The Human Being asks, Who am I?

Transcription

1 The Human Being asks, Who am I? By Aarti Maheshwari The origin of the human being is something that baffles one s understanding. It is a great mystery. From where did the man and the woman originate? Who were the first father and mother? Indeed, what is the origin of all living creatures? Did the tree precede the seed, or vice-versa? Which came first the chicken or the egg? Did the cause appear first, or the effect? Further, how did the world come into being? And the ultimate question is, What is the source of this Universe? The mystery that surrounds these questions agitates the human mind. The best of intellects have diligently tried, but failed to throw comprehensive light on this fundamental question. The general pattern presented to us by the ancient adepts of Indian civilization is that the Universe is a large family of integrated contents. It is said to be full of inhabitants living beings as well as those that we may regard (from our point of view) as inanimate or non-living. However, the Universe is not constituted of bits of matter or isolated units that have no connection with one another. In fact, the word universe itself signifies an orderly arrangement of things whereby the particulars are characterized not merely by external connections, but also by an internal relationship. Unlike the fragile and temporary external connection between the different people (for example, the connection amongst the members that constitute a country s Parliament), an internal relationship is an inviolable, inexorable and eternal connection (somewhat akin to the different organs of a healthy, living body). No kind of severance of relationship of the particulars or individuals in respect of this vast Universe is possible under any circumstance. We are eternally related to it since the beginning of Time. 1. The Building Blocks of Creation A very ancient Indian tradition declares that the Universe was formed from a primordial vibration, referred to as the Purusha - or pure Awareness. The Purusha is understood as undifferentiated potential energy principle, with no attributes or manifestation. It is the Ultimate Truth, and the transcendental state of being and existence - without a beginning or an end. It is said that the Purusha vibration, through a timeless interval and a time of infinite duration, emerged from the featureless One into the specific and the many that is referred to as the Prakruti principle. The Universe is the child born out of the womb of Prakruti (the Divine Mother), which is posited to have

2 attributes in the field of action. Through its creative will, Prakruti generates all the forms in the Universe. Purusha and Prakruti come together for the purpose of creation. At the primary merging point of these two, Prakruti is also un-manifest. However, with the potential energy of Purusha and the creative will of Prakruti, non-material energy evolves into material expression. Each progressive step acts as an agent or a cause for the manifestation. This is how consciousness is said to descend into matter. The first expression of material creation is referred to as Mahad, or the Supreme Intelligence that puts everything in its proper place. From Mahad comes Ahamkara, the sense of ego or the feeling of I am. This I is the center. But wherever there is a center, there is also a radius and an accompanying circumference. This circumference forms a frontier - the border of consciousness. Each being in the Universe lives in the tiny enclosure of consciousness that is centered upon Ahamkara. It is a process of identification based upon previous accumulated experience (Lad, 2002). In this manner, the unbroken whole of our experience in the Universe appears to be made up of dual aspects - namely consciousness and matter. These may also be referred to as the subject and the object, or the seer and what is seen, or the whole and the part. 2. The Sense of Individuality Looked at through the prism of duality, the wholeness / integrality / subjectivity of the cosmic structure appears to the human sense organs as a distinct external object. This isolation of the part from the whole is the beginning of the individuality of things. Whether in the case of a plant, or an animal, or the human being or even the so-called angels in heaven, any consciousness of one s being separate from what one sees or observes is called the individual sense. This individual sense of one s own existence as apart from other things is referred to as Ahamkara, or the sense of ego. The ego is a process of self-identification in which we associate our inner being with some outer object or quality such that we begin to determine, I am this or This is mine (Frawley, 1997). Ego keeps the subjective aspect of the human being trapped in some objective form or quality. It introduces the principle of division, through which consciousness is fragmented. Ego arises automatically during the perceptual process, and narrows or distorts the deeper consciousness. Ego is the primary function of consciousness directed externally, and brings about its entire outward development. Whatever function occurs in consciousness, the ego is automatically posited as part of its boundary. All our thoughts rest upon the

3 thought of the self, and all our feelings and emotions ultimately refer us back to our own sense of identity that the ego purports to provide. The moment an I (a center in consciousness) is formed, then the Creative Intelligence (Mahad) becomes Buddhi the reasoning capacity, the faculty of intellect as also the individual awareness. Buddhi is the authentically intelligent principle, and the true starting point of the individual s journey. Through it, we feel different from the world at large, and from the creatures around us in space and time. 3. The Perennial Philosophy, or the Great Chain of Being The great sages envisaged a Universe that is more expansive than that which is visible through the naked eye or its extended instrumental arms. There are numerous planes, or levels of manifestation, that are said to constitute what we refer to as the Universe. The physical objects around us the sun the moon, the planets, the hills, the plants and the animals etc. represent the Universe at just one plane or density. There are other levels or degrees of density through which the Universe, by means of a graduated arrangement, reveals itself to experience. Many or most of these different levels, planes or degrees of density are supposed to lie beyond the ken of ordinary perception - such that we may not even be able to conceive of what they actually are. Of course, this does not imply that the human universe is the entire universe. There are levels of existence below as well as above this one. The vast expanse of the Universe extends behind us in the lower levels, and stretches ahead of us into the higher reaches of evolution. Known as the perennial philosophy or the Great Chain of Being, this paradigm has formed the core not only of the world s great wisdom traditions (Taoism, Hinduism, Buddhism) but also of many of the greatest philosophers, scientists and psychologists of the east as well as the West. According to this nearly universal view (Wilber, 1997), manifest reality is hierarchically composed of several different but continuous dimensions that consist of different grades or levels reaching from the lowest, densest and least conscious to the highest, most subtle and most conscious. This has been the dominant official philosophy of the larger part of civilized humankind through most of its history. At one end of this continuum of being or spectrum of consciousness is what may be called as insentient matter. On the other end is the super-conscious Spirit or Supreme Reality. In between these, there is a rich tapestry of interwoven levels, reaching from matter to body to mind to soul to spirit. Each senior level transcends but envelops its junior dimensions a series of nests within nests of Being so that every thing and event in this Universe is interwoven with every other. And all are ultimately enfolded by the Absolute itself.

4 While each higher level in the Great Chain possesses the essential features of its lower level(s), it nonetheless possesses emergent qualities not found in the latter. Thus, the vital animal body includes matter in its makeup. But, it also adds sensations, feelings and emotions that are not found in the rocks. While the human mind includes bodily emotions in its makeup, it also adds higher cognitive faculties such as reason and logic that are not found in plants or other animals. And while the soul includes the mind in its make-up, it adds even higher cognitions and affects such as archetypal illumination and vision that are not found in the rational mind. So to speak, each plane of reality has a different architecture. In fact, each plane of reality has a specific branch of knowledge associated with it. Physics studies matter. Biology studies vital bodies. Psychology and philosophy address the mind. Theology studies the soul and relation to the Highest Reality. And mysticism studies the formless Absolute. The ancient seers visualized these planes of existence as the degrees of experience through which each entity has to pass in the course of its own evolution. Indeed, one of the central tenets of the Perennial Philosophy is that humans can grow and develop (or evolve) all the way up the hierarchy to the Spirit itself. We have taken for granted that we have come to the physical level of human existence by rising above the lower levels through ages of experience, by transformation. The biological and physical sciences are fond of insisting on the evolution of life - a movement from matter to life and mind, and further to the human intellect or reason. This is akin to the doctrine of a series in the levels of experience. We consider ourselves to be presently situated on the human level. However, humankind is certainly not the ultimate pinnacle of the process of evolution; we are programmed to progress through various realms of being. The scriptures indicate that in the very nature of existence, we are geared to progress to the subtler, more advanced and pervasive levels of being. Aldous Huxley (1946) succinctly captured the essence of the Perennial Philosophy as follows: A. There is an infinite, changeless reality beneath the world of change B. This same reality lies at the core of every human personality C. The purpose of life is to discover this reality experientially 4. The Framework of the Five Elements There are numerous ancient and modern conceptions of the universe that have been employed to progress from the comprehension of the gross particularity of earthly things to the ethereal pervasiveness of space and time in the manifest world. The most popular among these is the traditional framework of the five

5 elements (earth, water, fire, air, space) that is shared largely in common by Indian and European traditions. Wood (2008) summarizes this as follows: Matter is anything that has mass and occupies volume. Through our limited senses, we see a material world constituted of innumerable separate objects. Each object is a distinct piece of matter, divided from other objects by boundaries of space and time. These solid material objects are formed from the cosmic element earth, just as pots are formed from clay. When matter is investigated through sensitive means, it is discerned as a configuration of waveforms. The apparent solidity of matter is an illusion that occurs due to the limitations of the human senses. As material objects interact with one another, they appear to change their external forms and patterns continuously. We experience this flux as energy, manifested as moving activity. Being associated with fluidity, energy corresponds to the second cosmic element called water. The external world of matter and energy may appear to be a random flux, without any predictability or regularity in its patterns of interaction. However, careful examination reveals a method in the madness - for instance, the existence of several natural laws. We can analyze these interaction patterns to glean useful data about the world we inhabit. At a deeper level of experience, these energy patterns represent information that illuminates our existence. Due to its function of illumination, information corresponds to the traditional element fire. All field patterns are conditioned by deep, inherent qualities, just as the ambient weather is conditioned by the general climate of the place. Similarly, all sensory information yields meaning and significance only after we relate, contrast and juxtapose it with our existing values and beliefs. This conditioning guides the

6 processing selected stimuli, from among the thousands that we are bombarded with at every moment. Thus, information is conditioned by the frame of reference through which we perceive it. This qualitative conditioning corresponds with the cosmic element air In order to relate and compare several different phenomena, an element of continuity must extend through all of these. For example, a common thread must run through the many individual beads in order to make a rosary. The underlying continuity, extending through all dimensions of space and time, forms the ground upon which we can discern the qualitative conditioning of the world. Pervasive continuity is the level where unity is experienced beneath all the apparent divisions and variations. This continuity corresponds to the fifth cosmic element ether 5. The Enigma of the Human Personality In the light of the multi-layered nature of the Universe, the human being is also an expansive entity that exists at multiple levels of being and knowing. Personality is an outward mask overlaid upon an inner self. In fact, the term person is derived from the Greek word persona an actor s mask. At a gross level, the body is merely a physical object or a lump of matter. Examined more subtly, it is also a bundle of organic or bio-energy (E = MC 2 ). The gross human organism is equipped with five subtle senses. Sense organs are instruments that import sensations and impressions from the external world, and deliver them to a mechanism known as the mind. The dynamic stream of sensations from the mind is delivered to a Central Processing Unit (CPU) that we refer to as our intellect. The perception resulting from the operation of the intellect finds expression as our thoughts and emotions. The elements of perception are seen to continuously appear and disappear in what we refer to as our experience However, when the mind comes to rest (as in deep sleep), it seems that there is no experience at all. Yet, we remember deep sleep as a refreshing experience. How do we know the changes and variations of our experience? In order to know what has changed, something must continue through all the variations that have taken place. This continuity is provided by what we refer to as consciousness It is Consciousness that provides the unchanging foundation upon which all the changeful and variable elements of our personality are grounded. In the natural world too, we find that it is the motionless hub that enables the wheel to spin. In the cinema hall, it is the stationery screen that makes film projection possible. Thus, it is the deeper element of consciousness that provides not only the foundation the human personality, but also its ultimate sense of identity.

7 6. The Five-Fold Human Personality (Pancha Kosha) When applied to the human personality that perceives the world, this five-fold division gives rise to the pancha kosha, or the five coverings of the personality (Wood, 2008). These are as follows: a) The outermost covering is the Annamaya Kosha, or the layer of food. This represents the physical, material body that is made of the element earth and perceives a world of material objects outside. Reality appears to us as particles of matter, when apprehended by our physical body b) Proceeding inwards, the second covering is the Pranamaya Kosha, or the layer of vital energy. This describes plane of the personality that may be conceived as a living organism, functioning through purposeful activity. It is made of the element water, and observes a functioning world of purposeful energy and activity. Reality appears as patterns of energy, when perceived by us as living organisms c) The third covering is the Manomaya Kosha, or the layer of the mind. This is the conceiving intellect. Made of the element fire, it interprets an intelligible world of meaningful information. Reality appears as elements of information, when observed through our sensory faculties d) The fourth covering is the Vijnanamaya Kosha, or the plane of discernment. This describes the discerning sensibility of intuitive judgment. Made of the element air, it carries out the contrasts and comparisons. Reality appears as qualitative conditioning, when comprehended by our perceptive intellect. e) The innermost covering is the Anandamaya Kosha, or the plane of happiness and bliss. Made of the element ether, it enables an integrated understanding of common and continuing principles. Reality appears as continuity of existence, when discerned through contemplative intuition 6.1 The Annamaya Kosha The gross physical body represents the outermost sheath of the human personality Annamaya Kosha, the outermost layer of the self, is the physical body that needs nourishment to survive. It is created out of and sustained by food ( Anna = Food / Ahaar / Diet). An ancient saying goes as follows, As is the Food, so is the Mind; as is the Mind, so is the Man. Food is chemical energy taken into the system to provide glucose and other chemicals needed for nourishing vital tissues Essentially, we are formed from soil, air, rain, and light that nourish the food we eat from the plant kingdom. The human being is a part of the food chain as any other creature (e.g. the mammals). Annamaya Kosha is the most vulnerable of the five bodies, and suffers visibly of the deficiencies of the other bodies. To activate this body, it is necessary to do

8 moderate exercises in accordance to age and physical condition. Any kind of sport that is not exaggerated (i.e. walking) also activates this outer and transitory shell. 6.2 The Pranamaya Kosha Pranamaya Kosha is the vital shell that is full of life. It is constituted of the subtle patterns of living energy that we experience in our lives. The grand vital force is present in all aspects of the universe, and pulsates with its smallest elements. Pranamaya Kosha is the very basic principle of life that distinguishes between living and dead matter. This vital body can be made visible in high frequency (e.g. Kirlian) photography. People with a special ability in seeing another person s aura can perceive this body even with their naked eye. This shell is also transitory, and survives the physical body only momentarily. The energy patterns of Pranamaya Kosha can be harmonized through physical and mental practices that include the regulation of the breath (Pranayama). 6.3 The Manomaya Kosha Manomaya Kosha, the third sheath of the personality, is constituted of the mind. Filling and pervading the vital sheath, it makes up the subtle body that is the field of our impressions. The mind comprises of the faculties of sensation, emotion and thought, and governs the faculties of perception and instinctual consciousness. Through the mind, we are conscious of ourselves as beings in the world The mind is a subtle and organic instrument that is atomic in nature. It consists of a series of points of attention, in rapid succession. The mind is highly organized and structured, akin to the most superior computer. It is also volatile and unpredictable, and is difficult to prevent from moving. Thus the mind has a dualistic nature. It consists of opposite forces in various degrees of interaction. The concern of the mind is the exploration of the external world, so as to afford us sensory experience. Its windows are the five sense organs, through which we take in the energies of the natural elements as stimuli. The mind coordinates and interprets sensory data in two ways objectively and subjectively. Objectively, the sensory impressions give rise to thoughts that are subsequently organized to enable the recognition of objects in the external world. Subjectively, the sensory data is correlated with the reservoir of our past impressions, which gives rise to an active and immediate response in the form of emotion. Sensory perception is retained in the memory through imagination, which is the projection of a future possibility or action. This forms the basis on which our knowledge of the world is gradually developed.

9 The mind s normal preoccupation is to build up an external world for personal achievement and enjoyment. Thus, it is always planning, calculating, organizing or constructing something - primarily with a selfish motive. 6.4 The Vijnanamaya Kosha Vijnanamaya Kosha, the sheath of intelligence, is the fourth layer of the personality. It pervades and envelopes the mental layer. Intelligence serves as a door that connects the outer world of the senses with the inner world of consciousness. The main function of intelligence is to discern and distinguish the true, the virtuous, the meaningful and the real, from the false, the vicious, the insignificant and the unreal. It helps us understand the true nature of phenomenon. Thus, the intelligence sheath embodies the imprints of wisdom. Intelligence is the discriminative power of inner or direct perception. It is capable of detached observation, and enables us to reveal the true nature of an object, as distinguished from its mere sensory appearance. Intelligence represents the will to transcend our limitations. It guides us in becoming the masters of our destiny Intelligence is the commander that decides what we must do, and determines our course of action. The functions of intelligence are three-fold: perception, reasoning and testimony. Perception is concerned with correctly identifying the enduring nature of phenomenon, behind fleeting sensory impressions. These impressions are then mutually compared by the application of inductive and deductive reasoning methods. Finally, experience is assimilated with advice from credible sources other than one s own self, so as to arrive at the truth of phenomenon. The indications of a healthy intellect are as follows: ü Clarity Acceptance of the natural order, and shaping one s life patterns in harmony with its dynamism ü Knowledge Capacity for focus or concentration, in order to comprehend the world accurately ü Objectivity Relative freedom from mundane likes and dislikes, leading to creative insight ü Efficacy Ability to cope with or master any situation, and bring about the desired results through personal efforts 6.5 The Anandamaya Kosha Anandamaya Kosha, the final sheath, is the singular principle of underlying consciousness. Consciousness is the changeless core of our personality the stationery screen upon which the cinematic images of the world are witnessed. It is

10 the subtle, unseen something within each tiny seed, from which the spreading tree manifests. Consciousness provides continuity to our existence as the shared background that is necessary for perceived differentiation. It is the basis for material manifestation, expressed as all our physical actions and mental deliberations. Consciousness is the final ground of all our perceptions, and of reality itself. As objects come and go at the changing surface of our minds, they are illuminated by consciousness that continues at the underlying background of experience. When the object comes into appearance, its properties are comprehended through a reflection back into consciousness. From underlying consciousness, understanding is then expressed as feelings, thoughts and actions (Wood, 2008). Consciousness is the light of knowledge that illuminates. However, it is also the knower who apprehends. Consciousness relates to the highest level of awareness about our own existence, and constitutes our core identity. The individuality of consciousness is like the reflection seen in a mirror. Each reflecting surface adds to the apparent plurality. This blissful body beyond words is perceived in flashes only in short moments - as an experience where duality ends and unity finds expression. To illustrate through an example, Consciousness is to Life what Electricity is to the Light Bulb. The inherent nature of electricity holds all the possibilities. However, its expression is limited to the capacity of the bulb. So also, all the levels of the human personality arise from consciousness itself. However, the expression of consciousness in our being and existence is limited only by our own capacity for awareness. The indicators of bliss consciousness are as follows: Ø Friendliness - A sense of affinity towards one who is happy Ø Compassion - Genuine empathy and caring for one in need Ø Cheerfulness - Gladness and delight for one who is virtuous Ø Forbearance - Regard and consideration for one fallen from grace Within these five coverings of personality, there is the pure Awareness of the knowing self which is at once each person s innermost center as well as the supporting ground of everything perceived in the objective world. 7. The Spirit in Action These fivefold descriptions are used in various cosmological and psychological descriptions. Each of these planes may be considered as a repository of capacity and aptitude that is unique to the individual. In other words, each one of us carries

11 exclusive gifts as we make our way into this world. Collectively, in fact, these define the very individuality of the person. Now, each of these levels imbibe some manner of potential or endowment that craves to find expression in the course of a person s life. The sense of fulfillment in living existence is contingent upon the degree of which this personal potential gets actualized in the course of a lifetime. When these internal capabilities are maximally utilized in the service of external action, we arrive at the notion of Karma Yoga - the attainment of excellence in and through work activity. The practice of Karma Yoga enjoins that in the face of a definite requirement to accomplish something, all of one s available personal resources must be invested into the enterprise. Karma Yoga requires, so to speak, that the heart with the hand and the head get aligned with one another in the service of the task. When the integration between all the levels of the personality and external endeavour is thus achieved, then the human effort is imbued with dedication and full commitment towards the intended goal. Further, such intra-personal alignment leads to a sense of flow - the state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In this way, the work activity becomes intrinsically satisfying too. This joy partially releases the anxiety for extrinsic achievement. The resulting relaxation contributes to the application of one s best effort into the undertaking without distraction. The probability and quality of accomplishment is thus greatly enhanced. This journey of employing and aligning individual capabilities to the full helps the person to arrive in two destinations at once attainment of personal delight as well as accomplishment of professional goals REFERENCES: Wood, Ananda (2008). Ways to Truth: A view of the Hindu Tradition. New Delhi: D.K. Printworld. Frawley, David (1997) Ayurveda and the Mind: The Healing of Consciousness. New Delhi: Motilal Banarasidass. Lad, V.D. (2002). Textbook of Ayurveda: Fundamental Principles of Ayurveda Volume 1. The Ayurvedic Press, Albuquerque NM. Parthasarathy, A. (2002). Vedanta Treatise. Mumbai: Vedanta Life Institute. Krishnananda, Swami. (e-book). Yoga as a Universal Science. Rishikesh: Divine Life Society. Wilber, K. (1997). The Eye of Spirit: An Integral Vision for a World Gone Slightly Mad. Boston and London: Shambhala Huxley, A (1946). The Perennial Philosophy: An Interpretation of the Great Mystics, East and West. UK: Harper & Brothers.