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2. What is the vital air sheath?
प्राणमयः कः ?
प्राणाद्याः पञ्चवायवः वागादीन्द्रियपञ्चकं प्राणमयः कोशः ।
prāṇamayaḥ kaḥ ?
prāṇādyāḥ pañcavāyavaḥ vāgādīndriyapañcakaṃ prāṇamayaḥ kośaḥ.
The five physiological functions like prāṇa, etc., and the five organs of action like speech etc., together form the vital air sheath.
Characteristics of the vital air sheath
- It is subtler than the food sheath, it is a modification of air, and is like our energy field
- It encompasses the physiological functions (e.g. breathing) and faculties of action (e.g. movement)
- When the ego identifies with the energy field it thinks I am active, I am hungry, I am thirsty etc.
- Some people think that is the Self, because prāṇas are present in all three states
- It cannot be the Self because it they are inert, they are an object of experience
3. What is the mental sheath?
मनोमयः कोशः कः ?
मनश्च ज्ञानेन्द्रियपञ्चकं मिलित्वा यो भवति स मनोमयः कोशः ।
manomayaḥ kośaḥ kaḥ ?
manaśca jñānendriyapañcakaṃ militvā yo bhavati sa manomayaḥ kośaḥ .
The mind and the five sense organs of perception together form the mental sheath.
4. What is the intellectual sheath?
विज्ञानमयः कः ?
बुद्धिज्ञानेन्द्रियपञ्चकं मिलित्वा यो भवति स विज्ञानमयः कोशः
vijñānamayaḥ kaḥ ?
buddhijñānendriyapañcakaṃ militvā yo bhavati sa vijñānamayaḥ kośaḥ
The intellect and the five sense organs of perception together is the intellectual sheath.
Characteristics of the mental and intellectual sheaths
- Both these sheaths collectively are called the inner instrument (antaḥkaraṇa) but are treated differently depending on their functions
- Mind collates all the information from various sense organs and cognizes the whole picture
- The intellect takes the information and makes a judgment or decision based on the input from the mind
- The intellect then conveys this decision through the mind to the organs of action
- The mind generates also doubts, e.g. should I stay or should I go, and the intellect makes a decision and ends the fluctuation of doubt
- The mind operates in the realm of the known, while the intellect can operate in the realm of the unknown and generate new ideas
- The mind is the seat of emotion, while the intellect is the seat of objective thinking
- Agitation in the mind can impact the vital air sheath, since it governs the vital air sheath, being subtler than it
Importance of these sheaths
- All knowledge happens in the intellectual sheath, so the seeker should make the intellectual subtle and sharp so that it can grasp the knowledge of Self
- Both the intellect and the mind are not the Self. We are aware of our emotional and rational thoughts. Since we are aware of these thoughts, these cannot be the Self
- The mind keeps changing from one thought to another e.g sadness, happiness, convictions, but I am able to witness these changes, therefore the Self is different from the mind
5. What is the bliss sheath?
आनन्दमयः कः ?
एवमेव कारणशरीरभूताविद्यास्थमलिनसत्त्वं
प्रियादिवृत्तिसहितं सत् आनन्दमयः कोशः ।
एतत्कोशपञ्चकम् ।
ānandamayaḥ kaḥ ?
evameva kāraṇa śarīra bhūtāvidyāstha malina sattvaṃ
priyādivṛttisahitaṃ sat ānandamayaḥ kośaḥ .
etatkośapañcakam .
What is Ānandamaya kośaḥ? Established in ignorance, which is of the form of the causal body, of impure nature, united with thoughts like priya etc., is the bliss sheath.
These are the five sheaths.
Characteristics of the bliss sheath
- This ignorance makes us do what we do, it directs our intellect to think the way we think
- Our ignorance makes us feel incomplete, therefore we need something external to be happy, making us desire external objects and performing actions to seek happiness
- We are unaware of the Self, even though It is shining, since It is as though covered by this sheath
- There are three degrees of intensity of this sheath: When we see an object of our liking: priya, when we hold the object: moda, when we experience the object: pramoda
- When pramoda happens, the bliss is so subtle that we forget ourselves, but this bliss is not coming from the object. The mind becomes quiet, and at this time, the bliss of the Self is reflected in our mind
- This ignorance of linking the happiness to external objects, instead of the Self, is the reason why the bliss is called the bliss of ignorance, similar to the bliss of deep sleep
- The object cannot contain bliss, since everyone does not find bliss in that specific object
Importance of the bliss sheath
- The bliss sheath cannot be the Self because it is made of ignorance and it has gradations
- It is a limited experience, which is finite, and therefore cannot be Self