Mind is created in the phase of pratisaiṋcara⁽¹⁾ as a result of tremendous friction created inside an object due to the force of attraction of Puruśottama. The entirety of pratisaiṋcara is dominated by this attractive force. The friction generates in the object a tendency to split up. Gradually, a portion of the object is powdered down, and that becomes the first mind. This mind is nothing but citta [objective mind, mind-stuff]. Therefore in the mind of undeveloped creatures and plants the major portion is nothing but citta.

Two subtler manifestations, the mahattattva [“I exist”] and ahaḿtattva [“I do,” ego], are in a dormant stage within the scope of citta. The ego does not appear in the primary stage of mental creation. Under such circumstances the blind práńáh [vital energy] cannot activate the physical structure. In this initial stage, the functions of the mind are for maintenance of the entitative structure and for procreation. It is nothing but the kámamaya kośa [crude mind].

This undeveloped mind gradually proceeds on the path of pratisaiṋcara. As it comes close to the Nucleus its scope is diluted. This dilution is not abrupt. There are many intermediate stages of evolution. At first, only the citta portion exists. Citta is the crudest counterpart of the mind. This mind is attracted to the Nucleus, and at the same time there are physical and psychic clashes. As a result of this, there is tremendous internal friction, which subtilizes the crude mind. The ahaḿtattva is subtler than the citta. In the later stage of evolution of mind a portion of the citta is converted into ahaḿtattva. That means that in that mind there are citta and ahaḿtattva both. But the area of the citta is bigger than that of the ahaḿtattva. In certain creepers and plants we find these two parts of the mind. The mind where there exists only citta can take the form of the matter around it, but as there is no aham, or ego, it cannot use the matter. And due to the absence of mahattattva, it has no feeling of existence either.

But the mind where there exists citta and ahaḿtattva both can take the ideation of matter with the help of the citta and keep contact with matter through the ahaḿtattva. But due to the lack of mahattattva, it does not feel that it exists.

These creepers and plants where both citta and ahaḿtattva exist are underdeveloped organisms. If the body of one of these organisms is bisected, the two separate parts will be two organisms again. No part will die, because in that mind there was no unit feeling of separate existence. The branches of certain flower plants are [cut off] for a separate plant. In those plants there is absence of mahattattva.

In developed organisms there are citta, ahaḿtattva and mahattattva. As a result of continuous clashes and attraction, certain parts of ahaḿtattva are converted into the subtler part of the mind – mahattattva. But even in that case, the area of mahat will be smaller than that of ahaḿtattva.

Gradually the internal friction increases and the mind becomes more and more subtle. The dimension of aham becomes greater than that of citta. Therefore the citta remains inside the ahaḿtattva.

Greater attraction from the Nucleus increases the scope of mahattattva and it envelops ahaḿtattva. That mind is superior to all lower minds. And the organism possessing that mind becomes conscious of its existence and is called a human being. The fundamental difference between the mind of a developed organism having citta, ahaḿtattva and mahattattva, and the mind of a human having mahattattva, aham and citta, is that the former is guided by instinct because the scope of the citta is bigger than that of the other two parts, while the latter is guided by intellect and intuition, because in it the scope of the mahat and the aham is bigger than that of the citta.

Footnotes

(1) In the Cosmic Cycle, the step-by-step introversion and subtilization of consciousness from the state of solid matter to Nucleus Consciousness. –Trans.