Essence of Vedanta - Part 9

Five Sheaths or Koshas

We humans are like a lamp that has five lampshades over our light. Each of the lampshades is a different color and density. As the light shines through the lampshades, it is progressively changed in color and nature. It is a bitter-sweet coloring. On the one hand, the shades provide the individualized beauty of each lamp. Yet, the lampshades also obscure the pure light.  

Kosha means sheath, like the lampshades covering the light, or like the series of wooden dolls . 

Maya means appearance, as if something appears to be one way, but is really another. 

Here, it means that each of the sheaths or koshas is only an appearance. 

  

Physical - Annamaya kosha 

Anna means food. All of the physical aspects of life come and go, and are consumed by another aspect of external reality. Thus, the outermost of the koshas is called the sheath of food, or Annamaya kosha.

  

Energy - Pranamaya kosha 

The next of the koshas is Pranamaya kosha. Prana means energy. It is the vital force that produces the subtle vibrations related to breath, and which are the driving force behind the physical aspect of the senses and the operation of the physical body. 

   

Mental - Manamaya kosha 

The next of the koshas is Manamaya kosha. Mana means mind. It is the level of processing thoughts and emotions. It is in direct control of the operation, through the prana, of the physical body and senses. It is like a supervisor in a factory, in that it gives instructions, but is not supposed to be the manager of the factory of life. Because of this, it naturally has doubts, and created illusions. 

  

Wisdom - Vijnanamaya kosha 

The next of the koshas is Vijnanamaya kosha. Vijnana means knowing. It is the sheath of wisdom that is underneath the processing, thinking aspect of mind. It knows, decides, judges, and discriminates between this and that, between useful and not useful. It is also the level of ego consciousness, meaning the powerful wave of I-am-ness. This I-am-ness itself is a positive influence, but when it gets co-mingled with the memories, and is clouded over by the manas, it loses its positive strength.

Bliss - Anandamaya kosha 

Anandamaya kosha is the most interior of the koshas, the first of the koshas surrounding the Atman, the eternal center of consciousness. Ananda means bliss. However, it is not bliss as a mere emotion experienced at the level of the sheath of mind. Ananda is a whole different order of reality from that of the mind. It is peace, joy, and love that is underneath, beyond the mind, independent of any reason or stimulus to cause a happy mental reaction. It is simply being, resting in bliss called ananda.

Yet, even this bliss, however wonderful it is, is still a covering, a sheath, a lampshade covering the pure light of consciousness. It is the subtle most of the five koshas. In the silence of deep meditation, this too is let go of, so as to experience the center.

Now, for a question before we conclude this post.

"If the 5 koshas are like the 5 lampshades or the 5 layers, then what is that which is the real Light which shines forth in and through all the 5 lampshades or all the 5 koshas?"

Is Ananda Maya kosha the ultimate or there is any other subtler source which actually makes one feel that " I AM IN BLISS", like an imaginary concluding scene explained in an earlier post when King Janaka wakes up and experiences that he had a very deep sleep the previous night.

If his body, mind, intellect were not active  while he was sleeping, then what was THAT which was witnessing his deep sleep which prompts him on the next day and makes him say that he had deep sleep??"

Love