Untitled - the Divine Life Society

ody, sense, mind, Prana and the objects of the senses, i.e., themanifested phenomenal universe.If the Atman or Brahman is really unconnected orunattached (Asanga), how can He be so related to the Koshasor the sheaths or the bodies as to be ordinarily regarded onewith them? There are two kinds of relation in Indian logic.Samavaya Sambandha (inseparable relation as between anobject and its parts, the quality and the thing that possesses thequality, the action and the actor, the type and the individual,etc.) and Samyoga Sambandha (relation by contact betweentwo things as between a drum and a stick). Atman's relation tothe Koshas can be of neither sort. It can be only Adhyasa likethat of a snake in the rope. This Adhyasa is of two kinds, viz.,one-sided, e.g., the snake is superimposed on the rope but notthe rope on the snake and mutual (Annyonya Adhyasa) i.e.,Atman and its attributes are superimposed on the Koshas andthe Koshas and their attributes are superimposed on theAtman. So we say, "My body exists, shines and is blissful"and "I am a man, I am a Brahmin, I am a doctor, I am acelibate, I am a house-holder, I am hungry, I am thirsty, I amangry etc."Attributes of the body are superimposed on the Self, if aman thinks of himself (his self) as stout, lean, fair, as standing,walking or jumping; attributes of the sense organs if he thinksof himself as mute, deaf, one-eyed or blind; attributes of theintemal organ when he considers himself subject to desire,intention, doubt, determination and so on. Thus the producerof the notion of the Ego i.e., the internal organ issuperimposed in the interior self, which, in reality, is thewitness of all the modifications of the internal organ and viceversa, the interior self which is the witness of everything issuperimposed on the internal organ, the senses, and so on. Inthis way there goes on this natural beginningless and endlesssuperimposition, which appears in the form of wrongADHYASA OR SUPERIMPOSITION 213