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p. 186.
The Constituent of Bliss
Sheath.
We have already described the
physical form and size of the heart in an earlier chapter.
Here we have to show how the lord of the five sheaths,
Jivatman, the individual soul, abides in the Bliss Sheath
situated in the space of the heart, the reservoir of blood.
This is shown in Illustration No. I in the chapter of Food
Sheath.. It can be seen by divine vision that this human
body, which is like a castle of the divine city Ayodhya,
contains the heart, of the size of a pear, or like the lotus
bud drooping downwards. Inside this heart is a hollow of the
size of a small seedless grape. Inside this hollow is the
Bliss Sheath, luminous' like a golden egg. This Bliss Sheath
is an aggregate of six luminous orbs. It is very pleasant to
see and appears like an oval mass of light.
The First Orb. Brahman The outermost circle or orb is
called the orb of Brahman. Brahman, the Absolute, is all
pervading and interpenetrating, thus it may seem absurd to
locate Brahman in a circle, yet it is not so ridiculous.
Just as the all-pervasive ether is spoken of as the ether of
a jar, the ether of a house, due to the limiting adjuncts of
the jar and the house, so the all-pervasive Brahman is said
to be in the ether of the heart in the form of the orb of
Brahman, just for the sake of easy understanding. We do not
wish to show any division in Brahman. In order to enable
aspirants to realise the Absolute to be all, full,
indivisible; all.pervasive, omniscient, without parts,
Brahman is first described in the form of an orb. When a
person realises Brahman, this realisation appears initially
in the form of this orb for two reasons. First, the region
of perception is circular in form; secondly, Prakriti
(nature) has endowed the faculty of realism Brahman in the
heart,
Ayam Vava Sa Yosyamantarhridaye
Akasastad Etat Puramapravarti-
Purnam Pravartinim Sriyam Labhate Ya
Evam Veda.
(chandogya Prapa 3, Kh. 12,
c-6)
In other words, the ether that lies
in the region of the heart of man is the same ether that is
outside, just as the external ether, although void of
objects, is filled with Brahman. Even so the ether of the
heart, though apparently void, is filled with Brahman. The
Gayatri Mantra sings the glory of this very Brahman. This
ether is not vacuous. It is full of Brahman and is
harmonious. The aspirant who realises this attains the
wealth of bliss which is all full and immutable. Brahman, as
sung by the Gayatri hymn, abides in this ether of the heart
even in the same way that it abides outside man.
Aum Antascharsi Bhooteshu
Guhayam Visvato Mukhah.
Twam Yastwam Vashatkar Apo Jyoti
Rasomritam.
(Katyayana
Parishishta)
"0 Almighty ! Thou does
exist in the cave of the heart of all living beings and have
your stay there. You have your face in all directions. You
are Yajna yourself and you are also food of the Indriyas
(senses). You are Prakash, you are Ras (taste) and likewise
you are nectar."
These utterances clearly show that
the relation between the internal organ and Brahman is of
the pervaded and the pervader. The ether of the heart is the
mirror for the vision of Brahman. The reflection of the sun
falls on a stony rock and on a reservoir of water, but it is
the latter that reflects the sun and not the former. Even
so, the vision of individual soul and the Supreme Soul is
possible in the lake or ether of the heart in the form of an
orb But even as by seeing the reflection of the sun one does
not have the knowledge of its being in the east or the west,
in the same way by realising Brabman in the heart one does
not realise the all pervasiveness of Brahman.
This orb of Brahman thus encompasses
all other orbs in its womb, as it were. This orb is, so to
speak, non manifest. Its colour is indescribable. But in so
far as one can speak, it is extremely white, glowing,
transparent and clear. An aspirant realises this last of
all. In the immature state of Sddhand, until mastery of
Sainyama has been attained, a Sadhak does not get the vision
of the orb of Brahman, even by entering into the heart
through meditation.
The
Second Orb. Prakriti (Subtle Nature)
Inside the orb of Brahinan there is
an orb of subtle Prakrti which is a sort of miniatute non
manifest, supreme Prakriti (nature). It is light yellow in
colour. This is the real causal body of the individual soul.
The individual soul is related to it from
eternity.
Jati desha kaIa
vyavahitanamapyanantaryam
Smritisamskarayorekarupatvat
(Patanjal IV-9)
In other words, the subtle desires
or Vasana s are not obstructed by the veils of class, place
and time, and Samskara s are in accordance with the memory.
Thus, having found the awakener, the Vasana s existing in
the form of subtle impressions are awakened.
Tasam anaditvam chasisho
nityatvat
In other words, these Vasana s of
subtle desire are external because the desire of an
everlasting life is at the bottom of the heart of every
living being and exists from beginningless time. The reason
for corelationship is ignorance: Tasya heturavidyda
(Patanjal 1I-24). This orb of subtle Prakriti maintains the
aggregate of all other orbs in its womb. The practiser may
not get the vision of this orb easily because of its
subtlety. Even after entering into the heart through
meditation, it is by mastery over meditation that he attains
the vision of this orb in the course of time.
Saukshamyat Tat
Anupalabdhih
(Samkhya 1-109)
It being the minutest, it cannot be
realised.
The
Third Orb...Subtle Vital Energy:
In the orb of subtle Prakriti there
is another orb of subtle Prana. When a practiser enters into
the heart through meditation, he first of all gets the
vision of the orb of subtle Prana; the colour of this orb is
like very luminous vapour, or like dew-drops dazzling in the
rays of the sun, or like shining rain.drops. This is
affected by the three Gunan s. When Sattwa predominates, it
is extremely luminous, like rediant rain-drops. When Rajas
predominates, the luminous drops are tainted with a rose
colour and are seen to be active or fickle. When Tamas
predominates it is of vaporous appearance and opaque and the
movement of subtle Prana becomes dull. This orb of subtle
Prana is the gross aspect of the contact of Atman with the
Chitta in its process of infusing consciousness. It reveals
itself in the form of luminous vapour. It is visualised
outside the orb of Ahamkara (ego-principle). Further than
this you find activity pervading the entire body. Often we
see five holes in the heart through which different types of
rays emanate. These holes are in the causal sheath. It has
been declared in Chhandogya Upanishad:
Tasya Ha Va Etasya Hridayasya
Pancho Deva Sushoyah
(Chhandogya Pra. P. 3, Kh. 13,
Chhanda 1)
The subtle Prana spreads out its
activity and life force through these holes. The flow of
light mingles with the shower of rays from the astral body
(intellect plus mind), abiding in Brahmarandhra which is
ever related to the hcart, and then the mingled flow
pervades the whole body. The rays of the astral body mingle
with the glow of life in the same way as colours, sugar, or
salt mingle in water, just as warmth spreads in liquids, or
just as rays of the rising sun pervade homogeneously in the
sphere of ether.
The
Fourth Orb ....Ahamkar (Ego):
If you see by the meditative vision
inside the orb of subtle PreI~za, you will find an orb
resembling the gorgeous colour of a peacock's neck,
extremely luminous, crystal-clear. It is, as it were, a
bluish green glass shade placed on a white luminous light.
This is the orb of the ego-principle which is the gross form
of Asmita (the principle of 'I'-ness). When Sattwa
predominates, this orb assumes a luminous white colour
against a luminous green background as if a white cloth has
been given a blue colour. In the predominance of Rajas it
appears like the blue circle in a feather of a peacock's
tail and is fickle like mercury. In the predominance of
Tamas, it becomes slow in motion and has the colour of deep
green mixed with blue.
The
Fifth Orb.......Chitta (Mind-Stuff) :
Inside the orb of ego is the orb of
Chitta. It is the palace of the individual soul. It is
extremely lumiuous white, transparent, pleasant to behold,
but by the influences of it, it is ever-changing. Through
its modifications Chitta is especially a sensitive part of
the internal organ. Vritti s in the form of ripples
constantly arise in the lake of the Chitta. It is even as
waves arising and subsiding in an ocean of water through
contact with the wind. Because of the constant modifications
of Vritti-v, Chitta appears to be in the form of Vrilti-s
alone. These parts, like waves, awaken Samskdra-s or
impressions which abide in the Chit to. Being influenced by
the three Guna s, the Vritti-s change their colours. When
Sattwa predominates, Chitta is like snowy butter, like white
snow, or like the white feathers of a crane. It is glowing
white, luminous, transparent, clear and pleasant. When Raja~
predomi-nates, it shines like mercury light, and is fickle
in motion. When Tamas predominates, it appears as if light
clouds have veiled the Chitta. This Chitta is the revealer
of the consciousness of the soul and is a special organ of
Antaiikara~ia, which is knowledge-predominating. It is in
this cave of the heart that the Atman abides.
The
Sixth Orb .....Atman (Soul):
From the point of view of size in
this creation, the orb of Atman, the soul, is smaller than
an atom, and from the point of view of subtlety it is
similar to Brahman. It is incomparable in its colour and
form, and it is thus symbolic of its ownself. Through its
association with Chitta, it assumes the same colour and form
that Chitta assumes. This Jivatman or individual soul exists
in the form of an extremely subtle point or jot.
These six orbs exist in an aggregate
form in the region of the heart, and they appear to be
constituting a Jyotir Linga, a mass of light. Just as the
sheaths of the five Tanmatra s go to organise mind,
intellect, the senses and Vijnanamaya Kosha, so does the orb
of subtle Prana organise the aggregate consisting of subtle
Prana, ego-principle, Chitta and the soul, all of which
belong to the Bliss Sheath. This orb of subtle Prakriti is a
part of the univeral non.manifest Prakriti through the
limiting adjunct of the heart. That is why this aggregate of
orbs is described by the Sruti:
Again:
Hiranyayah Kosah
Jyotishaavritah
(Mass of gold, covered by dazzling
light)
Hiranyamaye Pare Kose Virajam Brahna
Nishkalam, Tat Shubhram Jyotisham Jyotih Tad Atam Vido
Viduh.
(Munkak 2-2-9)
This Sruti endorses our view that a
knower of self realises Brahinan, who is spotless, in the
sheath of Hiranyamaya (mass of golden light) which is the
light of all lights. Further, another Sruti
says:
Ta va Asyaita Hitanama Nadyo
Yatha Kesah Sahasradha Bhinnastayataanimna Tishthanti
Suklasya Nilasya Pingalasya
Haritasya, Lohitasya
Purnah
Bri. 4-3-20, 2-1-19. 4-2-3, Chhand.
8-6 and Katha 6-16)
In other words: They are the nerves
known as Hita which are filled with white, blue, yellow,
green and red colours. These colours have emanated from the
sun.
In the third quotation a simile has
been given which appears to be the description of Brahman,
subtle Prakriti and subtle Prana, Ahamkara (ego-principle)
and Chitta abiding in the heart. Some consider this
description to cover the meditation on Chakra. They consider
this to be the description of self as it abides in the solar
orb, but this does not appear proper to me. Illustration No.
22 explains this point clearly
.
Brahmarandhra and the Heart: Similar
to the luminous orb of mind, intellect and senses, circled
by the orb of the five Tanmatri s, the contents of the cave
of the heart, and the ether of the heart, are luminous and
are in the form of orbs. The difference between them is that
the luminous orbs abiding in Brahmarandhra appear to be
brighter and more radiant than the luminosity of Chitta and
Ahamkara. The lights of the heart are gentle, tranquil,
milky white, transparent, soft and pleasant. The luminous
orb abiding in the hollow of the cardiac membrane is much
smaller than the luminous orb that abides in Brahmarandhra
in the crown of the head. As we have said, in the heart is a
hollow similar in size to a small seedless grape,
constituted of skin or fleshy membrane. In the subtle area
of this hollow exist the orbs of Chitta (the mind-stuff).
Ahamkara (the ego-principle), Sukshma Prana (subtle vital
breath), Prakriti (nature) and Brahman (the Absolute). These
are luminous orbs pervaded by each other as if bangles have
been set on the Sivalinga. These orbs arise from inside and
spread outwards. Please see Illustration No. 23. This is, in
brief, the description of Jnandcmaya Kosha, the Bliss
Sheath. But the knowledge arising out of direct perception
will be described later. We have yet to describe in detail
the vision of the self and the discriminative understanding
between Prakriti and Purusha, nature and spirit, in
Anandamaya Kosho.
Illustration No. 22
In the region of the heart, six
luminous orbs are visualised:
1. The orb of white colour that has
pervaded the other five orbs is Brahman qualified by the
Heart.
2. The yellow coloured orb is of Prakriti.
3. The rosy coloured orb is of Sukshma or subtle Prana.
4. This is the orb of Ahamara or ego, blue-green colour.
5. The orb of Chitta, from which rays aree emanating, in
white color.
6. In the white coloured orb of the Chitta there is the very
luminous orb of the individual soul.
Illustration No. 23
1. In the hollow of the membrane of
the heart is a space of the size of a small seedless grape,
in which Jivatman, Chitta, Ahamkara, Sukshma Prana, Prakriti
and Brahman are located in the form of girdles, as it were,
as if bangles have been put on a Siva Linga from inside
out.
2. The veiling of Chitta and Sukshma Prana by the Rajas
predominating Ahamkara.
3. The vision of the Sattwik states of Chitta, Ahamkara and
Sakshma Prana.
Go
to:
The chapter on the description of
the Heart
as the Center of Consciousness
The description of the elements of the Heart
Center
The description of the meeting of "The
Preceptor"..the source of
Science of the Soul.
Introduction Chapter of Science
of Soul
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