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.

Tattva Bodha - Post 13

Tattva Viveka Kah?

Atma Satyam, tad Anyat Sarvam Mithya iti.

What is Enquiry into the Truth?

(The firm conviction) that the SELF is real and all other than that is unreal.

The Two Levels of Discrimination: 

Earlier when we were discussing Viveka, we were concerned with the discrimination between the permanent and the impermanent, or between the eternal and the ephemeral. 

That was the initial stage of the use of the intellect or Buddhi to come to an understanding of the defects of worldly life, so that the seeker may turn his attention away from it.

This definition is from the standpoint of one who is engrossed in worldly life. It is designed to lead him away from worldliness and begin the first steps in spirituality. It teaches the seeker to DETACH from the world. 

Now the seeker is being taught to take discrimination a big step further. 

Now the discrimination is between the Real and the unreal, between Sat and Mithya, or between the unchanging reality and the ever-changing apparent reality of this world. 

The mind is here being taken to a depth of analysis far beyond the earlier level of Viveka. 

This definition of discrimination is designed for the one who is already on the spiritual path and who needs to go further. It teaches the seeker to ATTACH himself to God. 

Jagat Mithya

MITHYA is used for that which has a “temporary existence” in the absence of knowledge. When knowledge dawns, then it is seen to be false. This category of existence is posited on the fact of our experience of this world.

This phenomenal appearance (Jagat) before us is only a relative reality, ever-changing, unstable, unreliable, never dependable, limited, subject to time and space, subject to decay and dissolution, having a beginning and an end. Characterized by these defects and shortcomings, everything here seen, perceived by the human individual consciousness, is but a mere temporary relative reality. 

And the individual soul that thinks of itself as the knower of this, or the seer of this, or the experiencer of this ever-changing phenomenal flux, which is called Samsara or the universe, is a non-entity or a mere illusion/Mithya.

All the waves we see in an ocean are the various objects in this creation which arise, grow, reach the peak, recede and perish at the end. 

And, the ocean itself is this creation, which appears to be real but on a careful observation, with a higher level of discrimination/Viveka, one does realize that ocean itself is not eternal. 

Then, what is the ultimate reality?

Brahma Sathyam

Imagine that I was in a dark room. There was no current at the time and so, except for a candle, I was in darkness. Immediately the truth flashed to me - "This darkness is not the reality." 

What exists is only brilliant sunshine scattering in all ten directions, pervading everywhere, prevailing always without change, without anything to bar or hamper it, filling everything with light, radiance, effulgence, brightness. That is the reality where everything is seen clearly; this darkness is only a temporary condition.  

As the earth rotates, the sun will rise and the whole place will be flooded with light. Even when I am lighting a candle and thinking 'I am in darkness', there is only light and light only. 

This darkness is a temporary superimposed condition due to certain limiting adjuncts. The light is the reality; this darkness is a passing unreality, a relative reality. The positive factor is the reality; the negative factor is a temporary mode or condition.

And what is that Truth? Anando brahmeti vyajanat (He knew bliss as Brahman). Those who have drunk this honey, this bliss, declared: “Sweetness, sweetness, sweetness, everything is sweetness, sweetness beyond description; all is beauty, auspiciousness, bliss.” 

And that is the reality that is everywhere present in all its fullness, always, always unchanging, without contradiction, successively borne out by the experience of all mystics, of all times - ancient, medieval and modern.

What a tremendous realization! What a tremendous realization that at this moment the bliss of Brahman pervades everywhere within and without! 

Therefore, this is a discipline. This is an exercise you must be engaged in: “This is nothing, it cannot come in my way, it has no power. It is Mithya, it is only a false appearance. I am living in the reality. Who can assail me?” 

Then each day will be a victory. Each day will be an ever-progressive liberation. They are not meant only for books or scholars or pundits or ultimate realization; they are meant for now also. 

Thus, in the wave and the ocean example, neither wave (the created objects) nor the ocean (the creation itself) are real. What is real is the water - The Brahman.

As shared earlier in a talk, this Brahman is the eternal, changeless and self-illumined Chaitanya.

Love.