The human body, which is composed of senses, organs, tissues, muscles, nerves, arteries, bones and various other things, is one of the most complex and wonderful creations and has always baffled even the most brilliant scientists. Each of its constituents is a wonderful world by itself. Let us take the example of the cell. It is the smallest member of the empire called human body and starts by the merging of the spermatozoid and the ovum. There is no doubt that the plan of the future being already existed in these cells, concealed in the DNA. Is this not in itself a clear illustration of divine masterpiece?
Now the question is: “Who or what is the ‘I’ and where is it?” Is it the body or any particular part of it like, for example, the sensual organ or the tissue or still the brain? The whole system definitely disintegrates and returns to its source. What about the ‘I’ or the individuality? Is a human being only the body? What about the thinking process? It is commonly, but erroneously, believed that the mind takes birth with the assembly of cells or, put in another way, matter, or still the body, gives birth to the mind and therefore, the latter is part of the body like any other organ. In reality, the mind is an instrument through which material as well as spiritual unfoldment occur. It is the fourth layer of our being. It is the exit from the world of matter and the entrance to the spiritual dimension. Therefore, we are not the mind but something beyond that.
Is the mind only a bundle of thoughts, impressions, emotions? What about the discriminative faculty? If the body, which is material, possesses consciousness, then every particle of matter should possess consciousness. In fact, some scientists have made hypotheses about the existence of consciousness in atoms. Mystics not only believe, but have experienced consciousness. Truly speaking, consciousness is the only reality, it is the Absolute Reality. Matter is an illusion. Consciousness is indivisible, it is the same in all particles of existence, in all minds. The trinity of human existence is body, mind and consciousness. Consciousness is the seer, body is the object and mind is the subject. To attain to consciousness, one must cease to identify oneself with body and mind. Neither the body nor the mind is the ‘I’ one always refers to. In fact, there is no such thing as ‘I’ or the ego. There is only ‘Am-ness.’ It is neither the body nor the thinking process. Real peace is obtained only when one attains to that state, that is, consciousness. Body and mind are the periphery of the cyclone. Consciousness is the seer, the centre and the silent witness. The whole science of Yoga is to transcend the limitations of body and mind to attain the centre.
The greatest ignorance is mistaking the body and the thinking process for the real self or the only existence. This is the root cause of suffering, for such delusive knowledge brings duality and from duality arises the notion of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ and the ‘many’. The desire of enjoying the ‘many’ is the fundamental delusion of the ego or the ‘I’. In this way, it is caught in an infinite number of desires for the diversities of matter in a never-ending sport of positives and negatives. Once the mind discovers the delusion in which it is caught, the light of consciousness dawns. At this juncture, the mind begins to dissolve as alertness is developed, just as ice melts by receiving even a small ray of heat. Body, mind and consciousness are three aspects of one reality. As the mind dissolves completely, there is only Pure Consciousness which is boundless and unsurpassable silence. That state transcends all dualities created by the mind like good-bad, joy-sorrow, beautiful-ugly and other fruits of ignorance. Finally, when one who has attained the above-mentioned state leaves the body, there remains only Consciousness, which has no dimension so far as we can say. This has to be tasted or else it is all Greek!
