Pancha Kosha

The 5 layers (Pancha Kosha) of existence that we have

The five sheaths are:

1.      Annamaya Kosha (food-sheath),

2.      Pranamaya Kosha (vital sheath),

3.      Manomaya Kosha (mental sheath),

4.      Vijnanamaya Kosha (intellect-sheath)

5.      and Anandamaya Kosha (blissful sheath).

Annamaya Kosha – The Food Sheath – literally means the one which needs food to survive. We know so much about this part of us in last 200 yrs. The layer where medical science has gained total mastery over. All allopathic medicines work on this – and this approach sees my brain as an organ. Doesn’t know where my mind is located or my thoughts ! Basically it sees my body as a physical identity – from my cells to organs and body systems

Pranamaya Kosha – The Energy Sheath – this is the life force that I have – the pranas that govern all my physical body systems. This sheath can be recognized by my breath and can also be energized using breathing techniques and pranayama. Imbalance in this sheath is identified by short haphazard or fast breathing. Incidentally when I am stressed my breath becomes short, fast and jerky. When I am sick or unwell, my pranic layer is weak and I start feeling lethargic and slow. Pranic Healing works on this sheath.

Manomaya Kosha – The Mental Sheath – this is my daily mind – the entire gamut of feelings and emotions that I have during my waking moments. My likes, dislikes, hates, fears, phobias, love, compassion, irritations, sensitivities, anger, passion, obsessions etc etc. This is my seat of all pleasure and pains. This is the biggest culprit responsible for 90% of my health problems which originate here but only show up in my physical body much later. Upto here I am not very different from my dog – he also has these first 3 sheaths (though not as developed as mine). My teacher would say our mind is like ‘A drunk monkey, stung by a scorpion jumping around’ – so restless and crazy!!

Vijnanamaya Kosha – The Wisdom Sheath – this is my higher knowing, my inner voice, my inner conscience. This one tells me what is fundamentally right or wrong. This one is at a higher level than my daily mind. This differentiates me from my dog. This one tells me what I should be doing and saying vs. what I actually may end up doing or showing. This is my witness mind – watching over my monkey mind.

Usually if my wisdom sheath and mental sheath are both in sync, I would be healthy and happy . But at most times this one is in conflict with my mental sheath – and this conflict in the vibrations slowly grows and the imbalance then passes thru the pranamaya kosha into MOVES the physical body where it will manifest as a health problem. Hence the first sign of imbalance or impending disease would be imbalanced breath – which, if not addressed then slowly permeates into the physical body and settles as a Diabetes or Obesity or High BP or Arthritis – depending upon each individual and her lifestyle.

Anandmaya Kosha – The Bliss Sheath – this one being the part of me that can experience complete silence and bliss (which I have very rarely experienced!). This one is the ultimate goal of any healthy happy and normal human being – to be happy! This one experiences happiness without any strings attached – pure happiness, bliss , not connected to any material acquisitions or goals. This is where each one of us deserves to be – but alas! We all are usually stuck up in our Manomaya and Vijnanamaya layers – struggling within ourselves – hardly ever managing to reach to this level!