Bhagavan: Who says 5 koshas?

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>From Conscious Immortality

 

Occultism, theosophy and so on are circuitous routes to the same goal.

Ultimately their followers will arrive at the Self, though their

leaders do not teach the meditation on the Self. Meditation on the

Self is the quickest, most direct, and right route to realization. The

Upanishads declare, `That which sees not, hears not, thinks not, that

is the Infinite.' Those who listen for sounds or meditate on the

sound of Aum, are meditating on hearing something, when the Infinite

itself cannot be heard. It is the same with those occult groups which

are developing psychic visions, clairvoyance, chakra-centers etc.

They are trying to see forms, when the Reality is not to be seen. They

are making for the same goal, but they are wondering around to get

there. In vichara there is no attempt to see or hear the Real, but

only to realize it. The meditation on the Self is the straight, short

and direct path, which does not concern itself with planes and

degrees.

 

Just as in a school there are different classes, lower grades and

higher grades, so these occult, psychic and mantric systems represent

lower grades. The highest class in the school of life is that devoted

to vichara, enquiry into the true Self. This is practically the same

as jnana yoga. It is a matter of maturity.

 

The main object or central teaching of systems like the Vedas, is that

Brahman is real and that the world and all other things are unreal.

But all sorts of aspirants have to be appealed to the dull and sharp

alike. To enable to the dull to follow the the central teaching, a

graded cosmogony is given: Brahman begetting prakriti, followed by

mahat-tattvan and then the tanmatras, the world and the body in

succession.

To the sharp intelligence of other aspirants the vedas say that it is

by the clouding of the Self by avarana, or a covering of ignorance,

that this dream-like illusory or phenomenal world appears. In reality

the Self in not covered. It only appears to be covered to the eye of

those who believe that they are the body.

 

The theory of evolution, the philosophies of planes and degrees, the

systems of spirit descending into matter and evolving back, the idea

of the self developing towards perfection-all these things are for

spiritually uncultured, materially-minded people, but for the

advanced, these thoughts are discarded. The former keep the mind tied

to form and object, which are false from the highest standpoint.

Similarly, theosophy talks of evolving selves. How can that be? The

true Self is infinite, formless, beyond time and hence beyond

evolution, it cannot grow to perfection because is is already perfect,

free, boundless. But theosophy and such systems may be useful in the

beginning for those who think `I am the body.,' or `I am this person.'

Other minds do not need them.

 

Forms which interfere with the main current of meditation should not

be allowed to distract the mind. Bring your self back into the Self,

the witness, unconcerned with such distractions. This in the only way

to deal with such interruptions. Never forget yourself. Psychic and

occult teachings are kindergarten. They are half-truths. Realize the

whole Truth that you are free now, and be free!

 

The intellect is the astral body? In fact, without intellect no kosha

is cognized. Who says that there are five koshas?

 

There is no time sequence in true spiritual development. You are

spiritual here and now. Do not trap yourself in mental cages of planes

of existence, degrees of growth, state of being etc. Do not embrace

these false limitation. You are the spiritual Self. Be that.

 

Prakriti: Nature, the original source of the material world,

consisting of the three quaities, sattva, rajas ans tamas.

 

Mahat tattva: The projected light from Absolute Consciousness

manifesting as ego and developing as body and universe great soul.

 

Tanmatras: The subtle basic qualities of the five elements-form,

taste, smell, sound and touch.

 

Avarana: Covering; that which veils the real nature.

 

Koshas: Sheath enshrinin