Who is the Witness of the Mind? | Swami Sarvapriyananda
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- čas přidán 1. 10. 2019
- Swami Sarvapriyananda talks about the witness behind the mind. This video is part of a Q&A from Nov 19, 2017.
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Vedanta Society of New York is affiliated with the Ramakrishna Order of India. In fact, this is the Order's first Center started by Swami Vivekananda, in 1894. It was a historic event, for the seed of the world-wide Ramakrishna Movement was sown here in New York over a century ago. Swami Sarvapriyananda is the present Resident Minister and Spiritual Leader of the Vedanta Society of New York.
This method is what helped me:
Try doing it (its very simple): Keep watching the mind, one thought comes, then another...keep watching, don't judge the thoughts.. If you keep doing this, you will find that there is a gap between 2 thoughts and this gap gets bigger and bigger as you keep watching. This gap is something that the mind has never seen before...A time comes when you can just be in this gap (no mind) without any thoughts..
Thanks
Wow , one of the best answer , congratulations, you got enlightened 🙏
Very good xx 😘
Osho said this in the video. How to stop thinking
Thanks
Are we, humans, moving toward one universal religion or what? I am a muslim and this teacher is one of my best teachers!
Our Sufi/Muslim order (Shaykh Burhanuddin) accepts Hindus and we have hindu fellowers in our order!
10 years ago I used to think that only muslims go to heaven. Now I know that hell and heaven are inside each one of us and each one of us get to decide where he/she wants to go.
🙏👍
Yes you are right. Hinduism says, Kali Yuga is suppose to bring confusion and difference of thoughts and opinion among people, therefore naturally humans lack bonding during this period. Slowly, we are transitioning into Dwapara yuga which will slowly being clarity about the universal truth and thus humans will have more bonding as we live in this Yuga and going further towards the absolute truth as we move into Treta yuga and Satya yuga during which humans would dwell in the vast consciousness
I love how Swami Sarvapriyananda articulates such complex questions and texts with such simplicity. He breaks them down into layers! :D So blessed for his existence!
Experiencing the world with name and form is mind, and Witnessing the world without name and form is Witness Consciousness.
Is there world without name and form?🙏
While experiencing the mind is a via media. Through mind you are experiencing. Mind can’t stay in present , either past of future there one can find mind. Hope I am right here.
I think nothe. That is why "world" is an illusion. It does not exist as such. It is only a happening; not a thing.
Yy
A learned man was once asked to explain the difference between Religion and Spirituality. His response was profound:
▪ Religion is not just one, there are many.
▪ Spirituality is one.
▪ Religion is for those who sleep.
▪ Spirituality is for those who are awake.
▪ Religion is for those who need someone to tell them what to do and want to be guided.
▪ Spirituality is for those who pay attention to their inner voice.
▪ Religion has a set of dogmatic rules.
▪ Spirituality invites us to explore within and get attuned to the Universal Rules.
▪ Religion threatens and frightens.
▪ Spirituality gives inner peace.
▪ Religion speaks of sin and guilt.
▪ Spirituality leads us on the path of emancipation!
▪ Religion represses everything which it considers false.
▪ Spirituality transcends everything, it brings us closer to our Truth!
▪ Religion invents.
▪Spirituality helps us to discover.
▪ Religion does not tolerate any question.
▪Spirituality encourages searching questions.
▪ Religion is human. It is an organization with rules made by men.
▪ Spirituality is Divine, without human rules....leads us to the Causeless Cause!
▪ Religion divides between us and them.
▪Spirituality unites.
▪ Religion follows the concepts of a sacred book.
▪ Spirituality seeks the sacred in all books.
▪ Religion feeds on fear.
▪ Spirituality feeds on trust and faith.
▪ Religion makes us to live in External Reality.
▪ Spirituality lives in Inner Consciousness.
▪ Religion deals with performing rituals.
▪ Spirituality has to do with the Inner Self.
▪ Religion feeds on internal ego.
▪ Spirituality drives to transcend beyond self.
▪ Religion makes us renounce the world to follow a God.
▪ Spirituality makes us live in God, without renouncing our existing lives.
▪ Religion is a cult.
▪ Spirituality is inner meditation.
▪ Religion fills us with dreams of glory in paradise.
▪ Spirituality makes us live the glory and paradise on earth.
▪ Religion lives in the past and in the future.
▪ Spirituality lives in the present.
▪ Religion creates cloisters in our memory.
▪ Spirituality liberates our Consciousness.
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We are not *human beings*, who go through a *spiritual experience.*
We are *spiritual beings*, who go through a *human experience.*
🙏
Beauty 🙏❤️
Turiyam
Awesum.... ❤️ Copying this content to my FB 🙏
Excellent comparison of religion and spirituality 🙏🏻
@@mdimran.hossen So true.
❤I am not the joy, I am not the misery rather I am the witness of the arising joy and suffering unaffected and unchanging.
What an amazing explanation!!!
Easiest way of trying to tranquil the mind is to watch your mind with your mind & by practicing this one can succeed in Meditation.
First Conscious experience is Witness Consciousness, then the reaction of the mind is ego.
witness consciousness never questions or answers it is always silent.. the mind itself ask & the mind itself answers.. just dont be involved with the involvement of words or emotions.. stay aloof from debate
You are certainty talking about initial glimpse of Consciousness. And overpowering of mind on consciousness
The best video on the whole internet!!
As far as I can tell the witness never judges, condemns or tries to change or affect anything. It's an impartial observer and just seems to watch.
And just there genereates the veil of choice.
Awareness in action is mind, and mind in rest in awareness, these are not two different things😊
Excellent explanation ; Swamiji is highly analytical, makes it intelligible to all ; takes the question on its head threadbare, leaving nothing to speculation !
Beautiful...
My adorations, devotions to Swami
No word to tell how amazing for the mind this is !
Thank you Swami🙏
Simple, sweet, thanks and Blessings
Music to my ears..🎼🎵🎶🎸
It was my question too, and I m glad here I get the answer from guruji,thanks 🙏🙏🙏
I'm a Sri Lankan living in Bangalore. I visited Belur Math on 1st and 2nd of October and met Swami Suhithanandaji Maharaj and Swami Samarpandaji Maharaj.
So what?
Great insight; yet another. Grateful to Swamiji and CZcams
🙏🙏🙏 Guruji . Listening to you gives so much peace n joy . Love your sense of humour .
Ever grateful to you 🙏🙏🙏
This is so subtle. Mind always trying to interfere with witness. Sometimes my mind contenplates a lot but thats how mind functions.
Pranamam swamiji. Thank you so much.
Best wishes.
Brilliant 🙏🙏
Bang on..!!!!
Thank you swami Ji.
Excellent explanation to help one understand about the mind and the Witness. More power to you, Swamiji.
Venerable Swami, Thank you for the teachings & guidance 🙏
So well explained about the witness & the mind. Thank u swami ji 🙏🙏🙏
Pranam Swamiji. Nice topic
Swami alone is enough for enlightenment...jay gurudev. Jay shree krishna...aham bramasmi
What clarity about the subject. Amazing.
Marvellous
Pranam Swamiji 🙏🏻
Awesome ..!
Wonderfully explained
The answer to your question is the no-body. Did I pass?
I like this channel but when I don't think about it, I love it. Happy New Year. Thank you Swamiji. ☮
🙏 I got enlightened. Thanks.
Well explained Swamiji 🙏🏻.
And that is why consciousness dwells in the present moment alone. Anything outside the present moment is then only the mind and not the consciousness: the witness. Eureka!
Superb explanation and answer!!!
so i understand it
and i can say i am enlightened.
😊
Thankyou so much
wonderful.... elevating consciously ! Thanks and Pranam !
🕉🕊🍃🤗Thank you🤗🍃🕊🕉
This man is vivekanand of 21st century.
Brilliant
Wonderful
Love u, guruji.... ❤️
Fantastic discuss. Silute maharaj.
Very well explained...🙏
Beautiful, Namaskar Swami Ji , you are very important to our generation and we are very fortunate to witness your wisdom , we want your physical body lasts as long as possible for betterment of this spiritual world , lots of love ❤️ and respect 🙏 , always fond to remember you , Thanks a lot for everything you do for us 💞
Greatly and simply explained 👌🏻
Pranam Sarvaji 🙏🙏🙏
Perfectly worded and explained ❤
That gave me samadhi
@@TheWorldTeacher Samadhi is an equal state of consciousness where all aspects of our being are joined: physical, spiritual, mental and emotional. Samadhi is complete bliss, total consciousness, and super enlightenment.
@@chormpan2104 well, which samadhi? Because it definitely doesn't include the emotional or physical. Since, even the lowest samadhis transcend senses through concentration.
Should check out yoga sutras by patnjali.
@2:40 he not only understood the question and gave the best answer as well.. he is enlightened 😀.. hence proved
I have same question since 2014,I'm happy this is answered
@@TheWorldTeacher intellect itself is part of mind,if intellect is involved then its again introspection.
Revered Eslam what they are referring to witness is awareness, consciousness
@@TheWorldTeacher animal have no mind they posses instinct only
To be in the( present)moment where memory or mind doesn't exist!
For me that moment doesn't exist. I'm so lost. Damn.
Basically, what swami Ji is saying, one can only know ( or be) the witness if one is totally attending without recording any information in the brain whatsoever. ( be careful the mind is about to be unmasked so it will start recording that it’s not recording) if one can do this without any effort and violence in the mind then one might see total different dimension of consciousness.
The mind is always recording in the sub-conscious which is why you are not immediately aware of it, PTSD will be a result of an unpleasant experience perhaps as far back as your childhood waiting for a trigger in the present to bring it forth. The mind is aware that it is thinking, if an action isn't needed to be recorded it will be tucked away in the sub-conscious. If questioned after an accident "What was the colour of the car that hit you and drove off" you may not be consciously aware of it because your mind was in survival mode, the colour was of no importance but under hypnosis your sub=conscious can be contacted and the information retrieved. No need for some hypothetical outside witness.
Jai Sri Ramakrishna Jai Sri Ramakrishna Jai Sri Ramakrishna Jai Sri Ramakrishna Jai Sri Ramakrishna
Who has came here after reading power of now by eckart tolle?☝🏻
जय रामकृष्ण ।
Mind in its purest subtlest form is derived from a further differentiation of consciousness Mind is essentially of the same nature as consciousness
swami please through some light in context of how student study when mind not stick on it or like doing it. how to keep motivated for competitive exams. every aspect on spirituality ofor students. i wish our message reach you Swami
Consciousness is living a mind wake egobeing and worldbeing itself.
It was always an outwardly journey of the self or witness attached to the mind closely. Through sadhana the self slowly starts seeing the mind separately. Then comes the stillness, the breath is like flow of oil, slow and steady. Here the self's outwardly journey stops and an inward pull begins. By repeatedly practicing this and increasing the time the self get closer to THAT than the mind and clarity of the hitherto unknown is increased. Words cannot explain that stage but only be experienced or witnessed. However, the question of 'who am I' is solved.
🙏
🙏🙏🙏
The eyes don't see anything, nor do the ears hear, only consciousness does.
No, actually consciousness is everything, it is knower, known & knowledge itself, It controls the eyes, It control all senses, so we can say that every object is manifestation of consciousness.
@@bharata101 Consciousness might be the Reality of everything, including the physical universe where human eyes appear, but the eyes themselves don't experience seeing - they are simply instruments.
Sadhu Sadhu!!
The answer is described in Kena Upanishad outstandingly.
@@bharata101 how consciousness manifested into material reality brother?
There is 24/7 witnessing awareness, awake, during dream sleep as well deep sleep.Even deep sleep.I've experienced this. As for self observation, non critical non judgemental self observation as taught by Eckhart Tolle and Gurdjieff if people just understood and practiced that much the majority of global insanity, personal insanity would cease.This question of whether witnessing is of the mind or not seems to be irrelvant .
🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
Consciousness being aware of itself. Being aware of being aware.
Why dose it feel like the intellect is the one observing?
In this experience
You are experiencing your intellect too… Budhhi in Sanskrit
The eyes are the windows to your soul... the mind is the battle field ... of thoughts & actions while the consciousness a spirit. Gypsy Trail
I still have a question: Is it the mind really the observing the "mind" as such, or is it observing all the activities of/within the mind? Surely observing the activities is not the same as observing the mind (the entity) itself.
I have been contemplating on this, and
would be thankful for a convincing clarification, Svaami ji. 🙏
Mind thinking about mind is introspection
Mind aborbs in something work is experience by consciousness
Mind thinking about the it or another things is also experienced by consciousness.
Do not worry, just surrender to Soul and you will know.
How lucky are we?🧡🙏🧡
not luckier than the lad who knows what lies beyond the observable universe
Knowing knows.
The mind is universal...it a evolution that has given us a mind that we have today....ask yourself self did you invent the words or language that you speak or think of.. when you were born were you able to discriminate between right and wrong? The mind is a conditioned construct that we inherit from our family and surroundings and experiences..Now the brain is that which fecilitates the mind, different areas of the brain are responsible for different functions for us to operate...like a computer which is the hardware and one requires a compatible software to run its application....both are inter related and have to be compatible both get upgraded simultaneously....now when we speak of the witness it is the mind which is not the doer but assumes the role of the observer of the brains function of the mind..The observer is no different from the perception of that which he percieves how ever the light or conciusness that illumines all of this is you....not your body,or your mind or your intellect or the joy that you experience as bliss .You are not even the observer.... you are that because of whom all of this is realised.
Here in this question answer the mind functioning is experienced by Reflected consciousness and not pure consciousness. The pure consciousness is definitely different from mind but it cannot get any worldly knowledge unless it is contact with mind, hence in mind only we can understand the mind functioning thru reflection of original consciousness... Apart from mind we cannot know the knower directly but in the mind itself thru reflection. Mind is equal to thoughts plus consciousness hence mind minus thoughts becomes pure consciousness...
Please can someone answer me this question, it would be really helpful if you could. At 4:00 Swami talks about how the "mind thinking about the mind, or thinking about its own thoughts" is called introspection. Swami seems to be equating "watching the mind" with "thinking about the mind". But surely, thinking about ones own thoughts, is not the same as being AWARE of ones own thoughts (as happens during 'watching the mind' or mindfulness) So what I don't understand is how it can just be the mind being AWARE of the mind? As far as I understand it, the mind cannot be aware of anything, because ultimately, it doesn't have its own awareness, any awarenes it has, is just borrowed from the self, so doesn't that bring us back to it IS actually the witness self that is witnessing the mind, and not the mind witnessing itself? (hope someone understand my question).
I got my answer from another comment, this:
What really is introspection
Introspection is not thinking about other thoughts, about emotional expressions or any other content of the mind. This is reflection.
INTROSPECTION is to watch the mind carefully in order to discover and perceive clearly the play of the egoic tendencies, the ego itself and the workings of the mind.
This watching of the mind it is not done directly by consciousness, but by the mind itself. More specifically by the sattvic portion of the buddhi (intellect) which is endowed with the reflected on it, light of Consciousness.
SIVANANDA SAYS ABOUT INTROSPECTION:
"In introspection, the mind itself is the subject of study. Just as you watch the work done by a coolie, a portion of the mind watches the movements of the rest of the mind."
The same says Dr. Frawley in his book 'Ayurveda and mind'.
Another extract of Sivananda
"By a careful watch, many defects are detected and removed by suitable Sadhana. Enter a quiet room. Enter into silence daily for about fifteen minutes, morning and evening. Introspect. Watch the mind carefully. The mind will be doing either thinking, planning, feeling, knowing or willing. You will have to find out through subjective introspection what the mind is exactly doing at a particular time. To go through this practice, you must have Antarmukha Vritti, a subjective mind and a subtle Buddhi."
~~~
INTROSPECTION is mostly a very cautious observation of the mind in order to discover and perceive clearly the play of the egoic tendencies, the ego itself and the workings of the mind.
Then we can reflect on what we have observed in order to deepen in our understanding and utilize proper means to dissolve the egoic tendencies we have observed and understand.
My perceptive On this question is different please Swami ji correct me if i am wrong .
you can witness something when you are aware ....
Awareness is YOU ,Mind is Trained by YOU (Awareness).
Whenever you are aware of something that means it's witness .
Whatever mind does you are generally not aware of it until you take your awareness there... You become aware ,you become witness .
So my point is that mind can think about itself but we will not be aware of it until we took our awareness there.... Then it will be called as witness watching mind.
The Self
Thank you Swami. I seem to be wrestling with this issue. From what I can gather, pure consciousness is that which perceives, while the mind is that which thinks (based on my understanding of your words and those of other Vedic teachers). But, can one perceive anything without a mind? Or are you saying that the mind merely assigns meaning to perceptions? Or maybe the mind is merely an instrument used by consciousness to perceive, and consciousness/God is the real perceiver? In any case, much thanks for this video.
Right. The mind is the instrument used by consciousness to perceive. The real experiencer is consciousness/Brahmn alone.
This is very difficult to understand. Actually this should be experienced not understood I think. Thank you swamiji.🙏🙏
To further clarify, the FUNCTION of the mind is to “ generate thoughts” or in Patanjali’s terms, it’s referred to as modification of the mind, meaning thoughts. Anytime you jump from 1 thought to another, there is a modification of the mind. In between 2 successive thoughts, there is no modification, or the mind has become STILL. When one is in that state where there are no modifications of the mind, meaning there is BLANKNESS, there still is AWARENESS or CONSCIOUSNESS, but devoid of THINKING. When one is in that STATE, it is the WITNESS CONSCOUSNESS. By the difficulty is, how long can one hold that state of stillness ? Sooner or later, WITHOUT REALIZING, one INVOLUNTARILY goes back to thinking or causing modifications of the mind & the Witness Consciousness( WC) has been abandoned or lost. So the whole purpose of Spiritual Sadhana, is to be able to hold that state where there aren’t any modifications of the mind, meaning One is able to use his Will Power & deny the generation of any thought. In other words One has the Power to stop thinking when one decides to. Then one can be in a continuous state of WC. T
The question posed was slightly erroneous. The person asked that if the mind witnesses the mind, then how can one be in the WC as there is no subjective field & object being observed. One must conceptually understand that the function of the WC is to “ NOT THINK” but just OBSERVE without THINKING or without any MODIFICATIONS. If you are thinking, you are NOT in WC, but still thinking. In short, cultivate the habit of Observing without labeling what you are observing, that way you are in WC. It’s not very easy for sure. This is a capability that is acquired after many years of Sadhana.
Supreb. Even a lay man can understand non dualism and the role of consciousness
Who is writing
; is himself…🌺
Swamiji, sometimes we say our conscience doesn't permit something or we say I have a guilty conscience.. What is this conscience? Is it the same as the witness consciousness??
No. It's the mind or the samskaars created in the mind. The witness consciousness also is an observer/experiencer of this conscience. That witness consciousness is who you actually are.
Reflective awareness peripheral experience a transmiter receiver relation
Please explain more, or say this in a different way, so I can understand.
I would put it this way: 'The energy or soul is witnessing the vibrations and frequency happening in outside world and inside the brain or mind (through one of the tools of the energy in the same body called brain)'. Without energy/soul brain can't see or perceive anything and at the same time without brain and without the nervous system the soul can not feel, perceive or remember the strings attached to the entity like relations, past and future. I think this is why our religion says the soul is pure, neutral, a part of supreme (which I perceive as the energy in the body is small part of the whole energy in the universe available)
May be this experiencing of sound etc. Are also part of the functioning of mind, how do I know it is not?
You are awake. You sleep and dream. You sleep deeply. You are aware of these three states. This "you" is the witness. It is called Turiya, or "fourth."
When thoughts stop, there is still awareness. This awareness is the witness. This awareness always is. You may argue that it is absent when you are in deep sleep. But deep sleep is not the absence of awareness. It is the awareness of absence.
Deep sleep = No subject. No Objects. No world. No thoughts.
And, so, nothing to cause the storage of any memory of it. But the witness is there. The same witness as in the other two states.
Yes ,hearing is a function of mind..what he is saying is when you hear sound you are aware of that sound..so here that awareness is the witness...And awareness is not the function of the mind!
@Sitra Ever I can also argue over it but I'm not interested in arguing..If you are a spiritual seeker you won't go in this direction ..Having debates,arguing ,reading innumerable scriptures these are all hindrances in the spiritual growth.
Coming to the point ,Is consciousness function of the mind?
I know mind shines in the light of consciousness.. Everything happens in the consciousness only..It is present even before the mind arises..Even before saying I AM , You are already there!
I'm saying this by my experience and not by just reading books.
Thank you.
@Sitra Ever Do you believe or know that you and mind are different entities?..If yes then it is quite clear that mind and consciousness are also different..bcz we are nothing but consciousness!
Mind is nothing but thoughts..Other than thoughts there is nothing called mind.And thoughts are illumined by consciousness.
In deep sleep thoughts are absent i.e.mind is not there but you are there as consciousness.
@@pillettadoinswartsh4974 correct, also some enlightened beings can witness/be aware of the body sleeping. You can develope consciousness to that level. Nisargadatta was one of them
That witness is God. Is You. Is All of Us. Nice. (All Is: God / Awareness / Consciousness all inseperable)
What is beyond witness consciousness...?
SWAMIJI, BUT A WITNESS IS ALSO AN OBJECT, HIMSELF! SO, HOW CAN ONE BE FREE OF HIMSELF EVEN IN SPEECH?
Introspection, mind watching mind. Witness? Is it soul or self.
you might think of the Witness as the "I am". I think of the witness the way Philip Renard describes the the "I" in "I" Is A Door. (great read). The witness is a portal.
i have not understood this, i pratice the self witness sometimes , that is i witness myself what i'm thinking and also witness my reaction when someone interacting with me. I do not know if i'm doing it well. But i noticed that i can see what i'm thinking and it helps me to divert the thought and donot take any action. E.g if someone is talking rudely with me , without witnessing myself i may have reacted with anger, but with the help of witnessing myself i just divert the reaction of anger to null. But the problem is, while i'm in a rush or emergency, sprinting etc, i cannot witness myself anymore. its as if going very fast and witnessing is unable to catch it . Anyone can help me on this. Is this what the Swami is talking about ?