The Panchamaya Koshas

There are many cultures and religions throughout the ages, that believe that we are much more than flesh and bone, that there may be multiple layers or dimensions to our existence that are interconnected and that we have a consciousness that does not die when the body ends but that this consciousness becomes part of a greater whole. This process is named many things. In Yoga it is often referred to as enlightenment or bliss, a state where we reach our inner self.

Yogis have known, and have demonstrated through their own experience, that this is the case, and have documented in various texts, ways that would enable Yoga practitioners to reach the state of self realisation/enlightenment/joy/bliss, during their lifetime.

The Upanishads, ancient Yogic texts, appeared around 2,000 B.C.E as spoken teachings, and were later preserved as a number of written texts that recorded these spiritual principles. Many of which contained ideas and beliefs regarding the meaning of life and can be used as guidance on how to reach self realisation.

The Taittiriya Upanishad introduces the concept of the self or consciousness being covered by five ‘sheaths”, all of which are interconnected and part of the whole. These layers have come to be known as the Panchamaya Koshas. In Sanskrit, the ancient language of Yoga:

Pancha means five

Maya translates as appearance, illusion or more accurate for the purpose of this essay translates as “consists of”

Kosha translates as a sheath, or covering or layer

 The five Koshas are described in the Taittiriya Upanishad (although the names do not appear) as:

·       the physical sheath (Annamaya Kosha)

·       the energetic sheath (Pranamaya Kosha)

·       the mental sheath (Manamaya Kosha)

·       the wisdom/ego sheath (Vijnanamaya Kosha)

·       the bliss sheath (Adnandamaya Kosha) 

These sheaths become progressively more subtle from the gross physical body to the subtlest energy bliss state, and are interconnected to each other.

Over the next few weeks we will be taking a look at each Kosha in turn, turning our attention inward towards our inner self. Join me at the Glow Collective on either a Wednesday or Friday morning from 9:30 - 11:00.