Tattva Bodha - Post 23

SAT-CHIT-ANANDA

(Continued…..)

SAT - PURE EXISTENCE 

In Chhandogya Upanishad, we find a dialogue between a sage and his son, Shvetaketu. The enquiry here is, ‘What is that knowledge by which everything becomes known?’  

And to grasp the answer to this bold question, we must appreciate the concept that by knowing the cause one can know the effects. Thus, if you know clay, you know all pots made of clay (you know that all such pots are nothing but clay), by knowing iron one understands all implements made of iron, by knowing gold, all gold ornaments are understood as nothing but gold and so on.  

In the same way, if we enquire deeply enough, the Upanishad claims, we shall see that all existent things are nothing but existence itself or pure existence. SAT is the term used for pure existence. 

Any matter that exists in this world, is made of 5 elements. The five elements, in between them, have this cause and effect relationship.

CAUSE	EFFECT
Water	Earth
Fire	Water
Air	Fire
Space	Air

Since each one of the 5 elements are an effect in themselves, they are perishable at one point of time or the other and hence they are not eternal existence.

However, from where came the Space? Who or what is the cause of Space?

Tasmadva etasmadatmana akash sambhutah |

Akasadvayuh | Vayoragnih | Agnerapah |

Adbhyah prithvi | Prithivya osadhayah |

Osadhibhyosnam |Annat purusah ||

(From that Atman (Supreme Soul) space came into being, from space wind, from wind fire, from fire water, from water earth, from earth plants, from plants food, from food man came into being.)

The cause of Space, as pronounced / revealed in our Vedas is Atman or Brahman, which is ETERNAL EXISTENCE. This has no cause, hence, it is never born and it never dies. This ETERNAL EXISTENCE IS “SAT”.

SAT is Truth, Existence or Pure Being. SAT is what always remains regardless of time or situation. When we awaken, we constantly recognize Pure Being. We are consciously aware of Pure Being as our true nature, the core and foundation of all life. 

CHIT - CONSCIOUSNESS 

In the Kena Upanishad, we find a very interesting question. We see, hear, speak and think—but what power impels our mind to think, our tongue to speak, our eyes to see and ears to hear? In other words, what are we in the deepest, most profound depths of our being? Like most deep questions, it appears deceptively simple. 

The Kena Upanishad begins with this question about consciousness—the inner experience of thinking, hearing, seeing, speaking. What is that shining within us which enables all these conscious experiences and functions? Who is that Being or what is that mechanism which makes these possible? 

The Guru’s answer is extraordinary and profound (and, at first, rather enigmatic). ‘It is the Ear of the ear, Mind of the mind, Eye of the eye ...’! Let us try to understand this. The answer, simply put, is pure consciousness—CHIT. 

CHIT is what you really are—pure consciousness. It is unchanging and undying and if you realize yourself as CHIT, you become immortal (rather, you realize that you are immortal and always were). 

In the context of an Upadesa Saram verse it was explained that the one who is apart from our three states of consciousness and our 5 koshas, which illumines all these, which is not Jada but which is sentient and which is within us through which we are even aware of our deep sleep when we wake up the next day, is AWARENESS or CHIT.

Continued.....

Love.

Tattva Bodha - Post 22

Atmaa tarhi Kah?
Sat-Chid-Ananda Swarupah

Then, what is the SELF?

It is the nature of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss

Dear All,

Till now we dealt with the following from Tattva Bodha: 

•    Sadhana Chatushtayam – Fourfold qualification
•    Shareera Trayam – Threefold body
•    Avastha Trayam – Threefold states of experience
•    Pancha Kosha – Fivefold personality layers of an individual

We also saw that Shareera Trayam and Kosha Panchakam both refer to the same personality alone. 

The Shareera Trayam itself looked from another angle is called Kosha Panchakam and are practically one and the same. 

From the previous topics, we come to know that all the three bodies, Shareera Trayam, are made up of matter. 

What we arrive at is that Shareera Trayam is material in nature. In Sanskrit matter is called Jadam.  

To recapitulate, the stages of development are as follows:

Firstly we said Shareera Trayam Bhautikam [made of elements].

Therefore Shareera Trayam Jadam [insentient].

And they appear as though sentient and therefore Shareera Trayam has borrowed consciousness.

If Shareera Trayam has borrowed consciousness, borrowing is possible only when there is a lender. We require a consciousness which has to lend consciousness. 

And this lender of consciousness is the fourth factor in human personality. The other three being: 

     - Sthoola Shareeram

     - Sookshma Shareeram 

     - Kaarana Shareeram

The lender of that consciousness is Atman, which is defined as SAT-CHIT-ANANDA.

SAT – Existence

Sat is the single thought that “I exist, therefore I am”. 

One may describe such a state as existing in the eternal present. To the timeless Self, there is no past and no future. 

Everything that happens is happening NOW. The whole attention is focused on NOW. 

When this state is experienced after a great deal of preparation for it, we come to experience the deep silence of the present, the unshaken stillness of the present. 

And in that stillness, Vedanta leaves us to discover ourselves, the “I am” of our quest. No more words now, words have done their job. It is just for us to experience pure Existence: “I am”. 

CHIT - Consciousness

Maintaining the same sense of receptivity that we captured for the first word, we are led to the second word with great expectation. 

After all, we have come so far and who would not be eager to hear the final definition of our own real Self being spelt out. 

Chit is the thoughtless awareness that, “I KNOW that I am”. 

Combining it with the previous experience of Sat, we can say: “I am, and I know that I am.” 

ANANDA - Bliss

Continuing its description of the state of consciousness wherein I know that “I am the Self”, Vedanta now adds to it another dimension.

It is the awareness that, “I am blissfully aware that I am”. 

How do we understand such a state, when experience tells us the contrary? We feel the opposite of bliss on too many occasions to take this definition seriously. We are used to seeing happiness followed by deep sorrow. 

Continued……

Love.

Tattva Bodha - Post 21

Pancha koshaah ke?

Annamayah,

Pranamayah,

Manomayah,

Vignanamayah,

Anandamayah cha Iti.

What are the Five Sheaths? They are:

the Food Sheath,

the Pranic Sheath,

the Mind Sheath,

the Intellect Sheath,

and the Bliss Sheath.

Kosha Panchakam – Five Layers 

Now we will see the five-fold personality layers. This Kosha Panchakam is the division of Shareera Trayam itself in another manner. The three bodies which we discussed in Shareera Trayam, the same three bodies are divided into five layers. 

Matter-based division is Shareera Trayam. This texture-based classification is Shareera Trayam. 

But the very same three are divided into five, based on functions. Functional division is Kosha Panchakam.

The physical body is termed Annamaya Kosha. 

Kaarana Shareeram is called Anandamaya Kosha and also has not got sub-divisions. 

The middle Shareeram, the Sookshma Shareeram alone is sub-divided into three Koshas known as: 

    - Pranamaya Kosha
    - Manomaya Kosha
    - Vijnanamaya Kosha 

Food layer (Anatomical system) 

Annamaya Kosha or the Sthoola Shareeram can be termed as our anatomical system. The anatomy of the body is called Annamaya Kosha. 

The structure of the body, the organs of the physical part, the limbs of the body is called Annamaya Kosha. It is so called because it is born out of and nourished out of the essence of Annam or food. 

Energy layer (Physiological system) 

This corresponds to the physiological system. This means the functions of the anatomy. Anatomy refers to the various parts of the body. Physiology deals with the functions. So Pranamaya Kosha refers to the functions. That is why at the time of death, the Sookshma Shareeram is supposed to leave the body, which means that three Koshas leave the body. These are: 

    - Pranamaya Kosha
    - Manomaya Kosha
    - Vijnanamaya Kosha 

The Pranamaya Kosha is otherwise called Kriya Shakti and consists of ten organs. Those ten organs are:

   - Pancha Pranaha : giving energy
   - Pancha Karma Indriyani : giving the tools. 

Hence Energy + Tools = Kriya Shakti

Mind layer (Psychological function) 

Can be termed as the psychological function. All the emotions, doubts is Manomaya Kosha or psychological personality or Iccha Shakti. Kriya Shakti is preceded by Iccha Shakti because desire alone prompts a person to action. Therefore, Manomaya Kosha pushes Pranamaya Kosha into action. This psychological personality otherwise called Manomaya Kosha consists of six organs. 

The six organs include: 

- Pancha Jnana Indriyani or Five sense organs of knowledge 

-  Mind or Manaha which includes Chittam and Ahankara 

The mind sheath controls the Prana. We observe a close correlation between the functioning of the mind and the Prana. 

When we are angry, the Pranic body is thrown out of gear. The body becomes hot, eyes become bloodshot, speech starts getting into disarray. On the other hand, if we do some slow breathing exercises before meditation we find that it helps us to concentrate better. 

The emotional component of the mind has a special link with the Prana. Not only anger as seen above, but any emotion affects the Pranas first. When we weep, it is the Pranic body that is reacting to the emotion and releasing some of the emotional energy. 

Intellect layer (Knowing personality) 

It is the cognitive personality or the knowing personality. While Manomaya Kosha corresponds to emotions or Iccha Shakti, this Vijnanamaya Kosha refers to knowing personality or Jnana Shaktihi – cognitive personality or judging personality or weighing personality. 

In other words, Vijnanamaya Kosha knows, Manomaya Kosha desires and Pranamaya Kosha acts. 

This also consists of six organs which are: 

- Pancha Jnana Indriyani or Five sense organs of knowledge

- Buddhi or intellect or rational faculty. 

This sheath controls the mind. It has the power to analyse thoughts, group them, notice certain patterns in them, apply logic to them, etc. Thoughts can get classified by the intellect, not just remain a random mass. Therefore intellectual analysis can greatly relieve one of unwanted emotions and fears. 

Bliss layer (Causal body / “The Unconscious”) 

This corresponds to Kaarana Shareeram. 

In Kaarana Shareeram or in Sushupti also, you do not feel any pain. These are the five layers of the personality which are called Kosha Panchakam. 

We have witnessed the causal body in the state of deep sleep. We did not have our mind available in that state, and so there was not much information about it. Now we take a glimpse of the causal body from the waking state. 

In the waking state three shades of joy are experienced:

i) Priya – the joy that comes on seeing or just thinking of the object of pleasure. 

ii) Moda – the more intense joy of actually possessing the object or being with it. 

iii) Pramoda – the most intense joy of being one with and actually enjoying it. 

This feeling of satisfaction and pleasure comes from the Ignorance which forms the causal body. It does not enlighten us, but instead pushes us into deeper darkness. 

It gives us a false feeling of joy which we immediately associate as coming from the sense objects being enjoyed. A strong memory of this experience is left behind. This memory makes us want that object again and again. The craving for it increases. So, in effect, the joy of sense pleasure pushes us into greater darkness. 

Where does this joy really come from? We are told that the Self is the only source of bliss, that bliss is its very nature. The bliss of the Self is reflected off Ignorance during moments when our mind is stilled – as during the moment we are enjoying sense pleasure, when the mind gets concentrated. 

Due to it coming to us from ignorance, we mistakenly believe it to be the result of the sense enjoyment. This is the fraud played on us by Avidya or ignorance at the individual level. 

The Anandamaya Kosha is like muddy water compared with the crystal clear fresh water of the Self. 

Love.