Life experiences are experienced and stored at different levels,
from the physical body upto the atimanas kosa. How do these relate
to each other? The original experience may be at any of these levels,
but propagates to the others (or does all experience inherently
occur on all levels at once?) Some of these things are purely in
the body and other low levels of mind which do not survive death.
What is the relationship between the longer term and the single
life experience, conditioning, samskara?
Sort out the effects of storing stuff on one level, on the
other levels. In particular while it seems clear that distortions
on higher levels will eventually manifest on all lower levels, how
much "upward" propagation is there? Do the linkages vary in strength
and directness between the levels, and how much do these values
depend on the specific events/causes?
It seems that the attitude of the spirit, in particular the nature
of its identification with the various manifested levels plays a role.
Thus the more closely the embodied spirit identifies with its body, the
more impact physical trauma has on its higher levels.
This is linked to the question of learning. Much of what we experience,
and the lessons we `learn' apparently have to do with releasing stored
energies, pictures, samskaras. However we
have also come in to the body to learn as a spirit. Are these two
processes or only one?
While the physical reactions to experiences can be held in all
parts of the body, with accompanying emotions, or emotional
triggers the affect of samskaras through the vrttis is confined
to the chakras. In the psychic view, pictures can be held in
different levels of the aura, but most commonly in the cakras.
How does all this fit together?
In yogic terms the samskaras are
stored in the causal mind . Their exact expressionis not always the same as the action
that led to their formation, due to changes in time place and person.
It is said that they can accrue interest over time, therefore it is
best to acknowledge mistakes and take punishment as soon as possible
(as in Catholic confession).
Instinct. These are basic patterns encoded
in the citta due to repetition of experience (over lifetimes?).
In animals much (all?) of their
behavior is controlled by instinct. In humans there are two
main instincts left, self-protection and procreation, which take
four forms, 1) hunger, 2) need to sleep, 3) fear, 4) sexual desire.
These actions create pratyamulaka (acquired)
samskaras, those due to independent action in this life time.
Desires. All our desires must some day be
fulfilled, both good and bad. Until they are we carry their vibration
in our mind, and arrange our lives so that they may be fulfilled.
These actions also create pratyamulaka (acquired)
samskaras, those due to independent action in this life time.
Pleasure and pain have to do with the resonance or dissonance
of external vibrations with those in ones mind due to ones samskaras.
The external objects etc. just are, their value depends on the filters
we use to perceive them.
The problem with desires for things in the expressed world is that
as soon as one has been fulfilled another comes along, so we are never
happy for long. Furthermore, often the fulfillment
of our desires is less pleasurable than anticipated, which tends to
lead to addictions and obsessions, as we try to intensify an experience
in the vain hope of satisfying an unlimited thirst with limited experience.
Finally we also tend to generate new samskaras in the process of
exhausting the old.
At the physical level, a repeated stimulus will eventually dull.
The threshold for the nerves to react goes higher and higher, until
they will not react at all.
Reactions (inborn). For every action there is an
equal and opposite reaction. Every time the aham creates an image in the
citta ( samkalpatmaka), i.e. even
the action of contemplating a physical action or taking a purely mental
action, such as making a judgement, there is a distortion of the mind
which lasts until it is released. The reaction
can be of many sorts and may be immediate or it may take lifetimes.
These samskaras are called inborn (sahajata) when
they have been formed in a past life and come with us in the body at
birth. The experience of the reaction is not a matter of choice, one
goes through these experiences mechanically.
This reaction takes place in the citta (see above) while the aham
which experiences the reaction, has sensations of pleasure and pain due to the resonance
or dissonance of the reactional vibrations with those already in the
mind. The intensity of the reaction is determined by the strength of
the original action.
World (jagatika). Contact with the
physical world creates vibrations in the mind which may leave
impressions that must later be relaxed. Only the sadhaka who sees the world as en
expression of God avoids this. These are imposed
(aropita) samskaras.
Environmental (Pariveshagata). These samskaras
are acquired from the society and culture that one grows up with.
When we acquire other peoples
pictures they become this type of samskara. This is why it is
important to keep good spiritual company. These are also
imposed (aropita) samskaras.
Responsibility (kartavyagata). These are
samskaras acquired through actions undertaken due to our
responsibilities in society or for our family. These are also
imposed (aropita) samskaras, though one does
have the choice to opt out of the relationship/role that gives
rise to them.
Education (shiksagata). These are patterns
of thought and other pictures
acquired from schools, teachers, and elders. These are also
imposed (aropita) samskaras.
Habituated (vrttigata). When the pictures and
actions of the four types of imposed (aropita)
samskaras listed above are repeated over and over, they become ingrained
in the physical metabolism in the glands
which express the vrttis.
Pictures are the images, patterns,
and energies that we carry in our space which tend to control our
actions and reactions. They are the psychic equivalent of samskaras. As with samskaras they may be
acquired or imposed from/by others, society etc. They may be created
by ourselves (this is more often called karma) and they may be "core"
pictures, essentially inborn samskaras.
Creation of Memories
See creation of memories. Note
that there are both conscious and unconscious pathways, with more
or less emotional content.
