Pancha Koshas According to Vedanta under which lies the illuminating Self

March 8, 2010

Hierarchy of needs By Abraham Maslow, American PsychologistAbraham Maslow, American Psychologist, the Propounder of " Self Actualization " in his paper " Hierarchy of needs " on Human Motivation has included his observation on Humans innate curiosity and needs.

Maslow puts it this way, every human has this Hierarchy of needs in the process where one is Self Actualized or in our terms Self Realisation:Physiological needsÂ - These are the most basic human needs which are important for sustenance like food, water, warmth, shelter, sleep etc. Maslow argued that unless physiological needs are satisfied to a degree, no other motivating factor can work.

Safety or Security needsÂ - These are needs to be free of physical danger and emotional harm like the fear of losing a job, property, food or shelter. It relates to security, protection and stability in the personal events of everyday life.

Social NeedsÂ - These are needs for love, affection and belongingness and social acceptance.People are social beings and try to satisfy their needs for acceptance and friendship.

EsteemÂ - Once people's social needs are satisfied, they look for esteem (reputation). This need produces such satisfaction as power, prestige status and self confidence. It includes both internal esteem factors like self-respect, autonomy, achievements and external esteem factors such as recognition and attention as well as personal sense of competence. (Source)

Self actualizationÂ - This need is the drive to become what one is capable of becoming. It's the need to grow and use abilities to the fullest potential. It includes growth and self-fulfillment by achieving one's potential to accomplish something

Similarly,Â The Pancha Koshas can be roughly understood as the 5 Needs of Humans, The 'Sheath' or 'Koshas' are actually called 'cells' in Human Body, Psychologically we can take it as our Physiological needs. The Sheath or the invisible layers of our body needs to be nourished systematically.Â

The Pancha Koshas or the 5 Sheath's are:Annamaya Kosha - Physiological needs (Food Nourishment)Praanamaya Kosha - Safety or Security needs - (Energy)

Manomaya Kosha - Social Needs - (Emotions)Vijnanamaya Kosha - Esteem (Ego)Anandamaya Kosha - Self actualization (Brahman)Being born as a Human being, the most primordial and basic need to to keep it going is to fuel it.Â therefore every human begins his journey into eternity from the Anna Maya Kosha or the Food Sheath.Â Here the Human primarily needs Food and Water for survival.Â His needs are limited to working out his way for his Food.

The Second need is energy.Â Praana simply means Energy.Â From the need for Food originates the energy. They are interrelated to each other.Â This is primarily signified by our breath.Â Our breath is our basic energy.Â The Nadis or the Nerves carry out the energy to all parts of the body to different organs to keep the body going. Here the Humans need is to develop the Energies in his Body.Â

Thirdly, Every human develops emotion.Â Emotional bonding with others and himself. Here Human tries to understand whatever is happening to him. He develops an Emotive ability in determining and fulfilling all his emotions.Â The Love and understanding the other, the need for a company, to Co exist.According to Scriptures there are supposed to be Nava Rasas of 9 types of emotions.Here Human evolves himself in the Nava Rasas.

Fourthly, Vijnanamaya Kosha is Mental level, It clearly signifies the Intellectual abilities, discrimination, here the Human is really able to understand and appreciate the Truth! He begins to face the reality face to face.Â Here the Ego 'I' is more dominant than ever. In all the previous stages above, the HUman is not aware of even His Ego.Â It is only when he is traveling in Vijnanamaya Kosha that he is able to learn about himself the Ego in Him. Most of us reside in Vijnanamaya Kosha fluctuating between other Koshas. Here in when the Discriminative ability is Prominent.

Ananda Maya Kosha is the Sheath of Bliss or Sat Chit Ananda Here Perfection is achieved or what is called the Self Actualization by Maslow. This is the most Natural State of the Human or the Soul. There is no more needs to be fulfilled. ABsolute Completeness. Brahman.

These are the invisible Sheath or layers or cloths that cover the Soul or Atman or Brahman. When different needs are met, it discards its layers one by one and finally in Vijnanamaya Kosha or Self Esteem when the Ego Drops the Brahman is only to be found and is COMPLETE. and it has no more layers or Sheath to itself and it only IS.

Bhagavan Ramana has explained that these are all inter oven,like a hand kerchief.The hand kerchief has got a thickness, a colour, a texture, a size, and then the smell, depending upon the perfume one uses.All the five sheaths are interoven as all the above things are interoven in the handkerchief.

Marshall McLuhan, a Canadean Philosopher coined in the Term " The world is a Global Village " Â In the Vedas we have this idea from time immemorial " Vasdeiva Kutumbakam " The world world in one familyÂ

" Ekam Sat Vipraha bahudha vadanti " from The Rig VedaThere is but one God, learned scholars call this God by different names

March 8, 2010

No, dear Sri Prasanth, no. The answer to your post is "no".

In Sri Ramana's Who Am I? we have question 21 and the answer to it, saying:

21. Is it necessary for one who longs for release to inquire into the nature of categories (tattvas)?

Just as one who wants to throw away garbage has no need to analyse it and see what it is, so one

who wants to know the Self has no need to count the number of categories or inquire into their

characteristics; what he has to do is to reject altogether the categories that hide the Self. The

world should be considered like a dream.

So, it is very clear from this answer that, for a disciple of Sri Ramana engaged in self-enquiry, analyzing just the way your post proposes, is totally useless and absolutely unneccessary. As it is put by Sri Ramana, in a very simple and clear way, the aspirant would be wasting his/her time on analysing the garbage that wants to throw away.

Please do consider that long posts with material copied from other sites and also not related to Sri Ramana's teachings, are not welcome on this list.

viorica.

Prasanth Jalasutram <jvrsprasanthMon, March 8, 2010 10:13:31 AM Pancha Koshas According to Vedanta under which lies the illuminating Self

Hierarchy of needs By Abraham Maslow, American Psychologist

March 8, 2010

Dear Sri Prasanth,

What a wonderful little story you brought!

It says:

Bhagavan Ramana said: " I already wear five shirts. Is sixth one necessary?"

Indeed, he is teaching us even when he is slightly joking. He says about the five shirts that he is "wearing" them, and by saying so he is detaching himself away from them, he is not those five sheaths. Neither are we. His teaching is to reject them, not to study them. Why should one study a clothe? Shankara says the same: to reject the five sheaths as not "I".

viorica.

Prasanth Jalasutram <jvrsprasanth Sent: Mon, March 8, 2010 2:36:06 PMRe: Pancha Koshas According to Vedanta under which lies the illuminating Self

Dear Devotees,

I want to share one incident when bhagavan ramana mentions about pancha kosas.

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Once it was an unusually cold winter and that particular day was the coldest.

Manavasi Ramaswamy Iyer had two shirts made locally,because he wanted Bhagavan Ramana to wear them for the biting cold. He had no courage to tell Bhagavan and he placed the shirts on the stool infront of the sofa when Bhagavan had gone for the stoll.

On return, Bhagavan Ramana looking at the stool, asked: "What is this?" Iyer murmured inaudibly: "Bhagavan, it is very cold outside...." Bhagavan Ramana asked immediately: "Did I complain about the cold?" Iyer further said: "No, no Bhagavan! I thought Bhagavan should wear a shirt to protect Himself."Bhagavan said: No, take them away! When Iyer was still hesitating,Bhagavan Ramana said: " I already wear five shirts. Is sixth one necessary?"(Bhagavan meant pancha kosas.)Source: Reminiscences of Smt. T.R. Kanakammal

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Ideally it will be better for us to know more about what bhagavan meant by pancha kosas.

My sincere apologies if someone feels this article as crap and not necessary.