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The 4th kosha is the Vijnanamaya kosha or the sheath of intuition.
It is the first layer of the causal mind located in the Vishudda chakra,
the Ajna chakra (the front part of the cerebrum), and the Sahasrara chakra.
Metaphysically, it is considered the first embodiment of light.
Swami Sivaya Subramuniyaswami from contemporary Hinduism describes
the causal mind or plane as “..the world of light and blessedness, the highest
of heavenly regions, extolled in the scriptures of all faiths. It is the
foundation of existence, the source of visions, the point of conception,
the apex of creation. The causal plane is the abode of Lord Siva and His
entourage of Mahadevas and other highly evolved souls who exist in their
own self-effulgent form--radiant bodies of centillions of quantum light particles."
(Wikipedia)
The vijnanamaya kosha controls the mind, the senses, all of
the activities of the body as well as the fructifying samskaras. All of
our actions, our speech, and our thoughts bring us experiences or consequences
in the world. Those experiences or consequences create impressions, called
samskaras, in the deepest parts of our mind where the vijnanamaya kosha exists.
At different times, those latent impressions come to life and create still
further experiences. These latent impressions or seed habit patterns are
the root cause of our karmas whether good or bad.
In the state of sleep, this kosha is at rest. However when
immersed in worldly enjoyments, it is the cause of bondage for the soul.
However, the intellect is also given the faculty of vairagya meaning dispassion
or remembrance of Self. Vairagya is the practice of gradually letting go
of the mental impressions that lead one away from the spiritual, rather than
going in the opposite direction of giving in to attachments and aversions.
The vijnanamaya kosha can then be the prime moving force that turns the soul
toward liberation and glimpses of the world as it really is in Spirit.
Kirpal Singh, a 20th century teacher says, The vigyan-mai
kosh is the covering of the mental apparatus or intellect with its two phases:
one concerned with knowledge (gyan) on the physical plane and the other with
enlightenment (vigyan) on the spiritual planes. This is the first covering
in which the spirit gets wrapped as it comes in contact with the subtle matter
called prakriti. The light of the soul, as it reflects in the intellectual
center, brings into motion what is commonly known as intellect, consisting
of inner spiritual perception and outer cognition. The soul, along with this
reflected intellectual ability, becomes both cognitive and perceptive.” (The
Crown of Life, Kirpal Singh)
The function of the vijnanamaya kosha or intellect is to weigh
everything through reason, discriminating between vice and virtue, truth
and untruth, good and bad, right and wrong. Attributes such as mercy, gentleness,
serenity, steadiness, cheerfulness, and humility are all expressed through
this kosha. The two main functions are discrimination (viveka) and non-attachment.
Viveka can be defined as a deliberate, continuous intellectual effort to
distinguish between the real and the unreal, the permanent and the impermanent,
the self and the over-Self. In Tantric philosophy, it is through discernment
between relative and absolute truth that the world is able to be viewed as
all Divine. And, it is through this realization that the practice of non-attachment
can take place.
W.B. Yeats says, “Where there is nothing, there is God.” And
from St. John of the Cross, “In order to arrive at having pleasure in everything,
Desire to have pleasure in nothing. In order to arrive at possessing everything,
Desire to possess nothing. In order to arrive at being everything, Desire
to be nothing.”
In conclusion, Dharma Mittra says on the Vijnanamaya Kosha,
“One aspect of the Yogi’s sadhana (spiritual practice) is to gain access
to this sheath. Vijnanamaya kosha has the higher wisdom to seek Truth by
going within and toward the eternal center of consciousness. The yogi who
rests in the Vijnanamaya Kosha is more sattvic and reflects more golden qualities
due to this layer’s close proximity to the transcendent Self. However, as
with all the koshas, the yogi soon realizes that even the highest aspect
of the Mind cannot be the Self as it is of the material world and subject
to laws of name and form and is not eternal.” This leads us to our last kosha,
the Annandamaya Kosha which will be the final segment of this series, presented
next month.
In your next yoga practice, see how you can move through your
asanas with your eyes closed as much as possible. Mr. Iyengar would use eye
wraps to accomplish this. By closing the eyes off from sensory perceptions,
we are more able to let the mind become still and experience more what is
happening internally rather than externally. You can practice with one foot
against a wall to help you orient yourself in space. Repeated Vinyasa flows
are also helpful with this practice. To see a full class, please visit my
web site www.shreeyoga4u.com Thank you and shanti.
As a lifelong advocate of both physical fitness
and spiritual growth, Francesca finds the practice of yoga a natural.
She began studying yoga seriously 6 years ago when first introduced
to the philosophy and alignment principals of Anusara Yoga. She is now
a registered SOYA yoga instructor with a RYT 500 designation with the Yoga
Alliance and is a faculty member of the South Okanagan Yoga Academy in
B.C. Canada. She says, “Taking the seat of the yoga teacher is a gift and
a responsibility given to me by my teachers. I take this position seriously
since I now function as both student and teacher. My desire is to share
my love of yoga and the philosophy that enlivens it with all my students.”
She encourages people of all ages, shapes, and sizes to come to class and
enjoy the many benefits of a yoga practice. You can email Francesca at
francesca.shree@me.com
or visit her website for more information at www.shreeyoga4u.com
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