Chapter 2
Body, The Mould For Mind's Enjoyment
The body with its organs is no other than the mind. The physical body is the
outward manifestation of the mind. Mind is the subtle form of this physical
body. The mind contemplating upon the body becomes the body itself and then,
enmeshed in it, is afflicted by it. All the bodies have their seat in the mind
only. Should the mind be paralysed, then the body will not evince our
intelligence. Without water, can a garden exist? It is the mind which transacts
all business and is the highest of the bodies. Mental actions are the real
actions. The mind performs all actions very speedily in the Linga Sarira and
fluctuates thereby. But, the gross body knows not anything and is inert. Even
should this gross body be dissolved, the mind will assume fresh bodies to its
liking very quickly. This physical body is the mould, as it were, made by the
mind for its own enjoyment, for its outpouring of its energy and thereby gaining
different experiences of this world through the five avenues or channels of
knowledge, the five Jnana-Indriyas (organs of knowledge or perception).
Thoughts Make The Body
The actions of the mind alone are indeed actions; not so much those of the
body. The body is really our thoughts, moods, convictions and emotions
objectivised, made visible to the naked eyes. It is a point worthy to note with
care that every cell in the body suffers or grows, receives a life-impulse or a
death-impulse, from every thought that enters the mind, for you tend to grow
into the image of that which you think about most.
When the mind is turned to a particular thought and dwells on it, a definite
vibration of matter is set up and often more of this vibration is caused, the
more does it tend to repeat itself to become a habit, to become automatic. The
body follows the mind and imitates its changes. If you concentrate your thought,
the eyes become fixed.
Every change in thought makes a vibration in your mental body and this, when
transmitted to the physical body, causes activity in the nervous matter of your
brain. This activity in the nervous cells causes many electrical and chemical
changes in them. It is thought-activity which causes these changes.
Face: An Index Of Mind
Mind is the subtle form of this physical body. The physical body is the
outward manifestation of the mind. So when the mind is rough, the body is rough
too. As a man of rough appearance generally cannot invoke love and mercy of
others, so a rough-minded man cannot invoke love and mercy of anybody. Mind very
conspicuously reflects on the face its various states which a man of
intelligence can very easily read. Face is an index of the mind, just as the
tongue is an index of the stomach.
The body follows the mind. If the mind thinks of falling from a height, the
body prepares itself immediately and shows external signs. Fear, anxiety, grief,
cheerfulness, hilarity, anger-all produce their various impressions on the face.
The eyes which represent the windows of the soul bespeak of the condition and
state of the mind. There is a telegraphic instrument in the eyes to transmit the
messages or thoughts of treachery, cunningness, fraud, pure love, compassion,
devotion, depression, gloom, hatred, cheerfulness, peace, harmony, health,
power, strength and beauty.
If you have the faculty to read the eyes of others, you can read the mind at
once. You can read the uppermost thought or dominant thought of a man if you are
careful to mark the signs in his face, conversation and behaviour. It needs a
little pluck, acumen, training, intelligence and experience.
Your thoughts, sentiments, modes and emotions produce their strong
impressions on the face. The face is like an advertisement board wherein is
advertised what is going on inside the mind. In face, you can hardly hide your
thoughts. You may foolishly think that you have kept up your thoughts in secret.
Thoughts of lust, greed, jealousy, anger, revenge, hatred, etc., at once produce
their deep impressions on your face. The face is a faithful recorder and a
sensitive registering apparatus to register and record all the thoughts that are
running in your mind. The face is a polished mirror to indicate the nature of
the mind and its contents at a particular time.
He who thinks that he can hide his thoughts is a dunce of the first water.
His position is like that of the ostrich which, when chased by the hunters,
hides its head underneath the sand and imagines that it cannot be seen by
anyone.
Your face is like a gramophone record or plate. Whatever you think is at once
written on your face. Every vicious thought serves as a chisel or needle to
write down the thoughts on your countenance. Your faces are covered with the
scars and wounds which are made by the vicious thoughts of hatred, anger, lust,
jealousy, revenge, etc. From the nature of the scar in your face, I can at once
read your state of mind. I can at once diagnose your disease of the mind.
Mutual Influence Between Mind And Body
The mind is intimately connected with the body. The mind acts upon the body
and the body reacts upon the mind. Mind has influence over the body. A pure,
healthy mind means a healthy body. Grief in the mind weakens the body. Body
influences the mind also in its turn. If the body is strong and healthy, the
mind also becomes healthy and strong. If the body is sick, the mind also becomes
sick. A pain in the stomach causes depression in the mind.
Bad Thoughts, The Primary Cause Of Disease
The primary cause of diseases which afflict the body is bad thoughts.
Whatever you hold in your mind will be produced in the physical body. Any
ill-feeling or bitterness towards another person will at once affect the body
and produce some kind of disease in the body. Intense passion, hatred,
longstanding bitter jealousy, corroding anxiety, fits of hot temper actually
destroy the cells of the body and induce disease of the heart, liver, kidneys,
spleen and stomach. Violent fits of hot temper do serious damage to the brain
cells, throw poisonous chemical products into the blood, produce general shock
and depression and suppress the secretion of gastric juice, bile and other
digestive juices in the alimentary canal, drain away your energy, vitality,
induce premature old age and shorten life.
When the mind is agitated, then this body also is agitated. Wherever the body
goes, the mind follows. When both the body and mind are agitated, the Prana
flows in a wrong direction. Instead of pervading the whole body steadily and
equally, it will vibrate at an unequal rate (unrhythmically). Then the food is
not digested properly. Diseases originate. If the primary cause is removed, then
all diseases will disappear.
The pains that afflict the physical body are called secondary diseases,
whilst the Vasanas that affect the mind are termed mental or primary diseases.
If bad thoughts are destroyed, all bodily diseases will vanish. Purity of mind
means healthy body. Therefore, be careful in your thinking, in the selection of
your thoughts. Always entertain noble, sublime, loving and kind thoughts. You
will have harmony, health and beauty.
A Lamentable Practice
It is lamentable, indeed, to note that most of the doctors in the world,
particularly the allopaths, do more harm than good to their patients. They
exaggerate the nature of the disease to their patients. They fill their minds
with imaginary fears of all sorts. They do not know the power of suggestions and
their influences on the minds of their patients. As greed is ingrained in their
minds, as the desire to become rich is deep-rooted in their minds, they try
their level best to extract from their patients as much money as they can. If
they say to their patients, "This disease is nothing. I will make you all right
within a couple of hours," who is going to pay them amply? They give wrong
suggestions to their patients: "This is a terrible disease. This is an incurable
disease. A dangerous poison, a dangerous microbe is lurking in your lungs." The
poor patient spends sleepless nights on account of imaginary fear, on account of
wrong suggestion given by the doctor. Every moment he thinks: "I may die at any
moment. The doctor has said that my disease is dangerous and incurable." He
drags a cheerless existence. The worry and anxiety and fear destroy millions of
red blood-corpuscles daily. The doctor gives the wrong suggestions to glorify
his skill, dexterity in the profession also.
The Root Of All Evils
The erroneous imagination that you are the body is the root of all evils.
Through wrong thinking, you identify yourself with the body. Dehadhyasa arises.
You are attached to the body. This is Abhimana. Then, Mamata (mineness) arises.
You identify yourself with your wife, children, house, etc. It is identification
or attachment that brings about bondage, misery and pain. You never wept when
millions of Germans died in the war. Why? Because, there was no identification
and attachment. But, you weep profusely when your son dies, on account of
attachment. The word 'My' produces wonderful influence in the mind. Note the
difference in effects produced in the mind when you hear the two sentences:
'Horse is dead' and 'My horse is dead.'
Pain Is In Mind Only
Pain is evident so long as you connect yourself with the mind. There is no
pain in sleep. If there is an inflammatory swelling on your back with throbbing
pain, you do not experience any pain at night when you are asleep. Only when the
mind is connected with the diseased part through nerves and thinking, you begin
to experience pain. There is no pain when the mind is disconnected from the body
by the administration of chloroform. During moments of great joy, the severe
pain entirely ceases, as the mind is taken away from the body, from the seat of
the pain. If you can consciously withdraw the mind from the diseased part by
concentrating it on God or any other attractive object, you will not experience
any pain even when you are wide awake. If you have a powerful will and strong
Titiksha (power of endurance), then also you will not experience any pain. By
constant thinking of any trouble or disease, you only augment your pain and
suffering. Pain is in mind. Atman or spirit is Anandasvarupa (full of bliss).
Conquer The Mind To Control The Body
With the majority of mankind, the mind is greatly under the control of the
body. Their minds being very little developed, they live on Annamaya Kosha
mostly. Develop the Vijnanamaya Kosha and, through Vijnanamaya Kosha (Buddhi),
control the Manomaya Kosha (mind). The Vijnanamaya kosha is developed by
abstract thinking and reasoning, by systematic meditation, Brahma-Chintana,
study of the Upanishads, Yogavasishtha and Brahma Sutras.
When you have controlled the mind, you have perfect control over the body.
The body is only a shadow of the mind. It is the mould prepared by the mind for
its expression. The body becomes your slave when you have conquered the mind.
