THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL SELF

This question was answered when I had psychic and out-of-body experiences as a child. These experiences had happened spontaneously which led me to ask: If I am just my body, what travelled out of my body? There are many stories in the Indian and Yogic tradition that spoke of masters who could travel at will out of their bodies. So thankfully, I did not feel I was strange or different. The experiences were uneventful most of the time. I would see my own sleeping body and the surroundings from a different perspective. A few times I shared my experiences with my mom. I had memories of incidents when I was in my mother’s womb. I also knew of a child my mother had lost before I was conceived. Sharing this surprised and re-traumatised her so I learned at a young age not to rock the boat and to keep quiet. I see that, like myself, many people have shut down that part of themselves as it was unsafe to express it in their families. India was colonised by the British for close to 100 years. As a result, when I was young, many of the good schools, or the one’s parents thought were good, were Christian. I was sent to a Catholic school because the nuns taught manners, discipline, and good grammar.

However the education there was shaped by the belief system and worldview of the school’s religious affiliation. I am grateful, I had a grandfather who was also my guru. I lived with him for most of my formative years before my formal studies in ashrams. Through his example he made me question predominant ideas of self which were one-dimensional. There were many ways that these one-dimensional viewpoints were prevalent in India at that time. For example, the allopathic or modern medicine viewpoint had become more dominant than the Ayurvedic or Yogic viewpoint. I like to call the Yogis, Rishis or Sages the “ancient researchers.” They researched their own being in great detail. They dedicated their entire lifetime to observing themselves and natural phenomena. They did not invent yogic principles. They discovered them. They saw five broad dimensions of human existence and created a framework that would support us to live a more human and humane life. This framework acts as a wonderful guideline to see how we can acknowledge these aspects of our being and integrate them, without getting trapped. They called them the Pancha Kosha. In Sanskrit, Pancha means “five” and Kosha means “field,” “sheath” or “body.”

THE PANCHA KOSHA

To repeat, the Pancha Kosha are the five bodies, fields, or sheaths of human existence. They are as follows:

MANOMAYA KOSHA

ANANDAMAYA KOSHA

Some traditions say one has to transcend to the Chittamaya (Pronounced chitha-maya) and Atmamaya (Pronounced Aatmamaya) Koshas as well which lie deeper. Chith means “consciousness” and Aatma means “soul.” The first three koshas are more personal and the other two are transpersonal. They help us tap into collective and cosmic wisdom and manifest things in alignment with dharma or harmony. Else we are spoilt brats wanting everything yet never being truly satisfied. It’s baffling how many people equate spiritual success with material success in the world. Material success is important but if it becomes the entire focus of our lives, it will take away from our spiritual development. If our success comes at the cost of harmony or the well-being of ourselves or others, we become emotionally stunted and misaligned. This misalignment causes DiseaseThe first three koshas are more personal and the other two are transpersonal. They help us tap into collective and cosmic wisdom and manifest things in alignment with dharma or harmony. Else we are spoilt brats wanting everything yet never being truly satisfied. It’s baffling how many people equate spiritual success with material success in the world. Material success is important but if it becomes the entire focus of our lives, it will take away from our spiritual development. If our success comes at the cost of harmony or the wellbeing of ourselves or others, we become emotionally stunted and misaligned. This misalignment causes Disease.

SHAPED BY MENTAL CONSTRUCTS

A lot of the experiences I had as a child are validated by the framework of the pancha kosha. I would sense the emotional states of adults by being present at their
pranamaya and manomaya koshas. I could feel when someone did not have good intentions or was carrying a lot of unprocessed trauma that had the potential to create volatile situations. As a young girl who loved her independence, that helped me navigate the world better and kept me safe most of the time. I was also able to tap into solutions by connecting to the vijnanamaya kosha. This kosha is like the cosmic internet that allows for downloading of not just information but of true wisdom. Much later I was introduced to this model of our existence and found it comforting. However those around me did not have the same privilege, so I was careful who I shared these experiences with outside of my teaching work. This framework is not the framework we learn in school. We learn a one-dimensional approach to biology and anatomy which barely scratches the surface of the beauty and magnificence that we are. Our worldview and character are shaped by mental constructs. Imagine the kind of human beings we would be creating if we taught our children this multidimensional model of understanding who they are. We might see kind, strong human beings with healthy boundaries and a sense of responsibility for both their inner and outer world.

INTERWOVEN MEANINGS

It is fascinating to see the interconnectedness of words with similar sounds. Knowing the root of Sanskrit words helps. For example, a man has manas and a manomaya kosha. Manas is the part of the mind influenced by emotions and senses. This can be problematic when emotions and thoughts are unregulated. Mantra helps us rise above the limitations of the mind. It frees us from reactive patterns and moves us toward liberation. We see the connecting root word here is “man,” meaning “mind” in Sanskrit. The English word “man” has its roots in manas, manomaya kosha and mantra. Similarly, in Sanskrit we have another set of words Nara, Naraka and Narayana connected to the pancha kosha.