GURU VACHAKA KOVAI Tells Reasons Why Sastras Describe The Blissful State Of Sleep As A Sheath

Even though people enjoy the highest happiness in deep sleep, where no other thing exists, instead of understanding that it is the true happiness and trying to achieve it in life [i.e. instead of finding the means –the Self-enquiry – to experience it uninterruptedly even in the waking state], craving to obtain other things, sense objects, as if they were the remedies for the miseries that occur, is utter foolishness.

Anandamaya is said to be a sheath [kosha] because of the great desire towards the waking state of the one identifying with the vijnanamaya kosha. But when the strong ego identifying with vijnanamaya is destroyed, the anandamaya that survives will lose the nature of a sheath [kosha] and remain as the supreme Bliss.

Sadhu Om: Only because we have desires in the form of subtle tendencies to leave sleep often and to rise and make pravrittis in the vijnanamaya kosha [the intellect – buddhi], the sastras describe the blissful state of sleep as a sheath.It is only one’s attachment,the desire to be active in vijnanamaya, that drags one out of the anandamaya kosha [sleep]. If this attachment is lost, the leaving of the blissful sleep will not happen.Then, the uninterrupted state of bliss [in sleep], instead of being a mere sheath,will shine as our natural, unending, true state of Bliss.

Source: GURU VACHAKA KOVAI The Light of Supreme Truth or THE COLLECTION OF GURU’S SAYINGS translated from original Tamil By Sadhu Om and Michael James

Guru Vachaka Kovai is the biggest collection of Bhagavan’s spoken teachings that was thoroughly checked and revised by him during his lifetime. As such it has a unique place in the Ramana literature.

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Ramana Maharshi About Process Of Doing Self Enquiry And About Realization Of Self

Talk 25.

On a former occasion B. V. Narasimha Swami, author of Self-Realization, asked: Who am I? How is it to be found?

M.: Ask yourself the question. The body (annamaya kosa) and its functions are not ‘I’.

Going deeper, the mind (manomaya kosa) and its functions are not ‘I’.

The next step takes on to the question. “Wherefrom do these thoughts arise?” The thoughts are spontaneous, superficial or analytical. They operate in intellect. Then, who is aware of them? The analysis leads to the conclusion that the individuality of the person is operative as the perceiver of the existence of thoughts and of their sequence.This individuality is the ego, or as people say ‘I’. Vijnanamaya kosa (intellect) is only the sheath of ‘I’ and not the ‘I’ itself.

Enquiring further the questions arise, “Who is this ‘I’? Wherefrom does it come?” ‘I’ was not aware in sleep. Simultaneously with its rise sleep changes to dream or wakefulness. If I originated from sleep, then the ‘I’ was covered up with ignorance. Such an ignorant ‘I’ cannot be what the scriptures say or the wise ones affirm.‘I’ am beyond even ‘Sleep’; ‘I’ must be now and here and what I was all along in sleep and dreams also, without the qualities of such
states. ‘I’ must therefore be the unqualified substratum underlying these three states (anandamaya kosa transcended).

‘I’ is, in brief, beyond the five sheaths. Next, the residuum left over after discarding all that is not-self is the Self, Sat-Chit-Ananda.

D.: How is that Self to be known or realised?

M.: Transcend the present plane of relativity. A separate being (Self) appears to know something apart from itself (non-Self). That is, the subject is aware of the object. The seer is drik; the seen is drisya.

There must be a unity underlying these two, which arises as ‘ego’.This ego is of the nature of chit (intelligence); achit (insentient object) is only negation of chit. Therefore the underlying essence is akin to the subject and not the object. Seeking the drik, until all
drisya disappears, the drik will become subtler and subtler until the absolute drik alone survives. This process is called drisya vilaya (the disappearance of the objective world).

D.: Why should the objects drisya be eliminated? Cannot the Truth be realised even keeping the object as it is?

M.: No. Elimination of drisya means elimination of separate identities of the subject and object. The object is unreal. All drisya (including ego) is the object. Eliminating the unreal, the Reality survives.When a rope is mistaken for a snake, it is enough to remove the
erroneous perception of the snake for the truth to be revealed.Without such elimination the truth will not dawn.

D.: When and how is the disappearance of the objective world (drisya vilaya) to be effected?

M.: It is complete when the relative subject, namely the mind, is eliminated. The mind is the creator of the subject and the object and is the cause of the dualistic idea. Therefore, it is the cause of the wrong notion of limited self and the misery consequent on such erroneous idea.

D.: What is the relation between mind and object? Is the mind contacting something different from it, viz., the world?

M.: The world is ‘sensed’ in the waking and the dream states or is the object of perception and thought, both being mental activities.

If there were no such activities as waking and dreaming thought, there would be no ‘perception’ or inference of a ‘world’. In sleep there is no such activity and ‘objects and world’ do not exist for us in sleep.Hence ‘reality of the world’ may be created by the ego by its act of emergence from sleep; and that reality may be swallowed up or disappear by the soul resuming its nature in sleep. The emergence and disappearance of the world are like the spider producing a gossamer web and then withdrawing it.

The spider here underlies all the three states - waking, dreaming, and sleep; such a spider in
the person is called Atman (Self), whereas the same with reference to the world (which is considered to issue from the sun) is called Brahman (Supreme Spirit). He that is in man is the same as He that is in the sun. (Sa yaschayam purushe yaschasavaditye sa ekah).

While Self or Spirit is unmanifest and inactive, there are no relative doubles; e.g., subject and object - drik and drisya. If the enquiry into the ultimate cause of manifestation of mind itself is pushed on,mind will be found to be only the manifestation of the Real which is
otherwise called Atman or Brahman.

Source: Talks With Ramana Maharshi Book

Readers interested are requested to read below articles as well

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/05/michael-james-about-nature-of-mind.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/05/michael-james-about-self-enquiry-based.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/ramana-maharshi-answers-to-why-is-there.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/ramana-maharshi-says-walking-and-dream.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/ramana-maharshi-about-transition-stage.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/02/ramana-maharshi-answer-to-question-can.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/01/ramana-maharshi-says-jnanis-walking-and.html

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Incident Where Ramana Maharshi Tells He Already Have Five Shirts(Pancha Kosas). Is Sixth One Necessary?

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?"

Note: By 5 Shirts Bhagavan Meant Pancha Kosas.

Source: Reminiscences of Smt. T.R. Kanakammal

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Pancha Koshas According to Vedanta under which lies the illuminating Self.

Hierarchy of needs By Abraham Maslow, American Psychologist

Abraham 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 needs - 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 needs - 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 Needs - 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.

Esteem - 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 actualization - 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,

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.

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. therefore every human begins his journey into eternity from the Anna Maya Kosha or the Food Sheath. Here the Human primarily needs Food and Water for survival. His needs are limited to working out his way for his Food.

The Second need is energy. Praana simply means Energy. From the need for Food originates the energy. They are interrelated to each other. This is primarily signified by our breath. Our breath is our basic energy. 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.

Thirdly, Every human develops emotion. 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. 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. Here the Ego 'I' is more dominant than ever. In all the previous stages above, the HUman is not aware of even His Ego. 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"

In the Vedas we have this idea from time immemorial "Vasdeiva Kutumbakam" The world world in one family

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

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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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