How can we spiritualize the willing function of the mind?

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Transcript

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…feeling, willing, functions of the mind, what do we do about willing? Actually, I did not speak about that. I was trying to talk about it first, but pointing that out.
Thank you. So, the in one sense the thinking, feeling, willing are, Brahmajarya says that they are functions of the mind. In a broad sense, we could say they are functions of a subtle body.
Because often thinking we associate with the intelligence. Thinking, thoughtfulness is a function of the intelligence. So, it could be roughly associated like that, but the faculty of intention, intentionality, it actually is one step later.
So, the going back to the example of the chariot. So, the thinking and feeling, it’s like say, the chariot is going in a particular direction, the horses see something and the horse starts moving towards some some juicy vegetable. Then, a perception has come in and the charioteer sees it.
The horse is going in that direction, charioteer stops and pulls it back. So, in this case, the charioteer is the intelligence and the reins are more or less the conduits connecting the horse and the charioteer. Now, intentionality is the if you see, look at the chariot body, the charioteer is not going independently.
There is a passenger, a warrior who is in the chariot, who wants to go in a particular direction and the chariot charioteer is supposed to take the chariot in that direction. So, like that, the function of intentionality comes from the soul. Actually, thinking, feeling, willing, all three come from the soul.
But, in terms of their expression, it’s like now, I am speaking, you are hearing, you are seeing. So, now, at a level of expression, the mouth is speaking, the ear is hearing. Ultimately, it is the soul who is desiring to speak and the mouth is the function, is the tool for expressing that.
So, say the soul is here, the subtle body is here, the gross body is here. So, just as I could say the speaking is done by the mouth and the speaking is done by the soul. Both are true.
The soul is using the mouth as an instrument to speak. Similarly, thinking, feeling, willing, it is done by the soul, but for that the instrument is the mind or the subtle body in general. So, normally, the intention, willing, which is the last stage, that is it is the result of a dialogue between the soul and the mind.
So, what happens is, the mind cannot act independently. Although the mind seems to be controlling us, sometimes coding us, do this, do this, but the mind is not independent. The mind can only propose, it cannot impose.
The mind can only propose, it cannot impose. I will give an example to illustrate this. Suppose, say I am driving a car and there is some restless child sitting next to me, next to me in the side.
The child says, see there, see that, see that picture, see who is there, see who is there, see who is there, see who is there. Now, if wherever the child makes me see, if I start seeing over there, there will be an accident. Come on, let’s go into that shop, let’s go over there, let’s go over there.
Now, the child can keep speaking. I don’t have to accept that. I don’t have to do that.
But if I pay attention to that child, then I will go in a direction, maybe here, maybe there, and I will meet with an accident. So, like that, the mind is like a person sitting next to us. We are in control.
The child cannot push the other person away and take the car’s wheels and start driving. The mind cannot force us. The mind can propose and it can propose so persuasively that we accept it.
But still, the mind can propose. It cannot impose. So, intentionality ultimately is the decision is of the soul.
The soul decides, I will accept this, there is pleasure over here, I will go and enjoy. Now, the using the intentionality is more in terms of making resolutions. Making… Vishwanath Chakrathapur says in the 7th Canto that, असंकलपाद जयेद कामः So, that can be translated in both ways depending on different manuscripts of the Bhagavatam.
Some places it is असंकलपाद जयेद कामः By not making resolutions, by not planning or scheming or imagining, one can avoid, one can conquer selfish desire. Or, it can also mean, if you take it as असंकलपाद, by making positive resolutions, So, I will not do this. That one also one can conquer.
Basically, the intentionality can be tapped by making resolutions. So, resolutions may be facilitated by external barricades. If an AAF say, I decide to fast on Ekadashi.
Anyway, everyone decides to stop fasting. It becomes easier to fast. So, if there is external control or external assistant environment, it becomes easier.
But ultimately, still I have to have that intention. So, if I don’t have that intention, everybody else may be fasting but I may think, oh, I can’t fast. And I may go and eat.
Or, along with that, there has to be an internal break also. The mind may start imagining, oh, I want to eat. I want to eat.
I want to eat. So, but for both the break and the barricade to work, there has to be a resolution. There has to be an intention.
So, intention we can do by resolution. By making resolutions, we can trigger the other faculties of the mind. Yes, this is what I am going to do.
And imagine, how will I be able to do this? Maybe I can cut down the time for this. Maybe I can do it like this. Maybe I can do it like this.
And just squeeze in something. So, resolution is how we channelize the willing function. Thank you.
Any other questions?