Thursday, August 25th, 1977

WISDOM'S GOLDENROD, ALAN BERKOWITZ CLASS NOTES

(TYPED)

AUGUST 25, 1977

HINDUISM; VEDANTA; FIVE SHEATHS

TOPIC: Hinduism

SUBJECT: Vedanta

SUBSUBJECT: Five Sheaths

BOOKS READ FROM OR REFERENCED:

• Rene Guenon, Man and His Becoming According to the Vedanta

• Sir John Woodroffe (Arthur Avalon), The World As Power, Power As Life

• G.R.S. Mead, The World-Mystery: Four Essays

• G.R.S. Mead, The Doctrine of the Subtle Body in Western Tradition

• Vidyaranya, Panchadasi

• Govindagopal Mukhopadhyaya, Studies in the Upanishads

• Sri Sankaracarya, Swami Tattwananda (tr.), The Quintessence of Vedanta: A Translation of the Sarva-Vedanta-Siddhanta-Sarasangraha

• Swami Gambhirananda (tr.), Eight Upanisads, Volume One, with the Commentary of Sankaracarya

• T.M.P. Mahadevan, The Philosophy of Advaita

DIAGRAMS embedded in these notes:

• FIGURE 1977 0825-1-AB. 3 x 3 Diagonal Chart of Atma and Koshas Mapped onto Metaphysical Chart.

• FIGURE 1977 0825-2-AB. Atma and Koshas Mapped onto Metaphysical Chart.

• FIGURE 1977 0825-3-AB. Body Monad.

TYPED AND REFORMATTED by IT 2022

NOTES:

• RETYPED HANDWRITTEN NOTES (hence V08). From Classnotes AB 1977 0825.PDF.

• All spelling, capitalization, and punctuation corrected, abbreviations spelled out.

1977 08/25 at Wisdom's Goldenrod

Hinduism; Vedanta; Five Sheaths

[Classnotes AB 1977 0825.PDF Begin]

8/25/77 Koshas

Typist's note: The following abbreviations are used in these notes.

PD = Panchadasi by Vidyaranya

MHB = Man and His Becoming According to the Vedanta by Rene Guenon

SU = Studies in the Upanishads by Govindagopal Mukhopadhyaya

WP = The World As Power, Power As Life by Sir John Woodroffe (Arthur Avalon) [Note: See also Hin World as Power 7p B.PDF.]

GRSM = G.R.S. Mead, The World-Mystery: Four Essays and The Doctrine of the Subtle Body in Western Tradition [Note: See also HIN The Kosas B 12p.PDF.]

QV = The Quintessence of Vedanta: A Translation of the Sarva-Vedanta-Siddhanta-Sarasangraha by Sankaracarya, translated by Swami Tattwananda [Note: See also HIN THE QUINTESSENCE OF VEDANTA B 4p.PDF.]

TU = The Taittiriya Upanishad from Eight Upanisads, Volume One, with the Commentary of Sankaracarya, translated by Swami Gambhirananda [Note: See also HIN Taittiriya B 9p.PDF.]

Md = T.M.P. Mahadevan, The Philosophy of Advaita

[FIGURE 1977 0825-2-AB. Atma and Koshas Mapped onto Metaphysical Chart. Q = Quadrant. Diagram digitally redrawn by RQH from AB class notes.]

Koshas spoken of as correlating with buddhi, manas, indriyas, and pranas correlate to bottom line.

[FIGURE 1977 0825-3-AB. Body Monad. Diagram digitally redrawn by RQH from AB class notes.]

Kosha -- bucket, sheath, body

Derivation: kush -- enfold, envelop, surround

Brahman in conjunction with sheaths = jiva. (PD)

Maya = made of, consisting of

Kosha -- bodies through which consciousness functions at each level.

Sthula:

Annamaya -- composed of bhutas (MHB), body of food (SU), heterogeneous (WP).

Linga:

Pranomaya -- sensation, informs gross body (MHB), consumer of food (SU), made of air (TU), 5 karma indriyas and 5 pranas (QV), homogenous, undivided, whole = the directing consciousness of the material energies of the body (WP). Energizes in long rhythmic waves. Bestows motion on physical body. (GRSM)

Lower manomaya -- makes embodiment in material plane inevitable (SU).

Higher manomaya -- first individual state (MHB).

[Lower and Higher manomaya] stores desires, imposes order on prana, gets hold of all desires at once. Intellectual knowledge (SU). Manas in conjunction with 5 jnana indriyas (QV). Vibrating pentad, straight and rapid wavelengths. Associated with manas (vikalpa) (GRSM).

Vijnanamaya -- distinctive or reflective knowledge, productive, composed of tanmatras (MHB), possesses whole knowledge of creation. First evolute of Absolute, prana (in Vedanta: the intelligence associated with the totality). Prajapati or Prajna. Connects absolute and relative. Creation comes out of it, causal ordering, freedom from fear. Not in time but in relation to it (eternal) (SU). Constituted by valid knowledge (TU). Constituted of buddhi, jnana indriyas. Manifest aspect of Absolute. Agent of creation of universe. Sheath of consciousness (QV). Has reflection of pure consciousness (PD). Stops functioning in sleep (PD and Md). "Divided successive intellections or gropings of a struggling and as yet unorganized intelligence, having reference to place and time and an external historical world." Associated with buddhi. (GRSM)

Karana:

Anandamaya -- formless, causal -- totality of possibilities of Atma (MHB). Initial movement towards creation which is extended by vijnana = Isvara. Bliss or fullness as unmixed, rooted directly in Brahman. No relation to time (SU). Causal body of sheath of nescience persisting in sleep (Md). Vesture "of Forgetfulness of the misery and shame of our past lives." (GRSM)

[Classnotes AB 1977 0825.PDF End]