The evolution of man is the evolution of his consciousness.
Bg 3.38: As fire is covered by smoke, a mirror is covered by dust and the embryo is covered by the womb similarly the living entity (SOUL) is covered by different degrees of consciousness. (vedabase.com).
Consciousness is a symptom of the Soul. The Soul is reflecting to the outer world through our consciousness - meaning through our senses. Our soul is covered with layers of consciousness reflecting our inner development. There are 5 layers, shells or sheaths described as Panchkoshas covering our Soul. Each Kosha represents the level of our development or consciousness. Let's understand each Kosha in brief.
1. Annamaya Kosha: Anna means food: In this primitive stage of life, a person is living bodily concepts of life meaning Food & Fun are the only purposes of life. We try to live in either the Being Stage (simple lifestyle) or the Wellbeing stage (Sophisticated lifestyle, Consuming mentality) depending on our affordability...LOL. Everyone of us keeps upgrading our lifestyle depending on our bank balances...😂
2. Pranamaya Kosha: Prana means life: Besides food & fun, the next important thing is to protect or defend ourselves and increase our longevity. In ancient times, Yogis use to live healthier & longer by Pranayama & other Yogas. In the modern world, people are performing many kinds of exercises to keep themselves physically fit to live longer.
In short, Stage 1 & 2 are all about āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam—Eating-Sleeping-Mating-Defending. Bird, beast, insect or fish, everyone is busy behind survival & sense gratification: "Where is food? Where is shelter? Where is a mate? How to defend?" Man is also doing the same business but in sophisticated ways...LOL. 😂
Bg 14.8 — O son of Bharata, know that the mode of darkness, born of ignorance, is the delusion of all embodied living entities. The results of this mode are madness, indolence and sleep, which bind the conditioned soul.
3. Manomaya Kosha: Mana means mind: In this stage, a person is thinking beyond food, fun & longevity. Mind is the connection point between the lower and upper sheaths. In this stage of consciousness, we realize that Man has the most evolved & powerful mind. It is the mind which controls the urges and desires of the various sensory organs. One who controls the mind, controls everything; an uncontrolled mind is the greatest enemy of a living entity.
Bg 6.5 — One must deliver himself with the help of his mind, and not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.
Bg 6.6 — For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy.
4. Vigyanmaya Kosha: Vigyan means knowledge: The stage of Intellectual thinking and inquiring about spiritual knowledge. A Spiritual Journey begins with “Athato Brahma Jijnasa" is the 1st aphorism of Vedanta Sutra or Brahmā Sutra. It means that I have inquired & enjoyed enough of the worldly mundane subjects & object matters, but now it is time to inquire about Myself & the Absolute truth - the cause of all the causes. This is only possible in the human form of life. Various Questions that arise in our mind will help us to progress further. Examples include:
1. Who am I?
2. What is my origin?
3. Why I am happy or suffering?
4. Who is the creator of this universe?
5. What is the purpose of my life?
Bg:13-12:— Accepting the importance of self-realization; and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth ( God ) – all these I declare to be knowledge, and besides this whatever there may be is ignorance. ( Vedabase.com ).
5. Anandmaya Kosha: Anand means bliss: By nature we are pleasure seeking Souls. Throughout life, we are searching for joy and happiness in this world. By our own life experiences and observations of the world around us, we realize that material enjoyment is short lasting. There is no real happiness or inner satisfaction; it tastes like nectar in the beginning but like poison in the end...LOL. With further evolution of our consciousness by spiritual knowledge, associations of like minded people and by practicing Spiritual Yoga, we can experience inner satisfaction, fulfillment & everlasting joy or Bliss.
Bg 18.54 — One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. Vedabase.com
It is easy to say, but difficult to follow. I am in the same boat with everyone else, or I may even be behind, but thinking in the right direction will help us to go in the right direction.
Thank You.
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MY SPIRITUAL INSPIRATION , SOURCE & THE GURUS:
I am inspired to hear & read the Vedic Scriptures by regularly listening to Sri Pandurang Shashtri Athvale, also known as Dadaji ( speaks on Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Veda based discourses & western philosophy ) and the association of Swadhyay Parivar every Sunday in Swadhya Kendra.
I also hear and read the discourses & literature on Vedic thoughts from Srila Prabhupada, his disciples & grand disciples ( HH Bhakti Rasamitra Swami, HH Chaitanya Charandas Prabhu, Shubha Vilas Prabhu, Sutapa Das, Amarnath Dasa, HH Bhakticharu Swami, HH Urmila Devi Dasi, HH Sivarama Swami, HH Radhanath Swami, HH Romapada Swami, Lal Govind Prabhu ( Gujarati & Hindi) Prahalad Maharaj in Surat (Gujarati) .......and many more from ISKCON......).
FYI: A good source of Vedic literature: Vedabase.com . Srimad Bhagavad Gita is the essence & Srimad Bhagavatam (SB) is the nectar of all Vedic scriptures. Repeatedly hearing/reading & meditating the Scriptures, Eating Sanctified Pure Food and Chanting Vedic Mantras are nourishing to our heart (Soul), transcendental to our consciousness, purifying to our senses and thus helps us to overcome our weaknesses or deficiencies. Yes, we do have good qualities within us but there is always a room for improvement.
It is always a good idea to share our good thoughts & knowledge with others. Thanks to the Facebook & Social media for providing me the platform. Of course I use Smartphone & Google search to collect some data.
Besides my parents, wife, teachers, family & friends GREATFUL to EVERYONE WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED in MY LIFE. Hopefully my enthusiasm will continue by Grace of the Guru & God (Krishna , Absolute Truth).
NOTE:
Many times a word Hearing is used instead of Listening when it comes to the Scriptures. Because Scriptures are so potent that simply by Hearing them even if you don’t try to interpret or analyze or understand them still there will be passive positive effects on our mind & senses.
We can follow either the Quran, Bible,Torah, Tripitaka-Buddhism, Agama-Jainism, Guru Granth Sahib-Sikhism, Gita or any other Philosophy which makes sense to us, purifies us, elevates our consciousness and qualifies us to understand God and instill the love of God & his creation. (whichever way we can understand God — either Personal with many names or Impersonal as an universal consciousness & energy).
Don’t try to understand God by Name, Religion or Depiction (means image, picture...etc) but try to understand him by the Definition through Scriptures. The Transcendental subject of God & his creation cannot be understood by mental speculation. Some times people ask why God is Supreme? It is just like asking why is the circle circular? Just by definition, the circle is circular. Similarly by definition, God is unborn, complete, unlimited, infinite, eternal, the Absolute Truth the source of everything, cause of all causes.
I see God, besides the above mentioned qualities, as an eternal living person (not a abstract or some kind of light) known by the name KRISHNA meaning one who attracts everyone has also MANY other NAMES, forms, abodes, incarnations, activities, qualities, associates, is full of wisdom, bliss, and the cause of all causes.
Bg 9.17 — I am the father of this universe, the mother, the support and the grandsire. I am the object of knowledge, the purifier and the syllable oṁ. I am also the Ṛg, the Sāma and the Yajur Vedas.
Bg:13-12:— Accepting the importance of self-realization; and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth ( God ) – all these I declare to be knowledge, and besides this whatever there may be is ignorance. ( Vedabase.com ).
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