The ANTAHKARANs are four companions who accompany us along the path of exploration and discovery. They are also called "inner senses" (antar-indrija). They enable and steer the inner psychological and spiritual processes in a person. Thanks to them we experience, think, understand and distinguish.

Antahkarans are:

MANAS – mind

BUDDHI – intellect

CHITTA – consciousness

AHANKARA – ego

MANAS the mind, is the region of desires, feelings and thoughts, the region connecting the conscious and the subconscious. Perceptions, sensations and feelings from the outside world are stored here as in a storehouse, and upon a certain stimulus, the mind lets them rise to the surface again.

The mind does not judge or make a choice. It records all sensations without resolution like a video camera or a tape recorder. It is the buddhi (intellect) that chooses and determines what shall remain in consciousness and what shall fall into the subconscious. The mind only acts on the free impulses supplied by the intellect.

The mind is constantly active. Both awake and asleep. We cannot stop the mind, but we can control it. By thinking positively and repeating the mantra, we purify it, and by freeing it from the bondage of lower tendencies, we pave the way for the rays of the Divine Self.

BUDDHI the intellect, processes, coordinates and filters sense perceptions. It decides which ones to notice and which ones to deal with further. Both selfishness and unselfishness are inherent in the intellect. The selfish component of the intellect is dominated by the ego and our weaknesses. The selfless and superpersonal principle is called VIVÉKA. Viveka makes decisions based on ethical standards. Thanks to viveca, we can distinguish between truth and falsehood, authenticity and inauthenticity, good and evil. Viveka leads to knowledge about the relativity of the material world and directs a person's attention to the absolute and eternal.

Reason develops in two ways. The first thing that contributes to the development of the mind is everything that we learned in our youth. Logical cognition helps a person to cope with the tasks of everyday life. Other building blocks of reason are the ability to analyze, think and reflect, concentration (dharana) and meditation (dhyana). From all this, viveka, wisdom, deliberation and the ability to make the right decisions crystallize.

An interesting question arises here: who or what influences the state of mind? Is the mind a product of the mind, or is the ability to think influenced by the inner states of a person?

The first answer is correct. States of mind actuate reason. Sometimes, however, it happens that he stops managing the situation that he himself caused. Then the thoughts and feelings get out of control - for example in a fit of rage. How often have we said or done something in a fit of emotion that we later regretted immensely! That is why it is important to cultivate vivek both for existence in worldly life and for spiritual development.

CHITTA consciousness, is the basis of perception and knowledge. Like buddhi, it is shaped by life experience. Previous experiences, upbringing, education, culture all shape the way we perceive, judge and evaluate. Chitta determines the basic tendencies and "colouring" of our psyche.

AHANKARA ego, literally means "I-doer". All sensations and perceptions, ideas and desires are inextricably linked to the ahankara. The ego is that psychic instance that "produces" the illusion that we are a separate individual independent of others. This naturally leads to the idea that the surrounding world is a reality separate from us. Vedantic and yoga philosophy, on the other hand, teaches to see unity - God - behind the diversity of the world.

If we manage to accept this truth not only with reason, but also to realize it in consciousness, we will overcome the ego wall and reach unity. To think in this way, the mantra will help us:

NÁHAM KARTÁ PRABHUDIP KARTÁ

MAHAPRABHUDIP CARD HI KÉVALAM

It is not I who do, it is God who does through me.

Only God is the doer.