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Monday, July 19, 2010

The 5 Qualitatvie Types of Consciousness

At any given moment the intelligence can have one of the following qualities: dull, distracted, agitated, attentive, or restrained.  One of the ways to develop introspection is to notice when the consciousness is not in a state of yoga, or oneness. By noticing how you feel you can begin to determine what triggers the state you are in and work toward eliminating the causes of the fluctuations of the mind.

Mudha - silly, stupid, ignorant, dullness, a foolish or dull state
Ksipta - neglected or distracted, a mental force which is scattered, a state of disarray or neglect
Viksipta - agitated or scattered, neither marshalled nor controlled
Ekagra - one-pointed or closely attentive
Niruddha - restrained or controlled

  • When have I felt each of these qualitative states of mind?
  • Is there a common occurrence that disrupts my peace of mind?
  • What do I do when I notice that I am feeling dull? distracted? agitated?
  • How do I begin to shift the quality of my intelligence toward restraint?

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