Yard [0052] : Mirror Mirror On The Wall

Dear Friends,

Namaste!

We know the story of “Snow-white and Seven Dwarves”. In the story, the Queen would daily ask the magical mirror on her wall the same question, “Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” The mirror, ever loyal to her mistress, would respond, “O Queen, you are the fairest of them all!”

This was all going oh-so-smoothly until one day, the mirror responded, “O Queen, Snow-white is the fairest of them all!” The Queen got the shock of her life and the rest, as they say, is (hi)story!

Interestingly, we also possess a magical mirror just like the Queen. It is also very loyal to its master (viz., us) and reflects, irrespective of reality, what the master would like to perceive!

This mirror is called our “Chitta” (attention) and the ability of this mirror to project what the master would like to believe, notwithstanding the true nature of the object being reflected, is known in Yoga-Shastra as its “Vishayvati  Pravritti” (ability to project relative or virtual reality).

That is why sometimes a rope is perceived by the observer as a snake and vice versa.

Let’s briefly examine what happens when an object is perceived through one of the senses (such as eyes) by the observer:

1.    Nerve endings situated in the sense detect the signals

2.    These signals travel through the nerves and end up in our nervous system

3.    Our nervous system receives the signals

4.    It then interprets the signals by comparing with similar signals already captured in its mind-bogglingly huge database

5.    It analyses and understands the object(s) and determines a response to the object(s) or the “situation” or the “experience”

6.    It sends out instructions to relevant parts of the body (such as hands and legs) to execute the response

7.    From step 1 onwards again it experiences the results of the actions taken.

This cycle goes on continuously in our life. Our five senses are called “Gyan-Indriya” (faculties to acquire Gyan - knowledge) because it is through these that we gain knowledge of or understand the objects. The faculties through which we execute actions as instructed by our nervous system are known as “Karma-Indriya” (Karma - actions).

However, as stated above, our “Chitta” has the ability to create its own reality! Therefore, it can reflect something that does not actually exist in the external world and make our nervous system respond!!

When our “Chitta” does this when we are awake, it is called as “illusions” or “hallucinations”. When our “Chitta” plays this game when we are sleeping, it is known as “Dreaming”.

We discussed earlier that a human being can have only five states of being, viz., “Jaagruti” or Wakefulness, “Nidra” or Sleep, “Swapna” or Dreaming, “Toorya” or Inner Bliss and “Unmani” or Total Bliss. Let’s understand these states from what the mirror projects in each of these states:

1.    Jaagruti – In this state, a person is awake and his ‘mirror’ reflects either external objects or ‘objects’ from his make-believe world (illusions) generated from his thoughts and emotions. The mirror is defective, hence the observer does not see Reality for what it is.

2.    Nidra – In this state, a person is sleeping and his ‘mirror’ does not reflect anything and is completely blank. The mind and body of the person are completely rested and rejuvenated in this state. The other variation of this state is called “Moorchcha” (unconsciousness). This state, in which although the ‘mirror’ is blank like in “Nidra”, is involuntary, unnatural and undesirable.

3.    Swapna – In this state, a person is sleeping and detached from external world. However, the ‘mirror’ is not empty. It’s “Vishayvati Pravritti” is at work and the mirror reflects a virtual reality that, like absolute or relative reality, evokes responses from the nervous system. This virtual reality is more commonly known as ‘dreams’ and it is a common observation that dreams do affect our emotions and body (we wake up sweating and frightened after a nightmare!).

4.    Toorya – In this state, which is between Jaagruti and Nidra, the mirror reflects the observer alone. The defect from the mirror stands removed after arduous and prolonged effort by the observer and he sees himself in the mirror in full glory.

5.    Unmani – This state is exactly like Jaagruti except that the mirror reflects nothing but absolute reality as the defect (ignorance) has been removed. There is no duality in this state and the person goes through life in a state of complete bliss, discharging his responsibilities to the fullest of his abilities and always working in larger interests.

It is clear from our discussion so far that dreams belong to the realm of virtual reality that interferes in the resting (non-wavering) and rebuilding of our mind and body. Hence they are best avoided!

Au revoir...