3.1. microvita, 1.5.2 nature of mind

Jan. 2, 1996   

 Q: I am getting confused on some topics I thought I had sorted out.  Reading the microvita conference I read recently that "prana becomes mind," that microvita are generated and form mind. From my Ananda Sutra studies I learned that cittanu or manasada, i.e., mind particles are created due to subatomic clash. Would it be appropriate to ask a clarification question on the relationship between mind particles, microvita, and prana. There has been a lot said, and maybe this is clear, but it is getting confusing to me.    

Mind particles are indeed formed from subatomic clash but what is formed in this subatomic clash is microvita. That is what is formed and this microvita then forms a life force, the life vital which becomes mind. So you see, there is no contradiction in these statements, they are one and the same. You see, the sub atomic clash is of a particular nature. What happens in the subatomic clash is there becomes a condensation of matter; matter becomes more dense. And in certain situations, as it reaches a certain stage where there becomes a clash, it will either become more dense and come outside of the field of operative principles it is now governed by, or, to maintain the balance of these operative principles, a portion of the consciousness contained in the subatomic materials must be released into dominance of sattva guna. Tama guna will not continue to dominate or it will bring it out of balance. So, for this to happen, this is the subatomic clash which occurs and there is a release from the dominance of tama guna or densification into subtle energy and this release of energy causes this kind of shadow atom which is produced by microvita, and then this microvita forms the building blocks of mind. Microvita in this form is the basis of life, it is the subtle energy from which life evolves. And from this life force, mind comes into being, the world of ideas comes into existence.  

There are three stages of microvita, three levels of microvita; one is psycho-physical, and that level is governed by the sub atomic clash. From the subatomic clash comes the psycho-physical microvita. But these are unstable particles. And so, as it continues to become more and more dominated by sattva guna, it becomes mind; the psycho-physical becomes purely psychic and it is the world of ideas. Then, again due to instability, as it begins to be more and more dominated by sattva, it becomes psycho-spiritual and becomes the subtle inferential waves upon which Parama Purus'a, the Cosmic Mind expresses in the manifest universe. So this is the development of microvitum from the physical and material universe. It is also the process of development of mind through subatomic clash. The citta is formed and from the citta the subtle layers of mind begin to develop and eventually the causal mind comes into existence and self awareness exists within the unit entity. All of this occurs within the realm of microvitum. But first, from the physical atom, comes the more psycho-physical microvitum which attaches like a shadow to the atom. This forms the basis of the prana and also the base of mind; it is the life force. From this the mind, mental force comes about. It is a subtle difference and so it may be said that through clash in the subatomic realm the citta is developed. It is the screen, this shadow atom upon the actual atom in which the mental conceptualization develops through the continually increasing influence of sattva guna. Is this clear?