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The Koshas
72-73. The body, constituted of marrow, bone, fat,
flesh, ligament and skin, and composed of feet, legs, chest, arms, back
and head, is the seat of the "I" and "mine" delusion, and is known as
the physical body by the wise, while space, air, fire, water and earth
are the subtle elements.
74. When these various elements are combined, they form the physical
body, while in themselves they constitute the objects of the senses, the
five types of sound and so on, for the enjoyment of the individual.
75. The ignorant who are bound to the senses by the strong, hardly
breakable bonds of desire, are borne here and there, up and down, in the
control of their own karmic impulses.
76. Deer, elephant, moth, fish and wasp, these five have all died
from attachment by their own volition to one of the five senses, sound
etc., so what about the man who is attached to all five!
77. The effect of the senses is more deadly than even that of a
cobra. Their poison kills a man who only just looks at them with his
eyes.
78. Only he who is free from the terrible hankering after the senses
which is so hard to overcome is fit for liberation, and no-one else, not
even if he is an expert in the six branches of scripture.
79. The shark of longing grasps those whose desire for liberation is
only superficial by the throat as they try to cross the sea of samsara
and drowns them halfway.
80. He who has killed the shark of the senses with the sword of firm
dispassion can cross the sea of samsara without impediment.
81. Realise that death quickly waylays the senseless man who follows
the uneven way of the senses, but that man achieves his purpose who
follows the guidance of a true, compassionate guru. Know this as the
truth.
82. If you really have a desire for liberation, avoid the senses from
a great distance, as you would poison, and continually practice the
nectar-like qualities of contentment, compassion, forbearance, honesty,
calm and restraint.
83. He who neglects that which should be undertaken at all times, the
liberation from the bonds created by beginningless ignorance, and gets
stuck in pandering to the alien good of this body, is committing suicide
by doing so.
84. He who seeks to know himself while pampering of the body is
crossing a river holding onto a crocodile in mistake for a log.
85. This infatuation with the body and such things is a great death
for the seeker after liberation. He who has overcome this infatuation is
worthy of liberation.
86. Overcome this great death of infatuation with such things as the
body, wives and children. Sages who have overcome it go to the supreme
realm of God.
87. This body is material and offensive, consisting of skin, flesh,
blood, sinews, veins, fat, marrow and bones, and full of urine and
excrement.
88. This material body, which arises from past action out of material
elements formed by the combination of subtle elements, is the vehicle of
sensation for the individual. This is the state of a waking person
perceiving material objects.
89. The life force creates for itself, out of itself, material object
of enjoyment by means of the external senses - such colourful things as
flowers, perfumes, women, etc. That is why this has its fullest
enjoyment in the waking state.
90. See this material body, all that the external existence of a man
depends on, as just like the house of a house-dweller.
91. Birth, old age and death are inherent in the physical body, as
are such conditions as a heavy build and childhood, while there are
different circumstances like caste and occupation, all sorts of
diseases, and various different types of treatment, like respect and
contempt to bear with.
92. Ears, skin, eyes, nose and tongue are organs of sense, since they
enable the experience of objects, while voice, hands, feet and bowels
are organs of action through their inclination to activity.
93-94. The inner sense is known variously as mind, understanding, the
sense of agency, or volition, depending on its particular function -
mind as imagining and analysing, understanding as establishing the truth
of a matter, the sense of responsibility from relating everything to
oneself, and volition as seeking its own good.
95. The one vital breath (prana) takes the form of all the various
breathings, exhalations and psychic currents and fields according to the
various functions and characteristics, as do gold and water and such
things.
96. The eight citadels of groups of five categories, starting
respectively with speech, hearing, vital breath, ether, intelligence,
ignorance desire and action, constitute what is known as the subtle
body.
97. Hear that this higher body, also known as the subtle body, with
its desires and its tendency to follow the course of causal
conditioning, is derived from the undifferentiated elements, and is a
beginningless superimposition, due to its ignorance, on the true self.
98-99. Sleep is a distinct state of the self in which it shines by
itself alone, whereas in dreaming the mind itself assumes the sense of
agency due to the various desires of the waking state, while the supreme
self shines on, on its own, as pure consciousness, the witness of
everything from anger and such things on, without being itself affected
by any of the actions performed by the mind. Since it is unattached to
action, it is not affected by anything done by its superimpositions.
100. The subtle body is the vehicle of all operations for the self,
like an axe and so on for the carpenter. The self itself is pure
consciousness, and, as such, remains unattached.
101. Blindness, short-sightedness and sharp eyesight are simply due
to the healthiness or defectiveness of the eye, just as such states as
deafness and dumbness are conditions of the ear etc., not of the self,
the knower.
102. Breathing in and out, yawning, sneezing and bodily secretions
are described by experts as functions depending on the Inner Energy,
while hunger and thirst for truth are functions of the Inner Energy
direct.
103. The mind, as a reflection of Light, resides in the body with its
senses, the eyes etc., through identifying itself with them.
104. The sense of responsibility is what feels itself as the doer and
bearer of the consequences, and in together with the three Attributes,
purity etc., undergoes the three states (of sleeping, dreaming and
waking).
105. When the senses are favourable it is happy, and when they are
not it is unhappy. So happiness and suffering are its attributes, and
not those of the ever blissful self.
106. The senses are enjoyable only for the sake of oneself, not for
themselves. The self is the most dear of everything, and consequently
the self is ever blissful, and never experiences suffering.
107. That we experience the bliss of the self free from the senses in
deep sleep is verified by the scriptures, by direct experience, by
tradition and by deduction.
Vivek Chudamani
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