According to yogic philosophy, there are 3 bodies and 5 sheaths in us.
The three bodies are: Physical Body, Astral Body or Subtle Body, and Causal Body
The physical body is visible to the eye. The subtle/astral body is the soul. The subtle body is invisible to the physical eye. The causal body is the veil that shields both the physical and astral bodies. The causal body is the body that reflects the "aura and holds divine connections with the universe."
The 5 sheaths are:
Food Sheath
Vital Energy Sheath
Mental Sheath
Supramental/ Wisdom Sheath
The Bliss Sheath
Let me take you to the first sheath today.
Food Sheath- In Sanskrit, this is known as Annamaya Kosha. Annam means nourishment. Kosha means sheath. This is the layer that provides us with energy from the food we consume and the exercises we do. It holds, supports, and shields the energy required for work, activity, reproduction, and survival actions. This sheath belongs to the physical body.
The physical body feels and experiences pleasure and pain. The physical body is the home of the soul. The physical body is the one that withers and passes away.
When the physical body is no longer able to continue working to ensure survival or reproduction, it leaves the body. The soul then seeks a new body. Death is for the body, not for the soul. Death is like leaving the old and unsuitable home to find a new home. When the soul finds a new body to fulfill its unfulfilled tasks, needs and desires and to seek atonement for past deeds, it's said to have reincarnated.
When a house is on fire, the owner of the house will run out of his house if he cannot put out the fire. Similarly, when the physical body dies, the soul (owner) moves out when the body(home) is no longer able to accommodate the owner.
That’s it for today.
In the next article, I'll be covering mental sheath.
I divide my articles into simpler parts so that it's easier for you to read, enjoy and digest the knowledge.
I'll end today with a short Zen story of an enlightened sage Bodhidharma. I believe this story will serve as a good mental warm-up before reading the next article about the mental sheath.
Story: The Uneasy Mind
Bodhidharma, an enlightened sage, went to China, and the emperor of China went to see him. And the emperor said to Bodhidharma, “My mind is very uneasy, very disturbed. You are a great sage, and I have been waiting for you. Tell me what I should do to put my mind at peace.”
Bodhidharma said, “You don’t do anything. First you bring your mind to me.” The emperor could not follow he said, “What do you mean?” He said, “Come in the morning at four o’clock when nobody is there. Come alone, and remember to bring your mind with you.”
The emperor couldn’t sleep the whole night. Many times he cancelled the whole idea: “This man seems to be mad. What does he mean, ‘Come with your mind; don’t forget?’ ” The man was so enchanting, so charismatic that he couldn’t cancel the appointment. As if a magnet was pulling him, at four o’clock he jumped out of the bed and said, “Whatsoever happens, I must go. This man may have something; his eyes say that he has something. Looks a little crazy, but still I must go and see what can happen.”
So he reached, and Bodhidharma was sitting with his big staff. He said, “So you have come? Where is your mind? Have you brought it or not?”
The emperor said, “You talk nonsense. When I am here my mind is here, and it is not something which I can forget somewhere. It is in me.” So Bodhidharma said, “Okay. So the first thing is decided — that the mind is within you.” The emperor said, “Okay, the mind is within me.” Bodhidharma said, “Now close your eyes and find out where it is. And if you can find out where it is, immediately indicate to me. I will put it at peace.”
So the emperor closed his eyes, tried and tried, looked and looked. The more he looked, the more he became aware there is no mind, mind is an activity. It is not something there so you can pinpoint it. But the moment he realized that it is not something, then the absurdity of his quest became exposed to himself. If it is not something, nothing can be done about it. If it is an activity, then don’t do the activity; that’s all. If it is like walking, don’t walk.
He opened his eyes. He bowed down to Bodhidharma and said, “There is no mind to be found.” Bodhidharma said, “Then I have put it at peace. And whenever you feel that you are uneasy, just look within, where that uneasiness is.” The very look is anti-mind, because look is not a thinking. And if you look intensely your whole energy becomes a look, and the same energy becomes movement and thinking.
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Sending love and light to everyone.
Informative article Dharan 🙏