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Antahkarana Chatushtaya (अन्तःकरणचतुष्टयम्) (view source)
Revision as of 22:13, 16 March 2023
, 22:13, 16 March 2023→The Process of Perception: added content
=== The Process of Perception ===
=== The Process of Perception ===
In modern parlance, the perceptual process involves the mind (antaḥkaraṇa in its buddhi function) going out to the object via sensory channels. In perception the buddhi makes contact with the object via the sensory channels. This gives rise to modifications in the buddhi and vṛttis arise in the mind. Vṛttis are processed by the manas, which with its selective attention subjects the vṛttis to analysis, assimilation, and discrimination. Vṛttis thus become determinate and definitive; and are broken into subject–predicate relationship. This is the process by which the objects are reflectively apprehended. When, at the next stage, vṛttis are appropriated by the ahaṁkāra, which is the self-referencing system, they become associated with the person. Then one has the self-apprehension of the objects. With such self-referencing made possible by the ahaṁkāra and the determinate form given by the manas, vṛttis find themselves back in the buddhi with all the manifest modifications. Advaita makes a distinction between (a) the perception of an object and (b) the perception of object as object. The former involves the identity of cognitive (pramāṇa) and object consciousness (viṣaya caitanya). In the perception of the object as object, there is in addition to the identification of the object, an identification with the person who has that perception. For example, the person identifies that the rose is red, but he also knows that he knows about the redness of the rose. Here the vṛtti is referred to and appropriated by the [[Jiva (जीवः)|jiva]] (the empirical self).<ref name=":2" />
In modern parlance, the perceptual process involves the mind (antaḥkaraṇa in its buddhi function) going out to the object via sensory channels. In perception the buddhi makes contact with the object via the sensory channels. This gives rise to modifications in the buddhi and vṛttis arise in the mind. Vṛttis are processed by the manas, which with its selective attention subjects the vṛttis to analysis, assimilation, and discrimination. Vṛttis thus become determinate and definitive; and are broken into subject–predicate relationship. This is the process by which the objects are reflectively apprehended. When, at the next stage, vṛttis are appropriated by the ahamkara, which is the self-referencing system, they become associated with the person. Then one has the self-apprehension of the objects. With such self-referencing made possible by the ahaṁkāra and the determinate form given by the manas, vṛttis find themselves back in the buddhi with all the manifest modifications. Advaita makes a distinction between (a) the perception of an object and (b) the perception of object as object. The former involves the identity of cognitive (pramāṇa) and object consciousness (viṣaya caitanya). In the perception of the object as object, there is in addition to the identification of the object, an identification with the person who has that perception. For example, the person identifies that the rose is red, but he also knows that he knows about the redness of the rose. Here the vṛtti is referred to and appropriated by the [[Jiva (जीवः)|jiva]] (the empirical self).<ref name=":2" />
== Antahkarana and Psychology ==
== Antahkarana and Psychology ==
The tendencies of the mind (Antahkarana) as the inner instrument (manas + intellect + mind + ego + heart) impact the daily life and hence it is imperative for a person to understand these states of the mind. Is the term "Manovijnana" an accurate translation of psychology? Because in the West, the term" "psyche" has a history of its own and is used in cultural-scientific-philosophical temperaments. While in India, the manas is a part of the Antahkarana which constitutes the intellect, the memory and the ego along with manas. Therefore, while the term 'Antahkarana' may possibly be a near translation for psychology, there are still practical difficulties in defining Indian psychology. The psychological aspects within Antahkarana must be defined in such a way that they do not encroach upon the realm of spirituality and yet enable one to analyse and teach how to evaluate problems in life in general. In the Vedas, the Upanishads, Sahitya and the Darshanas, many qualitative and analytical facts are given about manas, which require further discussion in the context of the Antahkarana.<ref>Aggarwal, Piyush. “[https://www.academia.edu/35964554/%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7_%E0%A4%A0_%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%82_%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A8_%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%83_%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B0_%E0%A4%B6_pdf Yogavasisth Me Antahkarana Vimarsh].” ''International Journal of Hindi Research'' 3, no. 1 (January 2017): 58–60.</ref>
The tendencies of the mind (Antahkarana) as the inner instrument (manas + intellect + mind + ego + heart) impact the daily life and hence it is imperative for a person to understand these states of the mind. Is the term "Manovijnana" an accurate translation of psychology? Because in the West, the term" "psyche" has a history of its own and is used in cultural-scientific-philosophical temperaments. While in India, the manas is a part of the Antahkarana which constitutes the intellect, the memory and the ego along with manas. Therefore, while the term 'Antahkarana' may possibly be a near translation for psychology, there are still practical difficulties in defining Indian psychology. The psychological aspects within Antahkarana must be defined in such a way that they do not encroach upon the realm of spirituality and yet enable one to analyse and teach how to evaluate problems in life in general. In the Vedas, the Upanishads, Sahitya and the Darshanas, many qualitative and analytical facts are given about manas, which require further discussion in the context of the Antahkarana.<ref>Aggarwal, Piyush. “[https://www.academia.edu/35964554/%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7_%E0%A4%A0_%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%82_%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A8_%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%83_%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B0_%E0%A4%B6_pdf Yogavasisth Me Antahkarana Vimarsh].” ''International Journal of Hindi Research'' 3, no. 1 (January 2017): 58–60.</ref>
The process of perception in Advaita, as seen in the previous section, involves the mind “going out” to the object via senses and taking the form of the object. This way of looking at the perceptual process would sound odd because the commonly held view in psychology is that it is the stimulus object that initiates the perceptual process. The stimulus emanates energy patterns in the form of electromagnetic waves that impinge on the sensory part of the nervous system and arouse a sensation in the brain. Then the person has the perceptual experience of the object. In other words, the flow is from the object to the brain via the sensory system. In Advaita, it is quite the reverse. The mind flows out, as it were, to the object of perception via the senses.<ref name=":2" />
What does it mean to say that the mind flows out to the object? What sense does it make to assume that the mind initiates the perceptual process? It clearly makes little sense to assume that the mind actually travels out to the object leaving the body. The flowing out function of the mind implies no more than the assertion that what is primary in the perceptual process is the person and not the object of perception. It refers to the freedom of the person to choose her own object of perception. Objects with no functioning minds cannot have a choice to choose a relationship with a subject. A subject with a functioning mind, however, has a choice to enter into or withdraw from a relationship with an object.<ref name=":2" />
Further, flowing out does not mean any travel because mind is physically subtle and nonlocal. Flowing out therefore means establishing a perceptual relationship by which the mind undergoes transformation and perceptual experience is a consequence of such transformation. Perceptual process is more like a search light that turns the attention to a particular object; and the emphasis here is on the attention required to focus on the object rather than on the intensity of the stimulus. Once again, this approach is a consequence of the relative importance given to the subject over the object in Indian psychology.<ref name=":2" />
== References ==
== References ==
[[Category:Vedanta]]
[[Category:Vedanta]]
[[Category:Yoga]]
[[Category:Yoga]]