Yogi Baba Prem

Human Spirituality and the Three Kingdoms.

By Yogi Baba Prem, Yogacharya, Veda Visharada

www.vedicpath.com

For millennia humanity has considered itself the crowning achievement of creation. Within some cultures this has led to conflict with nature; while in others it has led to more of harmony with nature. In reality, the human incarnation is the highest achievement of the animal kingdom. But it is not necessarily superior—as it still belongs to the animal kingdom. The primary difference between an animal and the human animal is the ability to self realize. This quality is primarily associated with the human animal. Western society and its global expansion is a culture that has embraced more of conflict with nature mentality. Certainly there have been individuals who have embraced the importance of nature and numerous individuals that enjoy time in nature, but these are still a minority in terms of mass population.

Humanity does have an awareness of the three kingdoms: 1) mineral 2) plant 3) animal. Humans have an important need of minerals; minerals are worn as body decorations, to enhance beauty, and even as tools for spirituality. Additionally, they provide important nutrients and chemicals to the body. For example trace amounts of gold and silver are important to health and wellness, as well as copper, magnesium and other metals/minerals.

Humanity as a whole has developed largely due to its relationship with the plant kingdom. The development of agriculture allowed groups of people to develop from hunter-gathers to a less mobile agrarian based culture. This allowed for people to specialize in various skills giving birth to specializations and appearance of cities. In ancient times some of the cities grew to considerable size approaching populations of 100-thousand or more with cities of 10’s of thousands being somewhat common. Agrarian based culture marked the development of working relationships with plants and animals. It is at this point that humanity considered itself different from animals and exhibited domination over the animal kingdom. This attitude appears to have become dominate over the last 8 thousand years. It is during this period that we became known as “man”. Later being known as “Human”. But man was still an animal. While man considered itself the crowning achievement of development, man lost sight that it is a transition being between animal and spirit.

Examining the meaning of the Sanskrit word “man” leads to “manas”, meaning mind or more correctly emotional mind, the word Human consist of two teachings: Hue meaning light, and man meaning mind. A human is a mind of light. Frequently, we mistake the word mind for the brain. The brain is not the mind. The brain is one organ that the mind works through. From a Yogic and Vedic standpoint, the mind is divided into 4 categories that are more subtle than the brain. The four categories are:

1) Manas.

2) Ahamkara

3) Buddhi

4) Mahat

Manas is the emotional mind. Our emotional responses come from this area of the mind. This includes the lower animal like responses of the limbic brain, an organ of manas. Manas also effects glands, as anger and other emotions cause a change in blood chemistry. Manas can drive one to great acts of compassion, but for the masses is often the cause of much misery due to our emotional responses, especially responses that we don’t take the time to think through. A portion of modern day psychology is an attempt to help people to understand their manas mind and Ahamkara.

Ahamkara is the ego. The ego is one of the least understood aspects of the mind in modern culture. The ego contains all the facets of power and is a reflection of our divinity. But as a reflection of divinity it is incomplete. Due to ahamkaras connection with manas, the ego is prone to fear and a variety of other emotions. Our lack of understanding of ahamkara is often reflected in the statement “leave your ego at the door.” If one could leave their ego so easily, there would be no need to the majority of spirituality classes currently available. While the ego is often the object of hatred and negative feelings, one might want to view the ego as a frightened child. Rather than beating down the ego, the ego must expand beyond its limited view and narrow perception and perceive its true nature which is soul. Reincarnation is for the ego and its evolution. Karma is largely a product of the actions of the ego in our current and previous lives. Karma is an opportunity to resolve the conflicts within the lower levels of the mind, namely ahamkara and manas.

Buddhi is the intellect. It is the lower function Mahat. India discovered over 8 thousand years ago the importance of the Buddhi. The Vedas reveals an intellectual prowess that was fully developed in the Vedantic tradition. While the body is strongly associated with the animal kingdom, as manas belongs more to the animal kingdom as well. But the ego has the potential to embrace the flow of the buddhi and begin its journey toward spiritual realization. But it is important to note that an imbalanced buddhi can be a very destructive instrument of the mind. The buddhi can function as a knife cutting through the illusions of life; likewise, it can be a powerful knife cutting through friends, coworkers and others. To complete this journey the buddhi must cut through illusions eventually revealing the mahat.

The mahat represents comic consciousness. Through experiencing mahat, ahamkara is transformed and begins to become aware of the limitlessness of the mind. The practitioner of yoga, at this point, is coming very close to seeing their true essence. What is being referenced is the mind turns inward and ultimately sees its true essence, which is Purusha (soul). The transition is through mahat.

Through climbing the ladder of the mind, one transitions consciously from the animal to the human of the animal kingdom and then to the spiritual being. This is achieved through the study of spiritual texts, lectures from knowledgeable people, company of spiritual evolved people, yoga, and meditation.