In the material body, which is called the “sheath of food” (anna-maya kosa), reign the elements earth, water, and fire, which are those presiding in the lower Cakras, the Muladhara, Svadhisthana and Mani-pura centres. The two former produce food and drink, which is assimilated by the fire of digestion, and converted into the body of […]
The next two sheaths are the mano-maya and vijnana kosas. These constitute the antah-karana, which is four-fold-namely, the mind in its two-fold aspect of buddhi and manas, self-hood (ahamkara), and citta. (1) . The function of the first is doubt, samkalpa-vikalpatmaka, (uncertainty, certainty); of the second, determination (niscaya-karini); of the third (egoity), of the fourth […]
The atma, by its association with the upadhis has three states of consciousness – namely, the jagrat, or waking state, when through the sense organs are perceived objects of sense through the operation of manas and buddhi. It is explained in the Isvarapratya-bhijna as follows – “the waking state dear to all is the source […]
There are seven, or, as some say, nine, divisions of worshippers. The extra divisions are bracketed in the following quotation. The Kularnava-Tantra mentions seven, which are given in their order of superiority, the first being the lowest: Vedacara, Vaisnavacara, Saivacara, Daksinacara, Vamacara, Siddhantacara, (Aghoracara,(1) Yogacara), and Kaulacara, the highest of all.(2) The acara is the […]
The visible phenomena of the universe are bound by the universal law of cause and effect. The effect is visible or perceptible, while the cause is invisible or imperceptible. The falling of an apple from a tree is the effect of a certain invisible force called gravitation. Although the force cannot be perceived by the […]
Now let us understand clearly what we mean by a subtle body. It is nothing but a minute germ of a living substance. It contains the invisible particles of matter which are held together by vital force, and it also possesses mind or thought-force in a potential state, just as the seed of a plant […]