Parts of Mind
Experiencing, Thinking, Remembering, and Identifying
Experiencing
I can see a flag waving in the sea breeze.
When I see the flag, I see its colour. I experience it. This “experiencing” is, I don’t doubt, carried out by some part of my Mind. Let me collectively refer to it as the “Experiencing Mind”. Now, I don’t know where this experiencing Mind is situated; whether in my brain or somewhere else; or even if it takes a physical form. For now, let’s just consider it a label.
Thinking
This flag that ways in the sea breeze: Is it Red or Orange? Could it be either?
As I mentioned earlier, I can see the flag. I experience its colour. I don’t try to “name” the colour; or abstract it into some category of colour; like Red or Orange. Until now, while the flag was some colour, I hadn’t formed an opinion on which colour.
Now, when I ask myself whether the flag is Red or Orange, I slot the flag into the set of things that are Red; or Orange. By choosing “Red”, I have divided the universe into two sub-universes. In one, the flag is Red; in the other, not Red. And I’ve chosen the Red sub-universe as reality.
All of the above, again I don’t doubt, must be happening in my Mind. Let’s label whatever part of the Mind where these happenings happen as the “Thinking Mind”.
Remembering
I have a confession to make. I don’t see a flag, and I’m not by the sea.
But the “Experiencing” and “Thinking” that I describe above are real enough; because these are things that I have actually experienced and thought some months ago; when I was, indeed, by the sea. What I’m describing is what I remember.
This remembering is also happening somewhere in my Mind. Let’s call this part the “Remembering Mind”.
Identifying
So I think I possess an “Experiencing Mind”, a “Thinking Mind” and a “Remembering Mind”. Do I have any other sorts of Mind?
A few hours ago, I was having a debate with myself. I was debating whether or not I should write this article. A couple of times, I was tending towards not writing this article; particularly since I had other things to do. But not going to write this article, caused me some slight pain or irritation. Why?
Well, something in me told me “I’m the sort of person who writes articles like this”; and if I don’t write this article “I will deny some part of my self”. In other words, I was “identifying” with writing this article.
Now, no doubt, this identifying also happened in my Mind. So why not label that also? As the “Identifying Mind”?
