The Charioteer’s Insight: Vedantic Journeys Through Manas and Buddhi
Contemplative Buddhi: Mannequin's silent On/Off observance
"Know that the Atman is the rider in the chariot, and the body is the chariot; know that the intellect is the charioteer, and the mind is the reins. The senses are called the horses, and the objects of the senses are their paths."
(Katha Upanishad 1.3.3-1.3.4)
While exploring the mind through Vedanta teachings, I have found their mapping of our inner workings remarkably insightful. Although Vedanta describes several levels of mind, I have been particularly drawn to contemplating two aspects: manas and buddhi.
Manas represents the rational mind that processes sensory information and generates thoughts, emotions, and reactions - the everyday mind with which we are all familiar. Buddhi represents the higher intellect, the faculty of discernment that observes manas at work.
Through personal experience, I have observed how manas operates dualistically, oscillating between opposite states that I conceptualize as "on" and "off". This pattern resembles a bedridden person who can only turn their head right or left, never upward toward the centre. This limitation is not a flaw - it appears to be the inherent functioning of manas, reflecting its dualistic nature.
Awareness
What intrigues me most is a phenomenon I have noticed while observing manas through buddhi: when manas enters an "off" position, it becomes incapable of comprehending the possibility of "on". Like the bedridden person turned right who temporarily loses awareness of the left side entirely, each state of manas becomes all-encompassing, momentarily obscuring awareness of other possibilities.
Buddhi, as I comprehend it, operates more like a drone viewing from above. It perceives both positions simultaneously, encompassing the complete picture of Manas's movements. Rather than striving to fix or alter manas, it cultivates a natural detachment from these limitations. This process resembles learning to observe mental states without becoming entirely immersed in them.
One of the most fascinating patterns emerges during transitions between states. When in "off", manas adamantly declares that feeling lightness is impossible. Yet when "on" manifests and that lightness appears - the very phenomenon that just seemed impossible - it indicates something transcending the mind itself. The contrast between these states, coupled with the fresh memory of Manas's previous "certainty," suggests the existence of something that can witness both states without being confined to either.
The vivid recollection of Manas's recent position ("you cannot experience lightness") creates a compelling juxtaposition with the experience of lightness. This contrast raises a profound possibility: if there existed a "rule" against lightness, yet lightness manifests nonetheless, perhaps something exists capable of observing both the rule and its transcendence. This may exemplify what Vedanta identifies as the "witness"—pure awareness unbound by any mental state.
And…so?
Consider this everyday example: During stressful periods, the mind insists, "Relaxation is impossible - there are too many obligations. You cannot afford it." Yet during vacation, deep relaxation emerges naturally. The recent memory of "relaxation is impossible" contrasts sharply with the experience of being relaxed. This contrast offers insight into our capacity to observe both stress and relaxation without being wholly defined by either.
These reflections transcend mere theory, emerging from careful attention to the mind's operations in daily experience. While Vedanta provides valuable conceptual frameworks, the essence lies in exploring our direct experience. Through this investigation, we discover that freedom emerges not from forcing mental change, but from cultivating our capacity to observe and comprehend the mind's movements with measured detachment.
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