Relationship between the Body Mind Intellect (BMI)

How does the Body Mind and Intellect (BMI) chart allow me to understand my life?

Body Mind Intellect Chart by Swami Chinmayananda

The chart above reveals a crucial insight for us as students of Vedanta in our quest to grasp the nature of the Supreme Self. It conveys a significant message: as humans, we are consistently impacted and overwhelmed by an intrinsic force called Vasanas.

What are Vasanas?

True Nature or Consciousness

So, what exactly are Vasanas? They represent the accumulated impressions we carry in our minds from various lifetimes. In essence, Vasanas are the latent impressions or collective experiences that lie deep within our conscious mind, taking shape as desires, tendencies, and strong urges—echoes of everything we have engaged in through our thoughts, words, and actions.

These Vasanas, or innate tendencies, are at the core of our existence, arising from our ignorance. Although we are inherently Divine, our failure to acknowledge our true nature entraps us in a chaotic myriad of experiences governed by the body, mind, and intellect. This misperception has resulted in our manifestation in diverse forms, conditions, and experiences throughout time.

The Rishis and ancient texts refer to this cycle as the Law of Reincarnation. As long as the seed of desire remains unacknowledged, combined with the realization that we are the Consciousness itself, and that our happiness does not rely on worldly possessions, we are destined to experience rebirth. Vasanas can be likened to seeds waiting to sprout, even if they haven't been properly planted. What does this imply? All our impressions are predisposed to reincarnate and manifest unless they are effectively resolved through the right knowledge. As long as these Vasanas persist within the sphere of experiences, they will continuously give rise to new forms.

What reinforces the Vasanas and makes them challenging to eliminate on the journey toward absolute freedom from conditioning?

Expression of Celebration

It is the trio of the Perceiver, Feeler, and Thinker. This trio serves as the foundation of the Ego, which has a consuming attachment to objects, emotions, and thoughts, thereby ensnaring the soul within the implications of this trio. Our suffering stems from our engagement with the realm of objects—everything we see, hear, feel, taste, and smell. We create a bubble of artificial existence, separate from the ultimate reality, and suffer the consequences of attachment, expectation, and disappointment. Why does this occur? It is because we seek validation from the world of objects, emotions, and thoughts as our ultimate source of happiness.

This chart highlights the identity crisis we face. We mistakenly identify ourselves with the body, mind, and intellect, deriving significant pleasure from our interactions with the world. However, it reminds us that, at our core, our true self is the Atman (Supreme Consciousness). Yet, due to the misleading impressions and roles dictated by Vasanas, we often forget our authentic selves. 

To simplify this: an actor in a play knows he is performing a role and acts accordingly. He may cry, laugh, or even leap from a cliff to save someone, but he knows he is merely acting. In contrast, as the audience, we often forget this reality and become entirely engrossed in the narrative, completely captivated by what is merely a performance. Similarly, the Ego distracts us through the interactions of the body, mind, and intellect in the realm of objects, emotions, and thoughts, leading us to forget that we are the blissful Self, the ultimate observer. Awakening from this confusion is the essential teaching of Vedanta.

In Summary

Each of us — as the Perceiver, Feeler, and Thinker (PFT) — is shaped by our inner desires and past impressions (Vasanas). Often without realising it, we search for lasting happiness in things outside of us — in objects, emotions, and thoughts (OET). We use our body, mind, and intellect (BMI) to chase these experiences, hoping they’ll finally bring us peace or joy.

But even after reaching goals or acquiring what we thought we wanted, we might still feel something’s missing, an emptiness.

Vedanta gently reminds us that the lasting happiness we’re looking for isn’t out there — it’s already within us. It’s our true nature, the Self, symbolised by “Om” and rooted in pure consciousness. The journey isn’t about getting more from the outside world, but about understanding ourselves more deeply — letting go of unnecessary desires and clearing the fog of ignorance. In doing so, we reconnect with the peace that’s been there all along.

Reference

https://www.chinmayamission.com/