The 5 Kosas or Strata of the Mind

3-1. The living being is the composite of five kośas (layers of mind), like a plantain flower (with its petals)

In pratisaiṋcara, after the citta comes into being, there ensues gradually the pervasive manifestation of mind.

In this manifestative flow we find in the unit-body that the crudest sheath or cell is the kámamaya kośa [conscious mind].

• Subtler than this is the manomaya kośa [subconscious mind].
• Subtler than this subconscious is the atimánasa kośa [supra-mental mind]
• Subtler than this supra-mental mind is the vijiṋánamaya kośa [subliminal mind]
• The subtlest of all kośas is the hirańyamaya kośa [subtle causal mind].

The crude receptacle of the unit is the annamaya kośa [physical body], which is the property of saiṋcara.

The kámamaya and manomaya kośas are called the crude and subtle minds, respectively.

The atimánasa, vijiṋánamaya and hirańyamaya, are called the causal [or astral, or unconscious] mind collectively.

The witnessing puruśa of the crude mind is called Prájiṋa, that of the subtle mind is called Taejasa, and that of the unconscious mind is called Vishva.

Saiṋcara’s annamaya kośa is:

• the crude receptacle of the living unit
• called the sthula deha [crude body]

The 5 kośas, from the kámamaya to the hirańyamaya, are called the sukśma deha [subtle body].

The mahattattva and ahaḿtattva are called the sámánya deha [supra-causal body, i.e., the body between the hirańyamaya kośa and (till merger into) Puruśottama].

Subtle things are observed and understood only after removing their crude parts just like a flower.

2. The Cosmic Mind is the composite of 7 lokas (layers, worlds)

The Cosmic Mind is held in 7 lokas [worlds]:

1. Bhú [physical world]
2. Bhuvah [crude mental world]
3. Svah [subtle mental world]
4. Mahah [supra-mental world]
5. Janah [subliminal world]
6. Tapah
7. Satya

Puruśottama is:

• the witnessing entity of the Cosmic Mahattattva and Ahaḿtattva
• called the Satyaloka or the Causal Cosmic Body

Kosa	Loka	Purusa witness
Hirańyamaya	Tapar	Virát́a
Vijiṋánamaya	Janar	Virát́a
Atimánasa	Mahar	Virát́a
Manomaya	Svar	Hirańyagarbha
Kámamaya	Bhúr	Iishvara

The cognitive puruśa (knower) of Brahma’s hirańyamaya kośa [causal cosmic mind], is called Virát́a or Vaeshvánara, and the loka concerned is called the taparloka.

The witnessing puruśa of Brahma’s vijiṋánamaya kośa [subliminal cosmic mind] is also called Virát́a or Vaeshvánara, and the loka concerned goes by the name of janarloka.

The witnessing puruśa of Brahma’s atimánasa kośa [supra-mental cosmic mind] is also called Virát́a or Vaeshvánara, and the loka concerned is called the maharloka.

The collective name of these 3 kośas is “causal cosmic mind” or “subtle cosmic body”.

The manomaya kośa is called the subtle cosmic mind, and its witnessing puruśa is called Hirańyagarbha.

This also falls within the scope of the subtle cosmic body, and the loka concerned is called the svarloka.

The kámamaya kośa of Brahma is called the crude cosmic mind, and its witnessing puruśa is called Iishvara.

• This may also be called the crude cosmic body.

As per degree of expression of subtlety or crudity, this kośa is called partially bhuvah [crude mental world], and partially bhúrloka [crude physical world].

3. Long sleep in the causal mind is death

In wakefulness, all 3 minds (conscious, subconscious and unconscious) remain active.

In dream, only the crude or conscious mind remains asleep.

• The other 2 minds remain active.

In sleep, both conscious and subconscious minds remain inactive.

• Only the unconscious mind remains awake and does the work of the other 2 minds.

When there occurs a vibrational disparity in the psycho-physical parallelism, the unconscious mind also becomes inactive.

• This state is called death.

4. Saḿskára is a distortion of the mind-stuff waiting for expression.

Actions create a sort of mental distortion.

The mind regains its normal composure after undergoing the consequences of one’s actions.

Saḿskára is when action has happened, but its consequences have not realized.

• In this state, the reaction [vipáka] is suspended or deferred.

At the time of death, unrealized reactions are held in the causal or unconscious mind.

In order to realize those reactions, Prakrti connects bodiless minds with living structures in the wombs of different beings that have parallelism with those bodiless minds’ saḿskára-determined mental waves.

This leads to the rebirth of that unit mind.

One generally goes away after death with saḿskáras in accordance with one’s deeds performed during one’s lifetime.

5. In the bodiless mind there is no doership, no feeling of pleasure or pain

After the separation of the mind from the body, that is, after death, the sense of weal or woe cannot exist in the unit, because for perception of pleasure and pain cerebral nerve cells and, partially, nerve fibres are necessary (which the bodiless minds do not have after death).

So the popular dogmas and beliefs that So-and-so’s bodiless soul will be happy with such-and-such observances, or be unhappy and miserable with such-and-such acts, or will satisfy its revengeful propensities, are utterly and completely wrong.

6. The sight of ghosts is created by the cittáńu (mind-stuff) in concentrated thought

Actually spirits and ghosts do not exist. When in a frightened or indignant or hypnotic state a person attains temporary concentration of the mind, his or her mind-stuff takes the form of the object imagined. In such a state one sees the vision of one’s thought without as well.

Thinking about ghosts and spirits in solitude, he or she sees them also in the open. The external vision of the internal thought may be termed as positive hallucination. Conversely, in such a state of mind even the actually existent object may appear as non-existent. This we may call negative hallucination. Those that say that they have seen a ghost do not lie. Only the delusion of the mind appears to them as visual perception.

If hypnosis be thoroughly introspective, one may mistake one’s own entity for a spirit or ghost. In such an event the person behaves in such a manner that people start saying that So-and-so is possessed by a spirit. Theomania or theophanic possession is also of the same variety.

3-7. The requital of an action is guided by the (divine) longing for welfare

Even behind the requital of an act (the fruits that follow the completion of an act) lies the divine desire of benevolence. The punishment for an evil act teaches one to keep away from evil doings. The reward for a good and benevolent act teaches people that they will never get such a reward if ever they commit an evil act.

3-8. Out of the intense desire for mukti (liberation), one attains one’s sadguru (perfect master)

When a vehement desire for emancipation wakes up in a person, he or she attains his or her sadguru [true spiritual preceptor] on the strength of that desire.

9. Only Brahma is the guru, no one else

Brahma alone is the guru. Brahma alone directs the units to the path of emancipation through the media of different receptacles or bodies. No one except Brahma conforms to the real significance of the word “guru”.

10. Obstacles are the helping forces that establish one in the goal

Obstacles in fact are no foes on the path of sádhaná [spiritual practice], but indeed friends. They only do service to a person. It is on account of these obstacles that the battle rages against them, and this counter-effort alone carries the sádhaka [spiritual aspirant] to his or her cherished goal.

11. Prayer and ritualistic worship become a source of confusion

It is useless to pray to God for something, for He is sure to give what is necessary. Solicitation or importunity in the name of worship is nothing but toadyism and flattery.

12. Devotion is ideation on God, not flattery of God or ritualistic worship

Being merged in the constant thought of God is devotion. Devotion is not related to the chanting of hymns or ritualistic worship with different paraphernalia. A devotee may perform these, but they are not an indispensable part of devotional sádhaná.

Footnotes

(1) “Living structures” did not appear here in the previous English edition. “With living structures” is a rendering of “jaevii dehe” in the original Bengali sentence. –Eds.