One more thing !

Self as the Master of the Chariot " -

Notes from Kathopanishad !!

Self as the master of the Chariot:

Notes from Kathopanishad:

“ know the body as the chariot and self as the maser of the chariot . Intellect as the charioteer and the mind as the bridle with which the five horses or senses are

Probably this is the most famous analogy of the Hindu philosophy .

Self is the master of the chariot and the discriminating intellect is the charioteer. The reins that hold the senses is the mind . The intellect directs the mind in controlling the senses.

The senses and the instincts as they say are the horses and the sense objects are the roads . The wise call him the enjoyer who is united with senses and the mind.

One who is always of unrestrained mind and is devoid of right understanding , his sense organs become uncontrollable like the vicious horses

But one who has right understanding and has a mind which is always controlled ,, his senses are always under control like the good horses under the control of a charioteer .

The man of unrestrained mind goes through the endless cycle of birth and death

The man who is intelligent ever pure and with mind controlled reaches that goal form where there is no birth and death

The hierarchy;

Beyond the sense are the sense objects , beyond the sense objects is the mind , beyond the mind is the intellect and beyond the intellect is the self which perceives all theses.

This may seem like tricky statement. But a little thinking clears the air.

Beyond the senses is the sense objects perceived through the senses. The sense objects are form, touch , taste, smell . Beyond these sense objects is the mind which perceives them with aid of the senses and gives the picture of the form etc . The form etc reported by the mind are verified by the intellect and intellect directs the senses through the mind. Thus intellect lies beyond the mind.

Beyond the intellect is the Self which is directing the operation

Self is also the total intellect>

Beyond total intellect is the un manifest

Beyond the Un manifest is the pure existence which is called by various names Purusha, Supreme, Brahman

When the body through mind controls the senses

It is the self which gets confused much like the Arjuna in the chariot in Mahabharata where Intellect is the Krishna.

If we go through this there is a chain in the lower half.

Senses- sense objects- mind – intellect – self

It is quite possible that intellect ( discrimination) is not used and self is directly operating and the resulting thoughts do not go beyond self

 

om tat sat