EKENDRIYA -- 5

official source: Ma'nasa'dhya'tmika Sa'dhana'r Staravinya's [Stages of Psycho-
	Spiritual Sa'dhana']

cross-references: also published in Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 6

this version: is the printed Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 6, 1st 
	edition, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., 
	this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. 
	Words in square brackets [   ] are corrections that did not appear in the 
	printed version.

      We were discussing ekendriya, the third stage of spiritual practice. Sa'dhakas reach this stage having advanced step by step along the spiritual path.

	Let us discuss the nature of the indriyas. In Sam'skrta "indra" means "greatest", and thus according to mythology Indra is the king of the Gods. Sal trees are called "indra brks'a" due to their huge size.

      The human body is composed of eight main parts and is thus called as't'aunga. Prostration is called sas't'aunga pran'a'ma. Some teachers of ayurveda include the navel area and the back in the list of the body's main constituent parts, but this is not totally appropriate. Of the five sensory organs (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin), one, the skin, can be omitted, and of the five motor organs (vocal chord, hands, legs, excretory and genital organ), one,the vocal chord can be omitted. This leaves the eight constituent parts. And the prostration made with these eight body-parts is called sas't'aunga pranama. Now the question is why have these eight indriyas been selected and the chest, back and navel area omitted? The reason is that without the help of the indriyas one's inherent characteristics cannot be manifested. They also play a dominant role in giving expression to one's physical characteristics. For example, when you see or hear something you may become happy or angry. The changes in mood (one's excitement or tranquillity) in the psychic sphere are due to the activity of the indriyas. The indriyas are the centres of activity, the main gateways of the physical world.

	Now you may ask, what is mind? The mind is neither something physical nor something purely spiritual. That which is directly related to the quinquelemental world and simultaneously related to the psychic world is called "indriya". Take the indriya of sight. The gateway of this indriya is the eyes themselves, but it is the optical nerve which connects it with the psychic world. Judged in this light the indriyas are superior to the physical body since they are connected with the psychic world.

	The mind does not have any physical or psychic gateway. What we call the eye is not the real eye, but is merely the gateway of the eye organ. The optical nerve which is connected to the psychic world is the actual eye. So what is the mind? The mind is not perceived from outside since it has no physical or psychic gateway, but at the same time it is connected to the indriyas. That's why after proper deliberation, the experienced philosophers of the past recognized mind as a special indriya, [the eleventh indriya. The difference between this eleventh indriya] and the other ten is that it has no external gateway as the eyes have. Because of this subtle difference the mind is recognized as a subtler indriya and Because of its subtler power it exercisesa far greater influence on the human body than the ten indriyas. These ten indriyas always convey information to the mind. The mind on receiving the information creates reactions to it in the physical body, and in the process gets reacted to itself.

	If you want to get good service from the mind, you must keep it in a state of tranquillity. For this you must send information through the ten indriyas and the eight limbs which will maintain the equipoise and equilibrium of the mind. Suppose someone is seated at dining table. If you were to break the news of a relative's death at that time it would definitely destroy his composure, and he will leave the table, having lost all appetite. Even those of you who practice sa'dhana' say, "I'm feeling a little troubled today, I won't eat anything." If you feel disturbed mentally why shouldn't you eat physically? After all, it is the body which eats. The reason is that the mind exerts a tremendous influence over the body.

      Those who wish to elevate the mind, should knowingly bring the indriyas within the contact of someone whose inspiration will cause only positive information to be sent to the mind. The influence of positive inferences will have such a beneficial effect that the ectoplasmic stuff will be powdered down and converted into cognitive faculty.

31 May 1981, Calcutta
Ma'nasa'dhya'tmika Sa'dhana'r Staravinya's [Stages of Psycho-Spiritual 
	Sa'dhana']