Concept of Mind in the Major Upanishads
by Gisha K. Narayanan | 2018 | 35,220 words
This page relates ‘The Upanishads (Introduction)’ of the study on the concept of Mind as found in the Major Upanishads: the philosophical backbone of the four Vedas. This study explores the various characteristics and psychological aspects of the mind (described by the Seers of ancient India thousands of years ago) including awareness (samjna), understanding (vijnana) and knowledge (prajnana).
1. The Upaniṣads (Introduction)
The Upaniṣads Form the backbone of Vedic literature and give a profound unity and great spiritual enlightenment. The Upaniṣadic wisdom affects and embodies the different classes of spirituality in different ways. The topic of mind is highly treated with philosophical as well as psychological speculations. More than Indian psychology main discussions on mind can be seen under Indian philosophy, religion, culture etc. Mind originates from the root ‘man’ means ‘to think’: ‘Manute manaḥ’ and ‘mano adhyātmaṃ mantavyaṃ’.The word ‘mind’ is closed to self and the karmendriyas. Yet all philosophies and Upaniṣads analyze the complete topic mind.
The Amṛtānandopaniṣad says:
Mind of man is the cause of both bondage and liberation. The Maitrayaṇi Upaniṣad suggests that mind, in truth, for mankind is the means of bondage and release from bondage.[2] How they can reveal the idea of mind and its faculties are mentioned the major Upaniṣads. The concept of mind is associated with manas, prajña, vijñāna, saṃkalpa and citta. The Upaniṣads discuss human personality and, also discuss the mental functioning. The concept of mind in the Upaniṣads mainly suggests that the mind is a subtle matter. The Upaniṣads hold that mind is material (annamayaṃ hi somya manaḥ), it is matter and made up of food; and, in the same way, our body made up of food. It is matter. Mind is that which binds the self which tops the world.
Mind is a subtle matter in all philosophy. It has been considered to be the part of that which was designated by the term darśana. The mind and its complexity have received the attention of scholars for a long time. In the West a serious study on the mind has been done by Sigmund Freud. In ancient India, our sages have made serious studies about the mind and its functions and they have devised a method for controlling it. In the ancient texts there are very valuable discussions and suggestions on our present age. That mind is much more than thought or feeling. The mind and its complexity have been studied by the scholars for a long time and they have received much attention from the scholars from time to time.
The topic of mind has been treated extremely with philosophical as well as psychological speculations. A revelation on the idea of mind and its faculties are mentioned the Upaniṣads. The Upaniṣads discuss human personality and also the mental functioning. The concept of mind in the Upaniṣad is based on the observation that the mind is a subtle matter with exceptional faculties. Mind is that which binds the self to the world.