Who am I?
What is the mind? Is it my mind? And is my body really my body?
When one answers these questions from the viewpoint of yoga, the answers can change the way we, in the West, see things. Especially as Western philosophy takes the view, as Descartes – seen by some as the father of modern (western) philosophy – put it: “I think, therefore I am”. This is not the case when one adopts a non-dualistic view of yoga.
When I teach my classes I usually refer to ‘the’ mind and ‘the’ body, even when speaking about ‘my’ mind and body. This is done on purpose and for specific reasons.
For example, in yoga philosophy, I am not the mind. Nor am I the body. I inhabit a body, it’s my vehicle while I am alive, but it is not me. And when I speak of the mind – what appears to be my mind is not my mind. I am not my mind, and my mind is not me.
There are useful examples to illustrate this. For example, when in deep sleep, we are not aware of either our mind, or our body, yet we are still alive and exist as the same person who went to sleep.
Also, when in dream state, we are not aware of our body, but in a matter of speaking we are aware of our identity through our dreams. And there are times when dreaming we are not aware of who we were when we went to sleep. I believe Karl Jung said everyone we see in our dreams is really us in a different form.
So who am I?
On one level, it is our mind and our body, as they are not someone else’s. But this subtle teaching is designed to stop us from developing undue attachment, as this causes suffering and dissatisfaction. If we become too attached to our body, any negative change to it – putting on weight for example – can really upset us. Yet, below this fatty layer we don’t like, inside us, we are still the same person. Yoga teaches us to be detached from this situation, so we do not suffer – and we can still work on losing that weight to. It teaches us not to identify with the body as being who we are.
In terms of the mind, controlling our thoughts is like taming a wild animal – controlling an elephant, for example, with a small stick. You could say it’s akin to developing a working partnership, or loving partnership with the mind and body.
In yoga the mind is where our thoughts are generated and kept – so a busy mind is full and chaotic at times – so we learn in yoga to control this collection of thoughts. To put it another way, if we are the mind, why do unwelcome thoughts suddenly pop into our heads? Why do we find it so hard to make our mind go quiet?
Underneath, behind, below all the surface activity of our mind, yoga describes consciousness as the steady constant that observes all this – the witness is another term used. When we are in deep sleep consciousness is still present. Is this who we are?
These paradoxical statements and explanations are meant to be this way. They are meant to provoke reflection and inquiry into the nature of our mind and body, and our relationship with them. We seek clarity and awareness of the real nature of our mind and body.
It’s a tricky subject when speaking of such matters and needs to be dealt with carefully. That is why we meditate on this working and loving relationship with ourselves – with our minds and bodies so that it leads to a harmonising and balanced relationship.
That’s where the continuous practice comes in, because as our lives fluctuate, so do our relationships with mind and body vary. Our mind – with all its thoughts can torment us and then later it can feel all quiet on the mind front! We veer from loving our bodies to loathing them; or ignoring it due to apathy. The idea is to develop a loving relationship and agreement to work together. It’s always a “work in progress”!
If we are not the mind and body, who is in control? As you would expect, there is not a direct answer to this, for that matter there is rarely a direct answer to any of this, we are asked to meditate and contemplate these questions, and the truth will be revealed.
(First published 3/4/11)
