The Formation and Function of Sanskaras
There are two aspects of human experience-- the subjective and objective. On the one hand there are mental processes that constitute essential ingredients of human experience, and on the other hand there are things and objects to which they refer. ... The human mind thus finds itself between a sea of past sanskaras on the one side and the whole extensive objective world on the other.
San_karas originate in experience.: Human actions are based upon the operations of the impressions stored in the mind through the previous experiences. Every thought, emotion, and act is grounded in groups of impressions that, when considered objectively, are seen to be modifications of the mirid. These impressions are deposits of previous experiences and become the most important factors in determining the course of present and future experience. The mind is constantly creating and gathering such impressions in the course of its experience.....
Natural and nonnatural sanskaras.: The sanskaras are of two types-- natural and nonnatural-- according to the manner in which they come into existence. The san::;karas the soul gathers during the period of organic evolution are natural. These sanskaras come into existence as the soul successively takes up and abandons the various subhuman forms, thus gradually passing from the apparently inanimate states (such as stone or metal) to the human
state, where there is full development of consciousness. ...
The sanskaras that get attached to the soul during the human stage are cultivated under the moral freedom of consciousness with its accompanying responsibility of choice between good and bad, virtue and vice. They are referred to as nonnatural sanskaras. ... The obliteration of the natural sanskaras is practically impossible unless the neophyte [beginner] is the recipient of the grace and the intervention of a Sadguru, or Perfect Master....
Most original bhas.: The most original bhas, or illusion, into which the Oversoul was allured synchronizes with the first impression. It therefore marks the beginning of _the formation of the sanskaras. The formation of sanskaras starts in the most finite center, which becomes the first focus for the manifestation of the individuality of the soul. In the gross sphere a focus of this manifestation is represented by tridimensional and inert stone, which has the most rudimentary and partial consciousness. This vague and undeveloped state of consciousness is hardly sufficient to illumine its own shape and form, and is hopelessly inadequate to fulfill the purpose of creation, which was to enable the Oversoul to know itself. ...
Human consciousness.: The Oversoul finally takes the human form, in which consciousness attains its fullest development with complete awareness of the self and the environment. At this stage the capacity of reasoning has the widest range of activity and is unlimited in its scope. ... However, as consciousness has its fullest development in the human form, there is in it a latent potentiality for Selfrealization. And the will-to-be-conscious with which evolution started becomes fructified in the Sadguru, or Man-God, who is the fairest flower of humanity.
Winding of sanskaras.: The Oversoul cannot attain Self-knowledge through the ordinary consciousness of humanity because it is enveloped in a multitude of [natural and nonnarual] sanskaras, or impressions. As consciousness passes from the apparently inanimate state of stone or metal [and then] ... finally to the full consciousness of the human state, it is continually creating new sanskaras and becoming enveloped in them. These natural sanskaras are increased even after attaining the human state by the further creation of nonnatural sanskaras through manifold experiences and multitudinous activities.
Thus the acquisition of sanskaras is unceasingly going on during the process of evolution as well as during the later period of human activities. This acquisition of sanskaras may be likened to the winding up of a piece of string around
a stick - the string representing the sanskaras and the stick representing the mind of the individual soul.
The winding up starts from the beginning of creation and persists through all the evolutionary stages and the human form; and the wound string represents all the sanskaras, natural as well as nonnatural.
Types of sanskaras and states of consciousness.:
Sanskaras can be classified according to essential differences in the nature of the spheres to which they refer. ... They are found to be of three kinds: [(1) Gross, (2) Subtle, and (3) Mental.The differences between the states of the individual souls are entirely due to the differences existing iri the kinds of sanskaras with which their consciousness is loaded. Thus gross-conscious .souls experience only the gross world; subtle-conscious souls experience only the subtle world; and mental-conscious souls experience only the mental world. The qualitative
diversity in the experience of these three types of souls is due to the difference in the nature of their sanskaras.