The constant breaking news, daily distractions, and the shifting tides of gain and loss keep the modern mind heavily burdened. We frequently experience anxiety and agitation because we identify with the temporary aspects of life. However, ancient scripture offers a profound remedy to this suffering. Sri Swami Jyotirmayananda, senior-most living direct disciple of Swami Sivananda, provides profound clarity on how to rise above these worldly fluctuations by understanding the true characteristics of an enlightened mind.
Freedom from Desire and Expectation
The foundation of spiritual progress begins with analyzing our desires. It is not about forcing the mind into an artificial emptiness, but rather distinguishing between what purifies the heart and what agitates it. Absolute desirelessness arises when the ultimate goal becomes the realization of the innermost Self (Brahman). When you recognize that you are the sun, rather than the fragile reflection of the sun in a jar of water, fearlessness naturally takes root. The Self is entirely untouched by the anxieties that shake the physical body and intellect.
The Power of Equanimity and Contentment
The sky remains perfectly balanced regardless of the storms and clouds that pass through it. In the same way, cultivating equanimity allows a person to maintain their center in all conditions. Agitation exists only in and through the mind. When you sleep, the mind’s interpretations cease, and the agitation vanishes. Spiritual awakening means you are no longer dependent upon the mind’s restless reporting. You rest in profound contentment (Tṛpti), free from the exhausting disease of constantly comparing your life to others.
True Friendliness (Maitrī) and Understanding (Sanmati)
Misunderstanding is the root cause of the world process. We hold onto grievances, only to later realize the other person was simply fighting their own unseen battles. When you achieve right understanding (Sanmati), you perceive the reality behind everything. Just as you would not harbor hatred toward your own teeth for accidentally biting your tongue, an enlightened being cannot be unfriendly toward any part of creation. This leads to absolute tenderness—a mature, non-reactive love that desires healing for all beings.
The Five Stages of Vasanas
Our subtle, latent impressions are known as vasanas. To master the mind, one must systematically purify these impressions. They exist in five states:
- Prasupta (Latent): Sleeping, much like the desires in a young child.
- Tanu (Attenuated): Thinned out through spiritual practice.
- Vichinna (Overpowered): Hidden beneath the surface, temporarily suppressed by other activities.
- Udāra (Fully Active): Completely dominating the personality, resulting in explosive anger or greed.
- Dagdha (Burnt Up): Annihilated through intuitional revelation. In this final state, the vasanas may still appear to execute past karma, but they no longer bind the soul, much like a burnt piece of wood that retains its shape but crumbles at the slightest touch.
The Mind as an Apparent Reality
Ultimately, the mind does not possess a solid, independent reality. It functions like a cloud—moisture gathered together, creating opacity. As you continue your spiritual inquiry, the light of pure consciousness begins to pierce through this cloud. The mind is likened to a wild cat that relies entirely on the might of a lion for its survival. The mind’s strength is borrowed entirely from pure consciousness. Realizing this truth effaces the illusions of the mind, leaving only the eternal, unshaken Self.
Scholar’s Corner
Scriptural Citations: Yoga Vasistha, Chapter 13.
Key Verse Focus: Verse 28 onwards.
Glossary of Sanskrit Terms
- Brahman: The Supreme Reality; the absolute, non-dual consciousness.
- Vāsanā: Subtle desires or latent tendencies resting in the subconscious.
- Sanmati: Right understanding; enlightened intellect.
- Tṛpti / Santoṣa: Profound, absolute contentment.
- Maitrī: Universal friendliness and unconditional love.
- Manoṇāśa: The dissolution or effacement of the mind.
- Dagdha Vastha: The burnt-up state of desires where they lose their binding power.
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