Think about this. There are seven layers to your existence: Body, breath, mind, intellect, memory (chitta), ego and finally soul (or self).
To move from the outermost layer of your existence to the innermost (most interesting part), you must travel from gross to subtle. Step one: To glimpse the deepest layers, start with the outer layers. For example, it is very easy to perceive the first layer; i.e., the body. You can touch it, pamper it, feel it, etc. Then move from the body (first layer) to the more subtle second layer (breath). You can feel the second layer if you place your hand in front of your nose. You can even sense the temperature of your breath. Although you cannot stop your breath, you can have some control over it.
But as you move to even deeper layer (mind) there is no way to perceive it by physical means. You can’t touch it, feel its temperature or texture. The best way to know this dimension of our existence is through awareness; i.e., dhyana (meditation).
Collectively, the mind, intellect, memory (chitta) and ego is called antahkarana chatushtaya. This comprises your internal world. Every moment, as we come in contact with the external world, these four faculties work inside us at an intense rate.
For example, say you are quietly sitting enjoying the solitude when a nice smell comes from kitchen. At that moment, the mind records, “I’m getting a fine smell from somewhere.” The intellect discriminates: “What is that smell? I think it’s cheese. How nice!! What kind? Swiss? Yes, it’s Swiss cheese.”
Then once the intellect decides, “Yes, it is a nice piece of Swiss cheese, just like you enjoyed in Paris last year,” the chitta brings all the memories related to it together, and finally, the ego says, “Oh is it so? Then I should have some now.”
All these four things happen at once but so quickly we seldom distinguish among them.
This is just one example, but you can imagine how quickly and how often these internal faculties are working within us, from moment to moment, as we indulge in zillions of activities on daily basis.
The end result is the effort/desire to get the cheese. Once the desire is in your mind, you can’t go back to its original peaceful condition unless you fulfill it by going into the kitchen and eating the cheese. But it is your choice.
Normally, you are in the peaceful state. That is the natural condition of mind but these modifications of mind disturb that peace. There is nothing wrong in desiring but we need to be very cautious about the type of desires we indulge, as that is where our energy flows and from where life manifests.
You are in charge of your desires.
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