Of Three Minds...Which One Do You Want To Act From
We have a choice to dwell in a given mindset, but until recently, most of us were not aware there was more than one! And I’m not talking about mood, or pessimist/optimist…this moves beyond those labels which we have all grown accustomed to learning about. Rather than the various mindsets of our human experience, let’s open to a new possibility, that of the various levels on which the mind can function.Let’s think in terms of three minds:First Mind, that of our human experience;Second Mind, that of our awakening Spiritual Self;Third Mind, that of merging with and operating from, the Divine Source of our Spiritual Essence.Within each mind, there are different aspects to explore, but for now, let’s just open to new understanding of the basis of each level. In each mind, there is a nuance change of experience, subtly different, but leading to expansion with each shift in awareness and understanding. For example, when we operate in First Mind, we have ‘thought’, while in Second Mind, we gain ‘awareness’, and when in Third Mind, we attune to a deep inner ‘Knowing’. There are subtle differences in these experiences of ‘thought’, ‘awareness’ and ‘Knowing’, and although people often interchange the words (a First Mind action!), they are not the same. Both the First and Second Minds incorporate duality, while Third Mind is about Unity – living in the I AM presence.First Mind ‘thought’ is best represented by the phrase “monkey mind” in that it jumps all over the place, we say our ‘thoughts race’, and we struggle to focus or be in a quiet space without some distraction of television, music, other people. If we stop and sit in a quiet space, we become fidgety, our mind wanders, etc. In Second Mind, we are able, at times, to attain ‘focused concentration’. We can sustain our attention for a prolonged period of time in one specific area/topic. For periods of time, we can stop ‘monkey mind’ and more often be present in the moment. This allows us to become more aware of things that we couldn’t have perceived when our thoughts were racing and jumping from one topic to another. However, in Third Mind, we come to a place where we become immersed in, or merged with, our Spiritual Self, so that Intuitive Knowing is gained, which opens access to higher thought, information beyond our current understanding, and Spiritual guidance.Here are just a few more examples of how behaviors look differently when rooted in the three levels of mind...
| FIRST MIND | SECOND MIND | THIRD MIND |
| Yoga is about physical poses | Yoga is about learning Sutras | Yoga is experiencing unity |
| Effort is focused on ‘trying’ | Effort is on ‘doing’ | There is no effort, the focus is simply on ‘being’ |
| Responsibility is understood as ‘heavy’; ‘I have to’; as in “I have too many responsibilities” | “Being Responsible” is seen as a good character trait and is attached to a sense of worthiness. | “Response-able” is understood as ‘being able to respond to my abilities’ – meaning my God-given, spiritual abilities… ultimately of creation and manifestation |
The three minds also differ in the way they hear and understand meanings of words and symbols. For example, when we are operating from First Mind, and we hear the term “thoughtlessness” we think of this as a negative attribute, someone who is thoughtless, who doesn’t care about others or treats them with little respect. In Second Mind, we begin to contemplate before rushing to judgment or labeling. We may begin to take into consideration underlying circumstances as to why a person may have acted ‘thoughtlessly’, may even gain understanding or feel compassion. However, in Third Mind, ‘thoughtlessness’ is understood to be a very heightened state of ‘no thought’, i.e. thought-less; ‘less thought’ or the opposite of the monkey mind experience. Similarly, the word ‘atonement’ in First Mind, is understood as facing up to something that we have done wrong, and there is often some sense of shame involved. Whereas in the Second Mind, we understand it as moving towards a new way of living our life with accountability, holding in our awareness that how we treat others is important. However, in Third Mind, we come to understand ‘Atonement’ as “At-One-Ment”, or coming into unity, being “at one” with our higher Spiritual Self, our Divine Essence. Living from here is where we let go of all negative intentions towards others/the world and begin to live from the higher vibration of Love, and we consciously make the choice to release all that is incompatible.While this type of differentiating could go on and on, the message brings you to a place of choice. It offers an opportunity for expanding your understanding at the root: your thoughts. From our thoughts, our behaviors follow. We are not a victim of our thoughts, but rather, as we learn to harness them, we become more purposeful in where we choose to anchor or focus them. This is accomplished through self-discipline to begin again and again to think and make choices in a new way, through commitment to spiritual practices such as meditation, and through openness of mind and heart to the vibration of Love.