Modern brain science aligns with old ideas, giving us ways to calm our monkey mind visualised by ancient Bharatiya thinkers.
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Our mind acts like a mischievous monkey. It jumps from thought to thought, chatters all the time, and sometimes throws big, exciting ideas at us like juicy bananas. Ancient Bharatiya thinkers visualised this monkey as a team of four distinct entities: manas, buddhi, ahamkara, and citta. These four parts explain why we dwell on old memories, argue over eating paratha or dosa, or sometimes, feel like the world revolves around us. Beyond the mind, these wise folks described life’s existence in four layers: sarira (our body), prana (our life energy), manas (our mind), and atman (our pure inner consciousness). This simple but deep idea shows why we crave things, feel mental trauma, or search for significance in our day-to-day life. Modern brain science, with its fancy tools and brain maps, aligns with these old ideas. It gives us ways to calm our monkey mind and make it a wise friend. Let us dig into this fun adventure, mixing ancient understanding with modern discoveries, and toss in some humour to keep our monkey under control.
Manas: Our Senses’ Hyperactive Manager
The Yoga Vasistha says, “Manas controls the senses.” We can conceive manas as our mind’s busy assistant, handling signals from our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin. It identifies the smell of hot samosas, the sound of a calling bell, or the itch of a mosquito bite. But manas doesn’t just pass these signals on. It adds its own spin into it. A dog’s bark might make us smile if it reminds us of a friendly pup. Or it might scare us if we remember a mean one. Brain science says manas works like our sensory memory and short term memory. The thalamus, our brain’s signal sorter, conceives what we notice. Other brain parts handle sights, sounds, and smells. However, manas loves excitement and gets bored fast. That’s why we keep checking our mobiles every now and then for something new. Studies show that too many distractions make our brain respond wildly. By the way, manas keeps us safe. It warns us about dangers, like a fast bike passing by or a burning sabjis on the frying pan. If we let manas run free, it chases every shiny thing. Meditation, like focusing on our breath, calms manas down. Brain scans of meditators show slower, peaceful brain waves. A calm manas lets us enjoy small moments without getting pulled away by every noise or craving.
Buddhi: Our Smart Guide
The Bhagavad Gita calls buddhi “wisdom, clarity, and peace.” We can think of buddhi as our mind’s wise teacher, sorting through manas’ loud signals. When manas shouts, “Eat that rasgulla!” buddhi asks, “is that a good idea?” It’s the voice that tells us to study instead of watching movies or to stay kind when we are annoyed. Buddhi acts like our inner guide, helping us make smart choices. Brain science links buddhi to the prefrontal cortex, our brain’s control center. One part helps us plan. Another part balances our feelings and values. Brain scans show meditation makes this area stronger. It helps us make better decisions and stay calm.
Buddhi works best when we stop and think. Imagine a friend invites us to a late night party before a test. Manas gets excited, but buddhi says, “Stick to our goals.” Writing in a diary regularly sharpens buddhi. It helps us act with purpose. A strong buddhi turns quick reactions into thoughtful choices. This makes our life smooth.
Ahamkara: Our Story Maker
The Bhagavad Gita warns, “Ahamkara makes us feel, I did that.” It is the ego that makes stories about exaggerated us in our mind. It creates the idea of “me.” It says, “I love cricket,” “I want spicy food,” or “I am awesome at singing.” Of course, this sense of self-boasting pushes us to work hard and stand tall. Without ahamkara, we would feel lost. In psychology, ahamkara is linked to our brain’s default mode network. This network turns on when we think about ourselves or daydream. But if it’s too active, we worry a lot, as brain scans show. If someone criticizes our acts, ahamkara gets upset and makes a fuss. Meditation calms this network and it helps us to stay cool.
But Ahamkara can cause trouble by holding onto ideas like “I am not good enough.” Asking, “Who am I?” helps us let go of these odd ideas. It’s like teaching a kid to share toys instead of focusing “only mine.” A softer ahamkara makes us humble. It connects us to others, making us feel part of something bigger, like a vibrant community sharing wisdom and kindness.
Citta: Our Memory Keeper
Citta is our mind’s librarian. It stores every moment, from the joy of a festival to the pain of a harsh word. These memories shape how we act in our daily life. Citta works quietly, guiding us without being noticed. The Yoga Sutras teaches that citta's fluctuations can be pleasant or painful, shaping our perception in every aspects.
Brain science ties citta to the hippocampus, which saves memories. The amygdala adds feelings to them. The basal ganglia store habits, like brushing our teeth or sipping tea. Our brain uses these memories to guess what’s next, often without us knowing. Meditation can change these patterns. It turns bad habits into good ones. By working upon citta, we turn automatic reactions into careful choices. This makes our mind feel controlled.
The Teamwork
Manas, buddhi, ahamkara, and citta work together like a music band. Manas grabs sensory signals. Buddhi makes decisions. Ahamkara says, “That’s me.” Citta saves the moment. Smell fresh chicken tanduri, for example? Manas notices, buddhi decides to buy, ahamkara says, “I love this,” and citta remembers the joy, making us want more later. This collective cycle, called samsara, can trap us in wanting and fearing.
Brain science also shows how these parts connect. Sensory areas (manas) send info to the thinking brain (buddhi). This works with the self story network (ahamkara). Memory areas (citta) save the feelings, shaping what we do next. Meditation breaks this loop. It calms our senses, strengthens our decisions, softens our ego, and rewires our memories. Studies show meditators have better brain connections. This matches the ancient idea of balancing the mind.
Behind this busy team is the presence of atman, our pure awareness. It watches without judging. Science hasn’t found it in scans so far. But meditation can make us self-realise it as a calm, steady presence. It’s like a clear sky behind stormy clouds, always there, always calm.
Final Thought: From Monkey to Wise Friend
Our monkey mind isn’t bad. It’s a lively friend that needs gentle training. Calming manas keeps us in the moment, like enjoying tea without distractions. Strengthening buddhi helps us choose wisely. Softening ahamkara stops ego drama, letting us laugh at ourselves. Cleaning citta builds good habits. Brain science supports this. Meditation improves focus, decisions, and clarity. It reduces worry too.
Now, ancient wisdom and modern science mingle up. They invite us to befriend our monkey mind with a smile. By balancing its four parts, we turn restlessness into tranquillity. We change reactions into wisdom. We transform chaos into joy. Our inner wise friend steps forward, ready to play with life, guided by atman’s quiet illuminance. So, let’s grab a enticing idea, tame our monkey, and swing toward a fruitful day.
Ranjan Das
Patkai Christian College