The difference between our Mind and Brain

The mind is a subtle machine provided along with the body to the soul. It is such a machine that continuously generates thou

ghts, feelings, ideas, perceptions, and stores knowledge and memories.

The brain is not the mind. The brain is the hardware that the mind uses for its functioning. Someone's brain may get damaged, but the mind may still continue functioning normally. This shows that the mind is distinct from the brain. Again, in the case of plants, they have no brain, and yet they have a mind. Experiments have shown how they respond to the moods of the gardener and speed up or slow down their growth in response. This illustrates that even plants possess a mind.

The brain is made from the gross elements earth, water, fire, air, space. On the other hand, the mind is subtler than these gross elements. The Bhagavad Geeta states:

bhumirāpo nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhireva cha
ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me bhinnā prakṛitiraṣhṭadhā
(Bhagavad Gītā 7.4)

"Earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, intellect and ego, are various constituents of My material energy, Maya." Here, Shree Krishna has enumerated the mind as separate from the five gross elements. Modern science has some idea of the nature of the gross brain, but is yet to comprehend the functioning of the subtle mind.

The mind is thus distinct from the brain. Nevertheless, in figure of speech, often when we say "the mind," it refers together to the mind and the brain.

How to train our mind that there is no happiness in the material world?

Question:  My question is about how to teach and train mind that there is no happiness in the material world.  My mind is revolting while accepting that there is no happiness in material things. Is it ok if we will go through these circumstances and get realization that there is no happiness?  For example, there is no happiness in consuming alcohol.  So, is it ok if we first test alcohol and then get to realize that there is no happiness? Without going through something how we will know that there is no happiness in it?

Answer by Swamiji:  There are innumerable things in the world, and each thing has endless varieties.  If you go by the modus operandi of experiencing everything first, your whole life will pass in the endeavor.  Besides, is there any formula regarding how long you will consume alcohol before coming to the conclusion that there is no happiness in it?  There are people who run after money all their lives, and yet do not decide that it does not have the happiness they are seeking.  Again, if you finally do come to the conclusion that the world is not a place of happiness, but the mind doubts whether there is happiness in God, then what will you do?  You wouldn't be able to demand to see and experience God before concluding that He is an ocean of Divine Bliss. 

   As human beings, God has bestowed us with subtle intellects that can make this decision even without experience.  Broadly, the intellect of living beings can be classified into four categories:

 

1. The lowest is the intellect of an insect.  It is attracted to the fire.  On coming near the flame, it gets burnt.  But it does not learn, and commits the same mistake again and again.

2. The intellect of a cat is subtler.  If it sits on a hot plate, it learns from its experience.  In future, it even refuses to sit on a cold plate, in apprehension that it may get burnt.   

3. The intellect of sheep is even subtler.  They have never been attacked by a wolf.  But the moment they see a wolf, they perceive impending danger and run for their lives.

4. The intellect of humans is even subtler. Merely by intellectual discrimination, without seeing or experiencing, they are expected to reach the conclusion that there is no happiness in the world.

 

Actually, everyone has had experience of the world to a lesser or greater extent.  We made the desires of the senses and put in great effort to satisfy them.  What was the experience?  For a moment the desire was quenched, but then it arose again with redoubled intensity.  This is the nature of worldly desires, whether they are the teeny-weeny cravings that you have made innumerable times in your lives or the bigger desires that loom more largely in your mind.  The principle is exactly the same.  So we should utilize our experience to date, to reach a blanket conclusion about the nature of all worldly desires.  That is what God expects us to do, and that is the instruction of the scriptures.

   

upāsate puruṣham ye hyākāmāste śhukrametadivartanti dhīrāḥ |  (Mundakopanishad)

 "One who engages in devotion to God, giving up worldly desires, crosses over the ocean of life and death."