Untitled - the Divine Life Society

y Avidya or nescience. They are all possessed of supremeSoul or Brahman who is everywhere, who is All, who is thecause of Akasa and all the rest, who is eternal, changeless,self-existent, who is existence, knowledge and infinity andwho is beyond the five sheaths. He is indeed the Self of all.He alone is verily the Atman.The philosophers of the Lokayata or materialistic schooland the common people take the physical body as the Atman.They are not aware of the distinction between the body andthe Atman. A knowledge of the five Koshas and the study ofthe Srutis will open the eyes of these ignorant persons. Theperceiver is distinct from the thing perceived. The sense ofsight is distinct from colour and object of perception. Theperceiving consciousness is the Self. The consciousness isdistinct from the body which is made up of matter.The supreme Brahman has been described as "Satyam,Jnanam, Anantam". A description of the five sheathsbeginning with Annamaya has been given in order to realisethe supreme Brahman which is beyond the five sheaths. Thesupreme Brahman which lies within the five sheaths is alsothe Self of them all. This non-dual Brahman forms the supportor the ultimate basic reality that underlies all duality producedby Avidya or ignorance. As the Anandamaya leads ultimatelyto unity, there is the supporting Brahman, one without asecond, who is the ultimate basis of duality caused byignorance, who is the tail, the support of the Anandamaya.The five Koshas of man are described in order to destroythe veil of igriorance. Resolve each Kosha into that whichprecedes it in evolution, each effect into its immediate cause,till the ultimate cause is reached. Eventually you will be led tothe knowledge of Brahman, who is beyond cause and effect,who is neither the cause nor the effect. You will realise theoneness of the individual soul and the supreme Soul.Maya is the illusory power of Brahman. This is the materialTHE PANCHA KOSHAS 193