can again be subdivided into atoms.Different philosophers have different theories, and we know these are onlytheories. It is sufficient for our purpose to know that everything gross is composedof things that are very, very fine. We first get the gross elements which we feelexternally, and then come the fine elements with which the nose, eyes, and earscome in contact. Ether waves touch my eyes; I cannot see them, yet I know theymust come in contact with my eyes before I can see light.Here are the eyes, but the eyes do not see. Take away the brain centre; the eyeswill still be there, as also the picture of the outside world complete on the retinae;yet the eyes will not see. So the eyes are only a secondary instrument, not theorgan of vision. The organ of vision is the nerve-centre in the brain. Likewise thenose is an instrument, and there is an organ behind it. The senses are simply theexternal instruments. It may be said that these different organs, Indriyas, as theyare called in Sanskrit, are the real seats of perception.It is necessary for the mind to be joined to an organ to perceive. It is a commonexperience that we do not hear the clock strike when we happen to be buried instudy. Why? The ear was there, the sound was carried through it to the brain; yet itwas not heard, because the mind did not attach itself to the organ of hearing.There is a different organ for each different instrument. For, if one served for all,we should find that when the mind joined itself to it, all the senses would beequally active. But it is not so, as we have seen from the instance of the clock. Ifthere was only one organ for all the instruments, the mind would see and hear atthe same time, would see and hear and smell at the same time, and it would beimpossible for it not to do all these at one and the same time. Therefore it isnecessary that there should be a separate organ for each sense. This has beenborne out by modern physiology. It is certainly possible for us to hear and see atthe same time, but that is because the mind attaches itself partially to the twocentres.What are the organs made of? We see that the instruments — eyes, nose, and ears— are made of gross materials. The organs are also made of matter. Just as thebody is composed of gross materials, and manufactures Prana into different grossforces, so the organs are composed of the fine elements, Akasha, Vayu, Tejas, etc.,and manufacture Prana into the finer forces of perception. The organs, the Pranafunctions, the mind and the Buddhi combined, are called the finer body of man —the Linga or Sukshma Sharira. The Linga Sharira has a real form becauseeverything material must have a form.The mind is called the Manas, the Chitta in Vritti or vibrating, the unsettled state.If you throw a stone in a lake, first there will be vibration, and then resistance. Fora moment the water will vibrate and then it will react on the stone. So when anyimpression comes on the Chitta, it first vibrates a little. That is called the Manas.The mind carries the impression farther in, and presents it to the determinativefile:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Chitra%20Selva...oksBySwami/PracticalVedanta/PracticalVedantaPDF.html (86 of 113)2/26/2007 12:24:34 AM