MIND MYSTERIES & CONTROL - 17. IGNORANCE & EGO - Sri Swami Sivananda - The Mind: Its Mysteries & Control

THE MIND: ITS MYSTERIES AND CONTROL - 17. IGNORANCE & EGO - Sri Swami Sivananda - The Mind: Its Mysteries & Control - HQ Full Book.

In Chapter 17 of The Mind: Its Mysteries and Control by Sri Swami Sivananda, titled "Ignorance and Ego," the relationship between ignorance, the mind, and ego is explored in-depth. This chapter delves into the root cause of human suffering and the obstacles to spiritual awakening: ignorance. The mind, according to Swami Sivananda, is a product of ignorance, and it is through the mind that the ego develops, creating an illusion of individuality and separation from the divine.

Ignorance: The Source of the Mind
Sri Swami Sivananda emphasizes that ignorance is the fundamental cause of the mind’s existence. The mind is a creation of ignorance, and as such, it is filled with delusions and misconceptions. Ignorance, or avidya, prevents individuals from perceiving reality as it truly is. Instead of seeing the unity of existence, the mind, under the influence of ignorance, divides the world into opposites and distinctions—such as good and bad, big and small, superior and inferior. This dualistic perception is an illusion, and it is the root cause of suffering. Swami Sivananda explains that if one can eradicate ignorance by gaining true knowledge of the Supreme Self (Atman), the mind ceases to exist. Knowledge of the Self dissolves the mind, rendering it into nothingness. This knowledge is not intellectual but experiential, attained through deep meditation and spiritual practice.

The Role of Limiting Adjuncts
Ignorance operates through limiting adjuncts, or upadhis, which veil the true nature of the Self. The mind, intellect, and ego are considered limiting adjuncts of the soul. These adjuncts shape and restrict the soul’s true nature, trapping it in the illusion of individuality. The mind is not the true self but a conditioned instrument that functions under the influence of ignorance. As long as one identifies with the mind, they remain trapped in the world of duality and suffering. Swami Sivananda refers to the philosophical insights of Adi Shankaracharya, who explained that ignorance is inherent in the mental faculty and is the basis for all mistaken perceptions. According to Shankara, the dualistic experience of perceiver and perceived is the result of the mind’s objectifying tendency, which projects distinctions and differences where none exist.

The Illusion of Duality
The mind’s perception of duality—seeing the world as separate from oneself—is purely imaginary. There is no actual separation between the perceiver and the perceived; it is only the mind that creates this illusion. When the mind is destroyed, through the knowledge of the Supreme Self, the illusion of duality vanishes, and with it, the distinctions between objects, people, and events. This is the state of non-duality, or Advaita, where the experiencer and the experienced are one and the same. Swami Sivananda advises that constant and profound meditation on the Atman, the true Self, is the means to transcend the mind and realize this state of non-duality. In this state, the individual is free from the pairs of opposites—such as pleasure and pain, success and failure—that create disturbance in the mind. This is the highest state of peace and knowledge, where one is established in the Supreme Reality.

Ego: The Seed of the Mind
Ego, or Ahamkara, is the sense of individual identity, the “I” thought that arises in the mind. Swami Sivananda explains that ego is rooted in the intellect, and it is through the intellect that the sense of individuality is created. The ego is a product of the mind’s differentiation, which distinguishes “I” from “you” and “mine” from “yours.” It is the ego that binds the soul to the world and its desires, keeping it in the cycle of birth,...