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Thread: Panchkosha - five layers of existence

  1. #11
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    Re: Panchkosha - five layers of existence

    Quote Originally Posted by harekrishna View Post
    Yes. Smaranam Ji, Snip Ji. Anandmaya Kosh is being one with Brahman. There are so many ways to look at it, but my POV is that none of the layers are there to overcome as such. They are more to be understood, and as one understands, the truth of other layers open up.
    I am going to add Pranamaya kosha next.
    HariH Om!
    Hare Krishna
    Thanks for correcting me, Smaranam and the continued posts Harekrishna.
    I enjoy Yajvan's input also.

  2. #12

    Re: Panchkosha - five layers of existence

    5 Steps of the ladder of Brahman Consciousness:


    There are two kinds of ksetra-jna [conscious knower of the Field of existence]:
    the individual jiva-atma [living entity] and the supreme living Personality of Godhead.

    There is a manifestation of the Supreme Lord’s energy:

    1] Anna-maya, dependence upon food for existence. This is a materialistic realization of the Supreme.


    After seeing the Supreme Lord in food:
    2] Prana-maya, the Supreme Lord in the living symptoms or life forms.

    Then, one sees beyond the living symptoms:
    3] Jnana-maya, the Supreme Lord via, thinking, feeling and willing.

    Then there is Brahman realization:
    4] Vijnana-maya, seeing one's soul's bodily mind and life symptoms —as distinguished from the living entity [the soul, the jiva-atma] itself.


    Then the last and Absolute stage is:
    5] Ananda-maya, realization of the all-blissful nature.

    There a five Steps of the ladder of Brahman consciousness, called brahmapuccam.


    Annamaya, Pranamaya & gyanamaya—involve the material elements & karmic acts of the sentient souls.

    Transcendental to these is the Absolute Truth, vis-a-vis, Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is called anandamaya.

    The Vedanta-sutra also describes the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, as:


    ananda-mayo ’bhyasat

    the Supreme Personality of Godhead is by nature full of joy.


    To engage in Ananda the Absolute Personality of Godhead is present in the form of:
    vijnanamaya,
    pranamaya,
    jnana-maya &
    annamaya.

    In the field of material elements (earth, water, fire, etc) the individual Soul is the enjoyer, and different from the individual Soul is the ananda-maya.

    If the individual Soul decides to enjoy in engaging himself with the ananda-maya, then he becomes a self-realised soul.

    This is the analysis of the Absolute Personality of Godhead as the Absolute "knower of the field", the individual Soul as the secondary knower, and the nature of the cosmic elements.
    The individual Souls much seek these yogic truths in Vedanta.

  3. #13
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    Re: Panchkosha - five layers of existence

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~~

    namasté harekrishna,


    Quote Originally Posted by harekrishna View Post
    The five koshas envelope each other...
    Could you say which three koshas are told by other?

    HariH Om! Hare Krishna
    Thank you for your posts on this matter. It is worthy to note that I am not inferring that 5 kośa's are incorrect... as these 5 are inferred in the taittirīya upaniṣad as you have rightly called out if my memory serves me correctly. Here are the 3 that I have read:
    • ānanda-maya kośa which forms the kāraṇa-śarīra or causal frame, some call the essense of bliss.
    • vijñāna-maya kośa (or buddhi-maya kośa or mano-maya kośa) the sheath of the intellect, sūkṣma-śarīra, considered the subtle frame
    • anna-maya kośa or the sheath of nourishment, forming the sthūla-śarīra or our gross frame
    By inspection we can see prāṇa-maya kośa is missing and mano-maya kośa is considered part-and-parcel of vijñāna-maya kośa. Now I will have to find the upaniṣad from where this comes. Yet it is clear to me that the triad of 3 is attractive, just as (in this case) pañca-kośa is attractive to manifest the truth via this upaniṣad.


    That said, for me, the notion of the SELF being seated somewhere in the body does not fit well with my understanding. The SELF as called out in many śāstra-s is all-pervading, there is no place it is not. Perhaps we need to uncover/transcend the 5 kośa-s to get a clear experience of SELF, yet it ( SELF) by defintion must also pervade these 5 sheths too. Yet this is a subject for another time.


    I also asked the following ( and did not do a good job articulating my question)
    regarding these kośa's¹ mentioned, is it one's opinion that these 5 ( some say 3) are distinct or do they overlap - one into another in some way?

    Let me ask another way - is there a firm stop from one kośa to another? We can use the model of concentric circles ( one inside the other). The biggest circle would be anna-maya kośa or our gross frame. Then inside this circle another, then another , then another kośa concentrically would fit, as the circles would get smaller , yet all share the same center.
    So the question is, is there are hard stop where one kośa starts and another begins?

    praṇām
    Last edited by yajvan; 09 February 2010 at 07:54 PM.
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  4. #14

    Re: Panchkosha - five layers of existence

    Is Brahman Conscious? Yes it is.

    All the superlative descriptions of Sri Brahman found in sastra are actually describing in what manner "Brahman is Conscious".

    Would a person declare that Sri Brahman's Consciousness is limited to arising only those bound in samsara births?

    We are conscious. We search for the Absolute Truth.
    Absolute Truth is Conscious, a Consciousness all its own.

    Brahman is Self-Conscious, of Himself.

    Opulences of Brahman are actually the Glories of His (God's) consciousness.

  5. #15

    Re: Panchkosha - five layers of existence

    Quote Originally Posted by yajvan View Post
    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~~

    Let me ask another way - is there a firm stop from one kośa to another? We can use the model of concentric circles ( one inside the other). The biggest circle would be anna-maya kośa or our gross frame. Then inside this circle another, then another , then another kośa concentrically would fit, as the circles would get smaller , yet all share the same center.
    So the question is, is there are hard stop where one kośa starts and another begins?

    praṇām
    Namaste Yajvan Jee,

    I am not sure if I can answer the questions to the point being asked. Let me offer an understanding.

    Another way to look at these koshas is that it pervades the lower koshas. Just like, when red color added to water makes a red water, Prana added to Matter brings a body (Chetana Sharira). Matter without Prana would be without any life (ie Achetana).
    So, here is what each Kosha brings. Annamaya Kosh is all physical beings. Without Pranamaya Kosh, a rock and body are the same. Prana brings life to matter. Manomaya Kosh provides the personality to the life. Manomaya Kosh contains the memories and is responsible for the thought process. Sanskaras (latent impressions) are part of this layer. These three layers are pretty tightly connected. The energy (Tanmatras) generated by the sensing organs (Indriyas ) are carried by Prana to the Manomaya Kosha. For the response, the latent impressions kick in, and life reacts according to that. You can see that Manomaya Kosh reflects the observations according to one's latent impressions.
    Vigyanamaya Kosh offers a whiff of free will. God fills human beings with the capacity to discriminate between disturbing (ie KliShTa) and calming (ie AkliShTa) mind-impressions (Vrittis). This discriminatory power (Viveka) is part of Vigyanamaya Kosha. Anandmaya Kosh is full of Sat and Anand. In this existence, Ananda overpowers all the other Koshas. When a sadhaka reaches this kosha, he falls into a song, and exclaims -
    अहं ऋतस्य प्रथमजा । I am the first born of truth.
    पूर्वं देवेभ्यो अमृतस्य ना3भायि । Even before the devas, I was the center of the immortal.
    It leads to believe that that Nirbija Samadhi, the highest medidative stage is where this Kosha is experieced.

    Will be very interested in learning about the three Koshas you have mentioned and their demarcations.

    HariH Om!
    Hare Krishna

  6. #16

    Re: Panchkosha - five layers of existence

    Quote Originally Posted by Mohini Shakti Devi View Post
    Is Brahman Conscious? Yes it is.

    All the superlative descriptions of Sri Brahman found in sastra are actually describing in what manner "Brahman is Conscious".

    Would a person declare that Sri Brahman's Consciousness is limited to arising only those bound in samsara births?

    We are conscious. We search for the Absolute Truth.
    Absolute Truth is Conscious, a Consciousness all its own.

    Brahman is Self-Conscious, of Himself.

    Opulences of Brahman are actually the Glories of His (God's) consciousness.
    Consciousness is knowing the things as they are . Any living creature can not live without food , there ever and never technology can prove it wrong .All living entities except human possess the consciousness , but the human has to cultivate it . The oldest old scriptures are Vedas which narrate the life style . To utilize these Vedas knowledge in utmost proper sense is consciousness of life . Goswamiji has taken the cows described in Vedas as Earth , he describes the demons as those who pollute the environmentThe terrible outrages the demons did beggar description. There is no limit to the
    evil-doings of those who hold violence most dear to their heart. The number of villains, thieves and gamblers and of those who coveted others.
    wealth and wives swelled to a great extent. People honoured not their parents and gods
    and exacted service from pious souls. Those who act in this way, know all
    such creatures as demons. Perceiving the supreme disrespect for religion Earth was
    extremely alarmed and perturbed. .The weight of mountains, rivers and oceans,. she
    said to herself, .is not so oppressive to me as of him who is malevolent to others.. She
    saw all goodness perverted; yet for fear of demons she could not utter a word. After great
    deliberation she took the form of a cow and went to the spot where all gods and sages
    were in hiding. With tears in her eyes she told them her sufferings; but none of them
    could be of any help to her.
    Vedas say , Aum krato smar, klibe smar , kratam smar . Krsn tells Arjuna that the real meaning of these words is to be understood and those who dont know they are of less intelligence . Yaam imaam pushpitaam vaacham pravadantyavipashchitah;
    Vedavaadarataah paartha naanyad asteeti vaadinah.
    Flowery speech is uttered by the unwise, who take pleasure in the eulogising words of
    the Vedas, O Arjuna, saying: There is nothing else!. Also the question of Arjun as Na chaitad vidmah kataran no gareeyo
    Yadwaa jayema yadi vaa no jayeyuh;
    Yaan eva hatwaa na jijeevishaamas
    Tevasthitaah pramukhe dhaartaraashtraah.
    I can hardly tell which will be better: that we should conquer them or they should conquer
    us. Even the sons of Dhritarashtra, after slaying whom we do not wish to live, stand facing us , is answered as consciousness by Krsn .He says that controlling the senses by mind with help of steady wisdom make the victory over lust , anger and covetousness .
    The lust is generated by the age up to 25 which is for Krato smar or for creation . The anger is generated up to age of 50 which is for Klibe smar or performing the noble duties . The last is covetousness which is generated by the age up to 75 and which is for Kratam smar or knowing about the entire life span . These all are from the consciousness of super soul and not by the individual soul , as Krsn says.Teshaam evaanukampaartham aham ajnaanajam tamah;
    Naashayaamyaatmabhaavastho jnaanadeepena bhaaswataa.
    Out of mere compassion for them, I, dwelling within their Self, destroy the darkness
    born of ignorance by the luminous lamp of knowledge.

  7. #17

    Re: Panchkosha - five layers of existence

    Manomaya Kosh
    Manomaya Kosha talks about mind. Mind is responsible for different behavior of different people. For each experience, mind reflects the action for each person. This action is heavily dependent on the Sanskaras, latent impressions in the mind. These create disturbances (Vrittis) that causes one to cloud the vision. These disturbances are like clouds which are covering Sun, the true nature of human beings. The existence of mind is dualistic - one creating negative distrubance and one creating positive disturbance. When one consciously creates positive vibes, the mind is purified

    Taittiriya says -
    अन्योऽन्तर आत्मा मनोमयः । Inside that (Pranamaya Kosh), lies the Manomaya Kosh.
    तेनैष पूर्णः । It (Pranamaya Kosh) is filled with this (Manomaya Kosh)
    स वा एष पुरुषविध एव । He (Manomaya) is surely of the type of the Purusha.
    तस्य पुरुषविधताम् । Know that (Manomaya) as Purusha.
    अन्वयं पुरुषविधः । He is also known as Purusha.
    तस्य यजुरेव शिरः । His head is Yajur.
    ऋग्दक्षिणः पक्षः । His left wing is Rik.
    सामोत्तरः पक्षः । His right wing is Sama.
    आदेश आत्मा । Aadesh is his soul.
    अथर्वाङ्गिरसः पुच्छं प्रतिष्ठा । Atharvangiras is his tail.

    The bird of Manomaya Kosh consists of - Yajur as its head, Rig as its left wing, Sama as its right wing and Atharva and Angiras as its tail. The soul of Manomaya Kosh is Aadesh (Divine Directions). By showing, its different Angas as the different Vedas, Taittiriya tells us to follow the divine directions of all the Vedas.

    HariH Om!
    Hare Krishna

  8. #18

    Re: Panchkosha - five layers of existence

    The lust is generated by the age up to 25 = for creation .
    The anger is generated up to age of 50 = performing the noble duties .
    The covetousness is generated up to 75 = knowing about the entire life span .

    THIS VERY INTERESTING, KD.

  9. #19

    Re: Panchkosha - five layers of existence

    Quote Originally Posted by Mohini Shakti Devi View Post
    Is Brahman Conscious? Yes it is.

    All the superlative descriptions of Sri Brahman found in sastra are actually describing in what manner "Brahman is Conscious".

    Would a person declare that Sri Brahman's Consciousness is limited to arising only those bound in samsara births?

    We are conscious. We search for the Absolute Truth.
    Absolute Truth is Conscious, a Consciousness all its own.

    Brahman is Self-Conscious, of Himself.

    Opulences of Brahman are actually the Glories of His (God's) consciousness.
    IMHO:
    The soul (jiv-atma) is an individual

    Brahman is real and contains all time space and elements and souls in manifest and un-manifest states in all finite in infinite ends of the spectrum.

    There is only ONE BRAHMAN and it envelopes all and is the origin of all.

    BUT,

    There is 'DIRECTIONS' and thus the soul (jiv-atma) is an individual, that never loses its individuality (can not be divided).

    Proposition:
    In space there is a form, ie:

    A Square.

    The square has 4 corners.

    Each corner CANNOT OCCUPY THE SAME SPACE AS ANOTHER (from the law of Physics: "No two objects can occupy the same space at the same time").

    Therefore no two souls are the same;
    each soul occupies its own space all its own.

    A soul is a Knot of consciousness known as jiv-atma (individual soul).

    The Knot is where Sat-chitt-anand occupies a place in
    the ocean of the cosmic material manifestation filled with seperated elements (known as earth, water,fire,air,ether,mind,intelligence,ego).

    The knot or soul cannot be untied nor can it hide nor be seperated from other knots not assume the position of another knot; The Soul is an indivisable entity.

    The left-side and right-side of the square cannot be confused with the eachother nor interchanged, for there is the Left and there is the Right, an Up and a Down; diametrical opposite corners; and then there is the cube shape; all show that they cannot not be merged or they cannot not be thought to take eachother's place, they must stand incontradistinction to represent reality as it is.

    Merging or imploding a "box shape" into a state of stasis (zero-ness) is the desolve it/erase it/make it 'no-more'.

    But even then the laws governing the shape are predicated on the cardinale directions onto which the zero-state expands, ie: Left-Right + Up-Down + all ten directions BECAUSE IT IS ABSOLUTE.

    Similarly, each Soul is absolute with its inherit, by birthright, limits of existence; which is comprised of "sat-cit-anada" that cannot be merged with neighboring souls nor with inert material elements.

    ............................................................
    Notice that the above does noy mention Krishna The Supreme Personalty of Godhead who expands his potency to manifest the Jiv-atmas and the Material and Spirtual Skys where time is, respectively tempory and eternal.

  10. #20

    Re: Panchkosha - five layers of existence

    Interesting thread.

    Thanks to all . Also to bhakta Jan although you obviously have a different slant in your explanation.

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