(Originally written for The Philistine, March 2012 - since revised.)
The ultimate goal of Yoga is to transcend the Mind in order to be able to reach a state of blissful meditative Awareness called samadhi. While many of us consider the mind to be the definitive plane of existence, yogic philosophy argues that although our cerebral capacities are indeed what separate us from the "lower" animals, we do not give ourselves enough credit if we believe that our experience must stop there.
The function of the brain or the Mind is to create
thoughts in response to stimuli communicated to it through the sensory cells. This is its job, and the mind does not necessarily care what kind of
thoughts it creates - it takes information in from the senses and then gives orders
to the cells in our nerves and organs about how to respond.
Yet, we possess the ability to have some control over this system of thought-production. For example, say your co-worker yells at you for making a mistake. Your mind's initial reaction may be to yell back, or to run away in fear, or to cry (depending on your 'state of mind', as it were). But if we gain mastery over our impulses - i.e., our brain's auto-response communication, we can stay calm and steady in this or any situation. Instead of letting that rush of adrenaline determine our reaction, we can first tap into the truth of what is happening and let our greater awareness guide our actions.
Yet, we possess the ability to have some control over this system of thought-production. For example, say your co-worker yells at you for making a mistake. Your mind's initial reaction may be to yell back, or to run away in fear, or to cry (depending on your 'state of mind', as it were). But if we gain mastery over our impulses - i.e., our brain's auto-response communication, we can stay calm and steady in this or any situation. Instead of letting that rush of adrenaline determine our reaction, we can first tap into the truth of what is happening and let our greater awareness guide our actions.
