‘Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi’ (Talk-510)
Mr T.K.S.Iyer read out a passage from a book which admitted of five different divisions of ‘anthakaranas’ (the inner organ; the mind)
as follows: (1) Ullam, (2) mind, (3) intellect, (4) ‘chittam’, (5) ego.

Bhagavan Sri Ramana said: Four divisions are usual. The fifth item ‘Ullam’ has been brought in to correspond to five ‘tattvas’ (truths, essence of a thing) thus:

(1) ‘Ullam’ (consciousness) is ‘akasa’ (ether) ‘tattva’ from the cranium to the brows.

(2) ‘Manas’ (thinking faculty) is ‘vayu’ (air) ‘tattva’ from the brows to the throat.

(3) ‘Buddhi’ (intellect) is ‘agni’ (light) ‘tattva’ from the throat to the heart.

(4) ‘Chitta’ (memory) is ‘jala’ (water) ‘tattva’ from the heart to the navel, and,

(5) ‘Ahankar’ (ego) is ‘prithvi’ (earth) ‘tattva’ from the navel to the coccyx.

‘Ullam’ (consciousness) is thus the pure mind in its pure being, i.e., mind divested of all thoughts. It is the ether of mind corresponding to the expanse of mind without being crowded by thoughts. When a person wakes up from sleep the head is raised and there is the light of awareness. This light was already there in the heart which is later reflected on the brain and appears as consciousness. But this is not particularised until ‘ahankar’ steps in. In the undiffentiated state it is cosmic (cosmic mind or cosmic consciousness). This state lasts usually for a minute interval and passes off unnoticed. It becomes particularised or differentiated by the intrusion of the ego and the person says ‘I’. This is always associated with an entity (here, the body). So the body is identified as ‘I’ and all else follows.

Because ‘ullam’ is only the reflected light, it is said to be the moon. The original light is in the heart which is said to be the sun.

– ‘Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi’ (Talk-510)