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Contributed By Dr T Hegde
Chariot as the body
Horses as the sense organs
Reins as the mind
Charioteer as the intellect
Road as the sense objects
Destination shreyas freedom, preyas bondage
Jeeva atma, the individual is the traveler.
Qualifications Required
1.Vivekaha – discrimination
2.Vairāgyam – dispassion
3.Shatka Sampattihi – discipline
4.Mumukshutvam - desire
•Om Asato Maa Sad-Gamaya
•Om Puurnnam-Adah
•Annapoorne Sadaa-Poorne
ShariraTrayam – AvastaTrayam – Kosha Panchakam
ShariraTrayam
(three shariras or three bodies)
Contributed By Dr Sanjay Mehrotra
What is Vedantic Knowledge & why do we need such a knowledge?
Human nature is curiosity, Natural curiosity –JignyasaPravriti!
What is this creation?
How did this creation start?
Is there a creator of the Universe?
Is there a God? If there is God, where is he?
Why did god create this world?
When did life start?
What will happen to me after my death?
Tattva Bodha means knowledge of Reality
There are two aims of Tattva Bodha
1. To provide self knowledge
2. To introduce the terminology which is used in studying the Vedanta
What is ATMA?
What is ANATMA?
Today we describe the Anatma part and later the Atma part - which is the main subject of Vedanta!
Description from Gross to Subtle and later Subtlest – Anatma to Atma
Our body is divided into various parts – we doctors study those in various parts / organs to understand it.
Shastras also divide the Anatma part of the body into 3 parts:
1.Shariratrayam – which has 3 divisions
2.Kosa Panchakam - which has 5 components
3.Avasthatrayam – which has 3 parts
Here I shall explain the Shariratrayam.
Shariratryam Gross body or sthulashariram is part of a description called Shariratrayam which means three-fold body of a human being:
Sthulashariram – Gross body
Sukshmashariram - Subtle body
Karanashariram - Causal body
What makes this sthulashariram?
The Gross body is made of five elements
•Akasha or space
•Vayu or air
•Agni or fire
•Jalam or water
•Prithvi or earth
This is Called as Sthula Pancha Butani also called as Bhautika sariram and is tangible to our senses – Indriyagocharam
What is the function of the body? 3rd attribute
Function is to carry the atma – this combination is called as Jivatma – which goes through the experiences and these can be - Sukha / Dukha, happiness/unhappiness - Mix of biological, chemical and physical effects created in the Mind Body complex.
Coming to the 4th attribute: Nature of the sthulashariram –
The gross body is only a temporary abode for an individual- it can be compared to a house on lease!
This body is subject to continuous change – these modifications are of six types - shadvikarah
•Asti – Potential existence in the womb of mother
•Jayate - Is born after it comes out in the world
•Vardhate - Grows up a certain age
•Viparanimate - Stays in one shape up-to a certain age.
•Apakshiyate - Decays and disintegrates
•Vinashyati – Perishes or dies, decays and merges into the panchabhutani
This is called as the physical body – etat sthulashariram
WHAT IS SUKSHMA SHARIRAM?
•Why do we call it subtle ? Because it is not perceptible to sense organs of others. Indriya- agocharam.
•Example – Mind ( where is our mind located?) Is the mind perceptible to me – yes ! Is the mind perceptible to others – No !!
One more aspect is added in this subtle body which is Karma phala – Papa and Punya.
•Sukshmashariram - goes through experiences, creates memories, like and dislikes, happiness and unhappiness – reacts accordingly to world around – gives identity to a person.
•This Sukshmashariram has total of 17+ 2 components – 5 Sense organs – Gyanendriyas
5 Organs for action – Karmyendriyas
5 Types Subtle energies – Pranas
+ Intellect ( Buddhi)
+ Manah ( Doubting faculty )
Some add 2 more – Ahankara + Chitta - makes a total of 19
What happens to body after death?
•Gross body goes through modification – described in the Shadvikaras – Apaksheeyate & Vinashyati – goes to the level of Gross elements
•What happens to the Sukshma shariram ?– It is long lasting – it travels many lives – finds another body and goes through the same process of Karta – Bhokta –creates Papa & Punya
• Kathopnishad describes as Rtam Pibante Sukratasya loke – verse 1/3
Goes through Punarapin jananam punarapi maranam!
What is Karana Sharira / Causal Body?
•The seed form of both Gross body & Subtle body is Karana sharira
It is ever lasting!
What is Bing Bang ? – Creation of the universe according to science where the matter manifests and here both forms get separated.
Modern science has started understanding this by saying the Platonic values are imbedded in the universe.
What is before creation and after destruction of the universe ? – Pralayam – In scientific language – Singularity – That is nothing ness – no mind, no object, no knowledge – gross and subtle is in seed form.
Karana Shareeram Kim?= What is Causal Body?
1.Anirvachya = mithya
2.Anadi = beginning less
3.Avidya rupam = avidya rupam
4.Shareera dvayasya karana matram = only the reason for other 2 bodies
5.Sat Swaroopa Ajnanam = ignorance of real nature of everything
6.Nirvikalpaka rupam = undifferentiated form
yad asti= tad karana shareeram
which exists as this= that is the karana shareeram
AvasthāTrayam Three States of experience
Contributed By Dr Kiran M
Introduction -AvasthāTrayam
•Knowing the Self is the greatest study one can embark upon.
•It essentially involves relation of I, with world and GOD.
•We can classify into atma and anatma.
•We will start with anatma - easy and tangible to understand.
•It deals world we see and experience.
•It can further be divided into – Microworld- Vyshti and Macroworld – samashti
The Micro world or I is also not a single entity as we have studied. It involves
1.Five sense organs
2.Five organs of action
3.Five pranas- respiration etc
4.Mind, intellect, memory and ego
The above entity experiences is called Avastha, state
It is in three states - trayam
Three states of experience.
1.Jagrad-avastha, the waking state
2.Svapna-avastha, the dreaming state
3.Susupti-avastha, the sleeping state
Simple example is water which is in liquid, Ice and vapour states. Each are different from each other but same water molecule runs thru all three states
Mind plays important role
We will study under
1.The condition of the mind in each state of experience
2. The nature of the experience
3. The dominant medium
JāgratAvasthā Waking State
•In the waking state, the mind or the inner organ is fully functional. All faculties are functioning – the emotional, rational, thinking, ego and memory.
Self identifies with physical body (Sthula Sharira)
Nature
•We experience a world which is external to us, our body-mind complex. it is a concrete tangible world
•It is available for all other people also. is an objective experience. Consistent and continuous
•This experience is sense-organ based
Dream or swapna
•Self identifies with mind only, but no physical body is required
•Memory faculty alone is functioning.
•Like a VCP, to replay various combinations from memory
•No new experience is possible
•Full fledged, but internal- others can’t see
Dream world
•Not always Rational
•How much we like to believe - we will never have dream of a thing which we have never experienced.
•Suppressed Vasanas or imprints spring up in dream often - sometimes even memories from previous janma can spring up
•Non continuous and inconsistent
Deep sleep
•No dreams. Also, occurs as part of sleep cycle.
•Here self identifies with Causal body or Karana Sharira
•In this state – I know Nothing - No external experiences, no memory – BLISSFUL IGNORANCE.
•No experiences- but Small amount of ego runs through
•So when woken up – I Say “I SLEPT WELL”
PHALAM
•Self runs through all experiences like thread in garland
•Even in waking state there is many layers like emotions anger, sad, joy etc
•Spiritual exercise is to recognise these are part and not I
So the four adjectives to be remembered are:
•External,
•Concrete,
•Objective and
•Sense Organ- based
•This experience involves both ways of transaction.
• The transaction involves receiving experience and it involves responding to the world.
•I function both as a Bhokta as well as a Kartā – receiver and contributor.
Svapna or Dream
•Memory faculty alone is functioning.
•Chittam. Ardha Vikāsaha.
•We experience a world which is internal.
•Vasana Māyā Prapanchaha.
•This is a subjective universe.
•Sukshma Sharīram
Deep Sleep StateWhat is Sushupthi Avashta? Aham Kimapi na jaanaami
Sukkhaenamaya Kaarana Sareera
Kosha Panchakam Five Layers
Contributed By Dr Ravishankar
Annamaya Kosha
•Anatomical system
•Structure of body
•Born, nourished, merges with essence of Annam - Food
Pranamaya Kosha
•Physiological(Functional)
•Energy layer
•Kriya Shakti= Pancha Prana +
•Pancha Karmendriya
•Pranamaya+Manomaya+Vijnanamaya Kosha Leave the Annamaya kosha at time of death
Manomaya Kosha
•Mind (Psychological)
•Emotions, Doubts
•Psychological Personality
•Iccha Shakti = Pancha Jnana indriya + Mind (Chitta + Ahankara)
Vijnanamaya Kosha
•Intellect layer (Knowing Personality)
•Cognitive
•Judging / Weighing
•Jnana Shakti = Pancha Jnana indriya + Buddhi (Chitta + Ahankara)
Vijnanamaya kosha KNOWS
Manomaya Kosha DESIRES
Pranamaya Kosha ACTS
Annamaya Kosha PERFORMS
•Thinking function = Buddhi
•Emotional function = Manas
•Memory function = Chitta
Anandamaya Kosha
•Unconscious personality (Dormant)
•Expressed at different kaala and deshah
•Unknown = Blissfully Ignorant
•Karana Sharira
Avastha vs Sharira
Jagrat avastha - Sthoola sharira pradhana
Swapna avastha - Sukshma sharira pradhana
Sushupti avastha - Karana sharira pradhana
Sharira vs Kosha
Sthoola Sharira - Annamaya Kosha
Sukshma Sharira - Pranamaya + Manomaya + Vijnanamaya Kosha
Karana Sharira - Anandamaya Kosha
Tattvabodha Verse 38
•My body
•My vital breath
•My mind
•My intellect
•My ignorance
•Cannot be the SELF
•Ornaments worn are different from oneself
In conclusion
Manobudhy ahankar chittani naaham
Chidanandaroopah Sivoham Sivoham
Om Puurnnam-Adah Puurnnam-IdamPuurnnaat-Purnnam-Udacyate
PuurnnasyaPuurnnam-AadaayaPuurnnam-Eva-Avashissyate ||
Om ShaantihShaantihShaantih ||