Tattva Bodha - Post 16

SUBTLE BODY

(Continued…)

Pancha Karma Indriyani — Five Organs of Action 

These are five sense organs of action. So one is meant for input and receiving the stimuli (the previous one) and one is meant for output or expressing our responses (this one). 

- Organ of speech – Vag Indriyam. Verbal response.

- Organ of Hands – Pani by which we do varieties of action.

- Organ of Legs – Pada by which we move from place to place.  Organs of locomotion. 

- Organ of evacuation - Payuhu – wastage removing organs. 

- Organ of Procreation - Upastham – organ of reproduction because of which alone the species continues as a lineage. 

Pancha Pranaha – Five-fold Energy functions 

The five fold Pranaha. The energy generating system or fuel-converting system. If you have to keep on acting, we have to generate energy constantly. We have Prana Shakti behind the organs of action. Prana Shakti lends energy. There are five-fold Pranas well known as: 

- Respiratory system - Prana – Inhalation and exhalation which alone has to absorb the Prana Shakti or oxygen. Then the Carbon dioxide has to go out, oxygen has to go to lungs, blood has to absorb and it has to be circulated. 

- Evacuating system – Apana – Energy behind functioning of the evacuation system or waste removal. Any form of removal of waste can be called Apāna. 

- Circulatory system - Vyana – Oxygen has to be circulated, the nutrition that is generated in the stomach has to be carried to all parts of the body. 

- Digestive system - Samanaha – This converts various eaten food into various nutrients – carbohydrates, proteins, fats, salts, minerals etc. 

- Reversing system - Udanaha – This operates at the time of death generally when all the processes are reversed because it is time for dying. 

They are the life-giving ones and function behind the Karma Indriyas giving energy to the Karma Indriyas. 

That is why on a fasting, no Karma Indriyam will function properly because you are weakened and hence you cannot walk properly, talk properly etc. 

That is why we chant the prayer 

Om Pranaya Svaha Om Apanaya Svaha Om Vyanaya Svaha Om Udanāya Svaha Om Samanaya Svaha

Chatvari Antaha Karanani – Four-fold Internal Organs 

These are four-fold internal organs. 

Manaha or Mind : Stands for all forms of emotional faculty. Roughly can be translated as the emotional faculty and also the doubting faculty. Sankalpa Vikalpatmakam Manaha – should I do this or should I do that? To be or not to be. 

Buddhihi or Intellect : Rational faculty or the discriminating faculty or the knowing faculty or the weighing faculty or Reasoning Faculty. 

Chittam or Memory : To receive or to record our experiences in our mind. This records all the five of Shabda, Sparsha, Rupa, Rasa and Gandha. 

According to Shastra, we can remember not only the past of this life but the past of our past lives as well. 

Without knowing the details sometimes, we feel that something is already known. A musical prodigy feels that he knows the music already, a spiritual prodigy feels, he knows the scriptures before. 

Ahankara or Ego : the faculty of self-reference. Reflexive faculty which is well developed in a human being. 

Aham Karanam Ahankara – that which refers to myself is called Ahankara. 

Function

The function is transactions. All forms of transactions are done by the Sookshma Shareeram with the help of these 19 instruments. Some instruments are meant for input and some instruments are meant for output and some for both (for example - mouth).

Change

This is also subject to change. So they improve and sometimes weaken. Eyes become poor, memory fails, intellect is dull. So change is one feature and the next feature is visibility.

Visibility

Sookshma Shareeram is evident and recognizable only for oneself and it is not available for others. What is my mind, I know, what are my feelings I know, but you are not able to see my mind or know my feelings or my memory. Because it is available only for me and not for others, it is called subtle body – not concrete like gross body. 

The indweller relates through the Indriyas 

Observe the ten senses during daily life: What the ten doors have in common, is that they are all doors. By observing these ten in daily life through meditation in action, or mindfulness, we become increasingly aware of the indweller. We see more and more clearly how the indweller relates to the external world through the means of these ten instruments.

 

"Who I really am is independent of my actions and senses".

"I" am independent of actions and senses: As we come to see that the actions and senses are only instruments (though very good at their jobs), we increasingly see that "Who I am is independent of my actions and sensory input and fulfillment". It does not mean that we do not enjoy life, and its actions and sensory experiences. Rather, these are enjoyed more fully, in a spirit of wisdom, freedom, and non-attachment. 

When we see through direct experience of observation how the ten senses are doors serving the indweller, we increasingly become aware of the true nature of that indweller.

   

Manas and the Ten Senses 

The ten senses are like employees: The ten senses are like the employees in the factory of life, and they receive their instructions from manas, one of the four functions of the mind. 

  

This is an important part of the practice of meditation in action and witnessing our inner process. Being able to see that this is how the actions and senses operate helps a great deal with the cultivation of non-attachment, vairagya. 

Beyond the fact that manas  is giving instructions to the ten senses, is the very important question of whether manas  is acting out of unconscious habits (stored in chitta) or the wisdom of  buddhi. 

Withdrawing the senses and sitting still at meditation time naturally come much more easily as a result of an ongoing mindfulness of the ten senses. 

Love.

Tattva Bodha - Post 15

Sookshma shareeram kim?

Apanchi krita pancha-maha bhootaih kritam; satkarma janyam;

 sukha duhkha aadi bhoga saadhanam;

pancha jnaana indriyaani; pancha karma indriyaani; pancha praana aadayah;

manah cha ekam; buddhih cha ekaa;

evam sapta-dasha kalaabhih, saha yat tishthati,tat sookshma shareeram.

 What is the Subtle Body?

That which is composed of the 5 great elements which have not undergone grossification; 

born of the good actions of the past;

 for experiences such as joy, sorrow etc. – the instrument to experience these;

the five sense organs; the five organs of action; the five Pranas; 

the one mind; the one intellect;

 in this way, constituted of these seventeen items together – these make up the Subtle Body.

Sookshma Shareeram – Subtle Body 

The second body is called Sookshma Shareeram or subtle body. This also has four factors which we have to see. 

Material

Scriptures point out that the subtle body is born out of subtle matter which consists of subtle five elements. Just as there are gross five elements, there are subtle five elements called Sookshma Bhutani: 

       - Subtle Space 

       - Subtle Air

       - Subtle Fire

       - Subtle Water 

       - Subtle Earth

In general made out of subtle matter and subtle body is also called Bhoutika Shareeram. It is material body and material in nature. 

Components

Scriptures point out that the subtle body has got nineteen components. Each one being one instrument of transaction. Because gross body is only the office, but we require instruments for transaction and we have nineteen instruments: 

Pancha Jnāna Indriyāni – Five Sense Organs 

These are the five sense organs of knowledge, because all transactions pre suppose knowledge. 

- Eyes: meant to gather the knowledge of colors & forms.

    (Rupa Grahaka Chakshur Indriyam) 

-  Ears: meant to gather the knowledge of the sounds.

   (Shabda Grahaka Shrotra Indriyam)

-  Nose: meant to gather the knowledge of all forms of smell.

   (Gandha Grahaka Ghrana Indriyam)

-  Tongue: meant to gather the knowledge of all forms of taste. 

   (Rasa Grahaka Rasana Indriyam)

-  Skin: meant to gather the knowledge of all form varieties of touch.

   (Sparsha Grahaka Tuvag Indriyam)

These are the five Jnana Indriyas

When we refer to the Jnāna Indriyani or sense organs, we don’t refer to the physical part which belongs to the physical body. But we actually refer to the subtle power of perception. 

The eyeball belongs to the physical body but the eye organ belongs to the subtle body. Similarly the ear lobe belongs to the gross body but the power of hearing – the Shravana Shakti – belongs to the subtle body. 

Getting beyond the Jnana Indriyas in meditation.

 

Be aware not only of the object you are experiencing, but more importantly, the senses with which you are experiencing.

Witnessing the cognitive senses: The section above described the witnessing of the active senses. In a similar way, you can also practice witnessing the cognitive senses. 

The ability to smell: The awareness of the sense of smell automatically draws your attention to the nose from where you smell, from the physical perspective. You are not trying to smell anything in particular, but rather, be aware of the sense of smell itself. You become aware of the ability to smell, and then you set aside that ability. 

The ability to taste: The sense of taste automatically draws your attention to the mouth, where the physical taste buds are located. It is not just that you are trying to taste something in particular, though that might happen. Rather, it is awareness of the sense of taste itself. You become aware of the ability to taste, and then you set aside that ability. 

The ability to see: Awareness of the sense of sight draws your attention to the eyes. Here, you are not trying to be aware of objects that you might see with the eye, even the inner eye, but rather, you are being aware of the seeing ability itself. You become aware of the ability to see, and then you set aside that ability.  

The ability to touch: When you become aware of the sense of touch, that cognitive sense automatically draws your attention to some part of the skin, where the sensory nerves are located. It is not a question of what object you might be feeling, but of the sense of touch itself. You become aware of the ability to feel with touch, and then you set aside that ability. 

The ability to hear: The sense of hearing automatically draws your attention to the ears, where the complex physical structure of hearing is located. As you become aware of hearing itself, rather than listening to specific external sounds, you will also become aware of the inner sounds, though trying here to be aware of the hearing process itself. You become aware of the ability to hear, and then you set aside that ability. 

First the senses; then move inward: By being aware of each of the five cognitive senses, jnanendriyas, one at a time, and that you are temporarily ceasing to use those abilities for now, attention will naturally move inward, in the direction of deeper meditation.

Continued...

Love.

Tattva Bodha - Post 14

Atma kaha?

Sthoola Sukshma Karana Shareerad vyathirikthaha Pancha kosha ateethah

Avastha  traya saakshi Sat Chit Ananda Swaroopaha San

Yah tishtati Sa Atma

What is SELF?

 That which is other than Gross, Subtle and Causal  Bodies, which is beyond the five Koshas / Sheaths and which is of the nature of Sat-Chit-Ananda, Existence-Consciousness-Bliss absolute, is Atman.

Dear Readers,

Is it not exactly what we covered in a talk on “Sat-Chit”? At that time, even the intuition/thought to take up Tattva Bodha as next theme was not there.

We will take up each part one by one now.

            

Sthoola shareeram kim?  

What is the Gross Body? 

Panchi-krita pancha-mahaa bhootaih kritam, satkarma janyam;

That which is made up of the 5 great elements that have undergone the process of Grossification;  born as a result of good actions of the past; 

Sukha duhkha-aadi, bhoga ayatanam shareeram;

For experiences such as joy, sorrow, etc. – The counter to experience these;               

Asti, jaayate, vardhate, viparee-namate, apaksheeyate, vinashyati

To exist, be born, to grow, to mature, to decay and to die 

Iti shad vikaaravat, etat sthoola shareeram.

Subject to these six modifications, this is the Gross Body. 

STHOOLA SHAREERAM – GROSS BODY 

Let us first take up the Sthoola Shareeram and we will go in the order of four factors – the material, the components, the function and the nature. 

Material 

What is the material out of which the Sthoola Shareeram is made? 

The Shāstras point out and we also know that the gross body is made out of gross matter which is in the form of the five gross elements. In the scriptures, matter is divided into five elements basically:  

    

     - Ākāshaha or Space 

     - Vāyu or Air
     - Agni or Fire

     - Jalam or Water 

     - Prithivi or the Earth 

So the gross body or Sthoola Shareeram is made up of gross matter in the form of gross five elements. In Sanskrit the gross five elements are called Sthoola Pancha Bhūtāni. 

And this is easily proved by our experience because the body has Earth, it has solid stuff. Body has got plenty of Water which alone gives shape, body has Agni in the form of temperature 98.7 ⁰C, body has got Vāyu in the form of life-breath and body has got Ākāshaha or space occupied by the body. 

So gross matter is the material out of which the body is made.

In brief, they are born from the Tanmatras or subtle elements, after they have undergone the grossification process called Panchi Karana, which is described in a later chapter. 

Function 

The body is regarded as the physical equipment we come with to work out our Karma. Therefore, it is called the counter for the exchange of experiences encountered in this world. These experiences enable us to reap the fruits of our Karma, good or bad, Paapa or Punya, joys or sorrows. 

Thus, the efficient cause of this body is one’s Prarabdha Karma, that is, that portion of our entire bundle of past Karma over many lives, which has been released for working out in this life-time. This Karma determines our body form, beauty, deformity, race, family circumstances, and so on. 

(Karma is a detailed theory and several posts under a separate theme has been dealt in this blog on Karma)

Shat Vikarāhā – Six Conditions 

1) Asti - The first condition is the potential existence in the womb of the mother. A baby is there inside. 

2) Jāyate - This is the next change – or birth. 

3) Vardhate - Once the body is born, it starts growing. 

4) Vipareenamate - After the body has become an adult body, remaining an adult, it undergoes various modifications. To visualize as a graph, the graph initially goes upwards and thereafter it is the same. 

5) Apaksheeyate - Decay or ageing, growing old. 

6) Nāshaha or Maranam - Death of the body after which we cannot keep the body for long time. 

No Human body, even the body of an Incarnation, can escape the above 6 stages.  Human being, once he reaches the third stage, thinks that he/she is going to be permanently in that stage, with all the beauty, all the charm, all the youth and all the vigor. 

When their body moves to the next stage and the body starts experiencing disease and decay, the foolish faith that the body will remain in the earlier stage is shaken up and then, fear and insecurity grips in!!

(O Mankind! All, for this body which is sure to go through these 6 changes and ultimately die? 

Why don't you take up Atma Vichara, Self enquiry, instead of paying attention to this body and senses?)

Love.