Koshas

The aim of the Yoga, Pranayama & Meditation Practices is to gain a thorough knowledge of the 3 bodies and the 5 sheaths. It is through this knowledge that the practitioner is able to gain control of the Prana or the vital force, in preparation for the advanced practices of Meditation.

The Prana is vibrating as the physical body on the gross level, the astral body on the subtle level and the causal body on the subtlest level.

Medical science can understand the functions of the physical body on the gross level, but is still at the stage of infancy in terms of understanding the astral and the causal bodies.

The ancient Yogis gained a thorough knowledge of these sheaths through deep meditation and were able to chart the nadis (energy channels or meridians) and record a comprehensive understanding of the flow of energy through these channels.

Through our practices we learn how to experience the flow of energy through these channels, preparing us for the subtler and higher practices of Yoga.

The outline below is a representation of the Prana (Energy) as it vibrates as the 3 bodies and the 5 Sheaths.

Physical body

Physical body is composed of five elements: earth, water, fire, air and ether. It contains the Food Sheath known as the Annamaya Kosha.

The food sheath is in the physical body and is composed of the elements of the physical world. It is made up of food and will go back into the elements when the body dies.

Astral Body

The Astral body contains the Vital, Mental and Intellectual Sheaths.

The Astral Body consists of 19 elements:

5 Pranas (Vital Energies)

5 Karma Indriyas (Organs of Action)

5 Jnana Indriyas (Organs of Knowledge)

4 Antakarana (Instruments of Mind, Sub Conscious Mind, Intellect and Ego)

The Vital Sheath experiences hunger and thirst and is composed of 

5 Pranas ( Vital Energies)

Prana (regulates breathing), Apana (elimination), Vyana ( all pervasive, regulates vital forces), Samana (digestion), Udana (upward flowing current). 

5Karma Indriyas (Organs of Action)

Mouth, hands, feet, anus & genitals

The Mental sheath performs functions of thinking, doubting, exhilaration, depression, anger, lust and delusion. It is composed of 

5  Jnana Indriyas (Organs of Knowledge) Sight, Sound, Smell, Touch and Taste

 

Mind 

Sub Conscious Mind 
Intellectual sheath performs functions of analyzing and decision making. It is composed of 
Intellect ( Buddhi) 
Ego ( Ahamkara)

Causal Body

Causal body contains the samskaras or subtle impressions of all the lives lived. The Causal/Soul Body is named "Causal" because it is the originating source of each personality that incarnates in each lifetime.

The Blissful sheath in the Causal Body experiences bliss, joy, calmness and peace.

The astral and causal body will leave the physical body at the time of death.

The Koshas

Anamaya kosha

Pranamaya kosha

Manomaya kosha the sheath of the mind

Jnanamaya kosha the sheath of the buddhi

Anandamaya kosha the sheath of bliss

They are called sheath, because they conceal the Self.

They are described as one inside the other, the physical being the outermost and the sheath of bliss the innermost.

The real meaning is that one sheath is finer than the other.

As a finer entity permeates a grosser one, so also a finer sheath permeates a grosser one.

This is important to realize, for it explains when it is said, that the sheath of the vital force is inside the gross physical sheath and means that the former is finer than the latter and therefore permeates it.

The Self is the finest substance. It is detached from the sheaths and permeates them all.

So the Self, the soul shines through all the sheaths in accordance with their density.

Through ignorance, man identifies the Self with one or more of the Sheaths. The seers describe the illusory nature of the various sheaths and urge us to see them for what they are. They tell us that only through detached discrimination can the true Self be revealed.

How do we discriminate?

The physical body consists of gross elements and depends on food for its existence. It lives as long as it can assimilate food.

It is not seen prior to birth or after death; its existence is transitory. It is changeable by nature. Therefore the body cannot be the Self.

The ignorant identify themselves with the body, the book-learned with the combination of ego, mind and body.

While the knower, the one that discriminates, regards the Self distinct from body, mind and ego.

As long as man does not give up his mistaken identity with the body, he cannot experience the bliss of the Self or soul.

Yet the body can be a help to the soul as long as it is seen as an instrument.

The prana sheath

It is finer than the gross physical sheath but impels the physical to action. It consists of 5 pranas, (prana upward, vital energy, apana, downward flowing, samana, carries nutrition to the body, vyana, pervades the entire body, udana, controls the intake of air and food) - enters the body after conception, leaves it at the hour of death, and produces the feeling of hunger and thirst. It cannot be the Self, the omnipresent and all seeing Witness.    

The sheath of the mind

It is finer that the sheath of the prana. The Self identified with the mind feels the diversity of ‘I’ and ‘you’. It also experiences the names and forms of the outer world.

The seed bed of desires, good and bad, the mind impels the senses to activity for their fulfillment.

The phenomenal world has no existence outside the mind, which is a product of ignorance.  

The mind agitated by desires becomes aware of sense objects gross and fine, enjoys them and becomes attached to them.

The purification of the mind  through discrimination and dispassion is the goal of spiritual discipline.

The mental sheath cannot be the Self for it is characterized by change.

The buddhi or sheath of the intellect

Buddhi, the discriminative faculty is like the mind a function of the inner organ and therefore a product or prakrity or matter. It appears intelligent and conscious because it reflects Chit or Pure Intelligence.

This reflection of Pure Consciousness in buddhi is called jiva, or individualized soul, whose chief characteristic when identified with matter becomes I – Consciousness.

Subject to the law of karma, it assumes different bodies, determined by the desire of previous births, and performs good and bad actions.

The Self or Atman identifying itself with the sheath is intelligence, experiences misery and happiness in the waking and dream states and their absence of dreamless sleep.

Through ignorance man superimposes the ego upon the Self and experiences bondage. This forms the delusion of the soul.

How then can there be liberation of the soul?

By true knowledge of the Self

The sheath of bliss

Is finer than the sheath of intelligence which still a modification of prakriti, it manifest itself by catching a reflection of the ever blissful Self, or Atman. The chief features are pleasure and rest such as one experiences in deep sleep.

The sheath of bliss even close to Atman cannot be Atman or the Self because it too is subject to change.

It must be understood, that the 5 sheath are all modifications of prakrity, or primordial matter.

They do not possess Absolute Reality.

It is the light of the Self that shines in varying measures through the different sheaths, according to their composition.

The true glory of the Self, unobstructed by any sheath can be fully realized by the aspirant when through discrimination and detachment, self control and meditation; he no longer identifies himself with any modification of maya, such as sense organs and mind, the buddhi or the ego, but is completely absorbed in the SELF.

It can be assumed that after the negation of the five sheaths, the mind and the mind and the ego as unreal, one finds nothing but the void, the absence of anything.

The question then arises, what entity remains by which the illumined soul realizes its identity?

The answer is that only after such negation can one realize the Self or Atman which is devoid of attributes, is of the nature of pure consciousness, and is the witness of the various modification of prakrity seen in the waking and dream state, such as the mind, the body and the senses or also in samadhi which can be called content less consciousness in which both subject and object merge and disappear.

The seers tell us, that it cannot be the void, for one emerging from the experience of Self Knowledge shows a richer and enhanced personality.

After the realization of this all-pervading consciousness, one discovers the true Self. Just as a river entering the ocean finds its real source and ultimate goal.