This is the seventh chapter of the book „Viveka – the Voice of Inner Guru. “
The whole book will be tokenized as NFTs on Mirror and, as such, published in 20 articles (20 chapters of the book: The Illusion; India, oh India!; The Accurate description of the Reality; The Crown Jewel; Dead Guru; Living student; Who you?; Leaving the room; The Weakness of the Mind; The Archimedean Point; Three Powers of Maya; Viveka - the Sword of Truth; The Cave of the Mind; Language Can Save Us; Searching for Lakshana; Nine Golden Rules of Viveka; Purification Exercises; What to do with all this?; Dealing with Fear; Ekam Evadvityam: Living without a Center).
Chapter Seven: Who You?
mithyātvena niṣiddheṣu kośeṣveteṣu pañcasu |
sarvābhāvaṃ vinā kiṃcinna paśyāmyatra he guro
vijñeyaṃ kimu vastvasti svātmanātmavipaścitā ||O, Master!
After these five sheaths have been eliminated as unreal,
I find nothing but a void, the absence of everything.
By which entity then, should the wise,
realize their identity with the Self?Vivekachudamani 212
It is not a mistake. In the title, I mean. There is a story at the end of this chapter; you'll see where missing „are“ have gone.
The root problem, the one at the base of an illusory reality, is mistaken identification. There comes a time in every person's life when the question „who am I?“ becomes very prominent. It is a part of the psychological development of a young person. There is no teenager in this world who didn't ask himself what the hell is he supposed to do with his life? Who is he supposed to be? Since there is no ready answer to that question, young people identify with groups or masses. Afterward, in many cases, they accept the answers their parents offer: You will be a doctor. Or an architect. Of course, you will be a parent, too. A successful businessman or a famous actor. You have it in yourself. That's who you are.
So they follow the steps of self-identification with different roles until sometime later in their adult life when a midlife crisis comes, or maybe some loss, trauma, or disease. Who am I, really? I had a job, but now it is gone. I had my hour of glory, but now, nobody knows me. I had my health, but now I am a patient. My husband, whom I loved so much, is a cheating bastard. I am not a wife anymore. Children are gone; they don't need me. I thought I am a mother, but now... I don't know.
Besides causing psychological problems to ordinary people, the topic of identification is common to all philosophical and spiritual teachings. Vivekachudamani deals with the issue of identification in a very original and exciting way. The idea that people have different bodies or different body layers is well known in spiritual circles. However, not many people know that probably the main popularizing factor in spreading it throughout India and the world was precisely - Vivekachudamani!
Large portions of the text (approximately verses from 71 to 107 and again from 149 to 168) explain the difference between Self and non-self (ātmānātmavivecanam). The Self (atman) is who we are, and the non-self (anatman) is who we are not. Interestingly enough, later on, you will see that the nondualism of the state of liberation (moksha) questions that preposition by placing doubt on the existence of anything individualized behind diversified expressions of different acts, functions, and, why not, bodies.
But for now, Vivekachudamani urges us to consider different layers of apparent identification. The first idea of „being me“ focuses our attention on the body. The edges of the material body are the first line of defense from the outside world. Until here (the border formed by my skin) is me. Outside that border is something or somebody else.
Besides that gross, material body, it is interesting that Vivekachudamani recognizes three more „subtle energy bodies“and one causal body. Those are five sheats (kosha) that are formed around the Self. Here they are:
- Annamayakosha, "foodstuff" sheath (anna)
- Pranamayakosha, "energy" sheath (prana/apana)
- Manomayakosha "mind-stuff" sheath (manas)
- Vijnamayakosha, "wisdom" sheath (vigyan)
- Anandamayakosha, "bliss" sheath (ananda)
Notice that maya (illusion, that what is not) is integrated into the names of those sheats. That means they are not real; they are illusory. Later on, we'll deal with the mechanics of their appearance through the three powers of maya.
We may reduce those five sheats into three groups according to their origin and/or function. The gross body (annamayakosha) results from food and interactions with other objects from the „outside“ world. (The physical body is described as consisting of seven substances (tissues). They are formed by the five great elements (mahabhuta). Those elements and their origins are: from sound (sabda) comes space (akasa); from touch (sparsa) comes air (vayu); from sight (rupa) comes fire (tejas); from taste (rasa) comes water (ap); and from the smell (gandha) comes earth (prithvi).)
The subtle body consists of three sheats (pranamayakosha, manomayakosha, and vijnamayakosha). Interestingly enough, the formation of the subtle body is mainly the result of past actions (karma). (There are quite a few elements in the subtle body. Five „vital airs“ (prana) constitute an energy body. There are „internal organs“ (buddhi, ahamkara, and manas) joined together in a mental body. Then, there are so-called „organs of knowledge (jñnendriya) – not to be mixed with physical, sensory organs as a part of the gross body.)
The last body (anandnamayakosha) is said to be a casual body. It is the finest reflection of consciousness and the seat of motivation (pleasure, happiness).
Each and every one of those sheets can be -and is – the focus of identification - the place we find an answer to the question „who am I?“.
At first sight, identification with the gross body is something the most superficial people do. However, it is hard or even impossible not to connect the existence of me or I with the presence of a material vessel. We perceive the body's death, and there is little or no evidence that „I“ survives it. Thus, „I am the body“ is the strongest and most persistent identification. You'll need some impressive spiritual experiences to escape from it. However, those experiences can do more harm than good by empowering the bond between subtle bodies and the answer to the „who am I“ question.
Identification with the energy body (pranamayakosha) is rare because that body possesses no intelligence. It is a body of support for the gross body (health issues are often connected with a weak energy body) or two subtler bodies - manomayakosha and vijnanmayakosha. Energy loss can induce depression, lack of ideas and ambition, self-doubt, self-disrespect, and other psychological problems. In the opposite case, a powerful energy body can increase the power of identification with personal traits, status in society, and other fields of identification. From the standpoint of a good life, a strong energy body is a necessity. From the perspective of viveka, it doesn't matter if it is strong or weak. Both conditions will influence the power of identification with other bodies.
Manomayakosha, or the mental body, is the most significant source of illusion. It is the domain of the mind. We'll deal with it in detail throughout the book. It is the origin of the sense of „I“ and „mine“ (possession, belonging). However, as you'll see, right there, in manomayakosha, you can find the most massive crack in the web of illusion. Consequently, viveka starts to operate on that level. It is not by accident that the mental body is in the middle of the structure of koshas. The strength of identification is more prominent on the edges of that structure.
The two strongest points of identification are the gross, material body and the subtlest body, the causal body – the body of motivation.
Vijnamayakosha is the field of knowledge. It sounds almost positive, but don't forget that „knowledge“represents everything you learned throughout life. There is no way of telling if what you have learned is a little, partial, or plain wrong. The „body of knowledge“ keeps all our ideas, beliefs, and mind patterns. It is the primary source of karma. As such, it is a strong focus of identification. We tend to identify with our beliefs, tradition, convictions, worldviews, and attitudes. Most of these patterns are connected with substantial emotional charges. We follow them unconsciously, and breaking with them is usually painful. A relatively small portion of vijnamayakosha is conscious knowledge. Still, even then, it can function as a strong attractor for the „I, “ which will attach itself to experiences and abilities, trying to define itself with the possession of knowledge.
Last but not least among the illusionary scenery of our life is the body of bliss – anandamayakosha. If the „body of knowledge“ sounds good, but represents a stronghold for karma and maya, then the „body of bliss“ sounds even better. Indeed, it is the root of our motivation, a place made entirely from pleasures and enjoyments. The word „bliss“, not just plain happiness, indicates that there is no reason to connect anandamayakosha with material desires, hedonism, or something similar. No, the body of bliss is highly spiritual. It is the finest envelope around consciousness.
Not many people reach the level where anandamayakosha becomes the dominant identification factor. Such a thing can happen only in higher states of consciousness. And that means that the path through the spiritual realm is full of surprises. You may break the magic of more gross bodies and understand that they are not the answer to the question „who am I,“ and find yourself in a blissful state of feeling enlightened and holly. However, that can be only the last and the most dangerous trap of maya.
How would you know if you are the victim of such an unfortunate fate?
Andadamayakosha sounds like a great state to be. And it is. Indeed, there are no better bodies than the body of bliss. Other bodies cannot compete with it, not by a long shot. You want to be in that state. Your soul is longing for the everlasting bliss of anadamayakosha. But it could be a trap. So, how would you know?
The secret is in discerning ability you have to develop: viveka. It is not entirely clear how you should do it, but Vivekachudamani gives a quite in-detail description of five koshas, with the clear intention to make you think about the fact that you – real you – are neither of them. In practice – if there is any practice – the student has to see by himself that the answer to the „who am I“ question lies beyond koshas. The text itself does not help to find what any modern reader will immediately ask: „What should I actually do?“ The commentaries are usually more generous, but they are, of course, colored by the tradition or school the commentator belongs to.
One of the possible directions is to look for imperishable. The Self is said to be immortal, untouched by time or any state of consciousness. So, if something perishes in time or is not present in all states of consciousness, it is a lousy candidate for the Self. It's not hard to see that all koshas have an expiry date. Or they are not always present; they come and go. However, such an understanding is based on a presumption that the Self is imperishable, and the sense of I-ness is temporary. If you look beyond the spoken (or written) words into the spirit of viveka, you'll quickly understand that any presumption, even the correct one, is unacceptable. Quite the contrary, any belief is discouraged because if you build your reality on assumptions, you create an illusion.
Relatively modern advaita teachers, like Ramana Maharshi, suggested that their students practice a vichara – some kind of self-inquiry. It is constant attention to „I“ or „I am,“or „I am experiencing“ or „I am doing.“ However, when you again look into the spirit of Ramana's recommendation, you'll find that a student intends to discover the unreality of the „I“ thought and „I-ness“ feeling. And that raises a question about the whole idea of the „true Self.“
The commentators of Vivekachudamani mostly want their students to „identify themselves with the true Self “and not with the false ones created through kosha identification. But, the spirit of Vivekachudamani wants the student to stop identifying himself with anything! There is a significant difference between those two approaches.
First, the student doesn't know what is beyond five koshas. If he knew, he wouldn't be a student but a master. So, he doesn't know. It will be desirable that the student directly sees, or recognizes, the truth. Actually, it is not just desirable but only possible because, in case he doesn't see the truth directly but believes his master (or the text he reads), he would be building an illusion that will be difficult, if not impossible, to break. And second, the instruction for identification with the „true Self“ is schizophrenic. Let's say that you succeed in that impossible task and identify yourself with your „true Self. “ Tell me, who's identifying himself with what? Someone must make the identification. That someone is the „false self.“ So, the result of identification with the „true Self“ done by the „false self“ should be some kind of merging of two entities. Or, the „false self“ still exists, but it is now identified with the „true Self,“ thus making the whole process meaningless. And complicated. And schizophrenic because there are no two entities in the subject, just one. And that one is the true one or the false one – there can not be two of them.
So, which one is it?
Now, that is the most interesting question! Namely, the „false self“ is created by identification. What happens when there is no identification? Can we say that the state of no identification produces the true Self? No. The true Self is there all the time. Or it isn't. A student doesn't know; he will see the truth when he eliminates the identification process. If he believes in the „true Self“ before he does that, he is lost again.
Please, forget the idea of „identification with true Self“; it will confuse you and put you in an impossible situation. The reason why such an approach is present in commentaries of Vivekachudamani and modern spiritual practices is that men and women who crossed the final line are rare. Most teachers and students struggle with „what should we do“ and „how should we do it“ questions. Those questions are part of the problem, and answering them is not contributing to the solutions.
***
I promised you a story explaining the title of this chapter: „Who you?“ Where is the „are“ gone?
The story is not mine. I read it in a book by John Grimes, „The Vivekacudamani of Sankaracarya Bhagavatpada: An Introduction and Translation. “ It is a scholarly book, so I doubt many people will find their way to and through it. Heck, you may very well say the same for this book, too. But, by reproducing Grimes's story here, the chances for people to hear it will be higher.
*„Once, many years ago, I had a chance meeting with an Indian monk who asked me, “Who you?”
Having lived in India and being used to this type of English and being young and polite, I began to answer him, “I am John Grimes,” but just as I reached the “G” of Grimes, he said, “Bas, family name, who you?” (“bas” is Hindi for ‘stop, enough’).
Again, since I had studied Indian thought, I very confidently and boldly began to reply,“I am the immortal atman,” but just as I reached the “A” of atman, again, he stopped me, “Bas, book name, who you?”*
With the first “bas,” he wiped out the idea that I was my physical body. With the second “bas,” he wiped out my entire mental universe. What was left? With two small words, he had succeeded in conveying to me that I was neither my body nor mind. How to answer him?
So I said, “I do not know.”
Immediately he responded, “Find out.”
I replied, “How?”
He responded, “Not how, find out.”
***
Next Chapter: Leaving the Room