The individual consciousness of the Yogi

Vedantic Concepts

The philosophy of Vedanta, was originally the Pure Consciousness, the Absolute, Brahman, Atman (which resembles the Purusha of Samkhya). Then Maya (Prakriti equivalent) has emanated from Brahman, without which it has no existence. It is the underlying cause, the creative energy and transformation, the origin of the universe. It is the perpetual motion which is ephemeral and tied the cycle of life and matter. The Vedantists do not mince words: it is for them simply the “Grand Illusion” … According to the Vedantic cosmogony, the material universe is the result of a projected first extremely subtle energy, and then progressively densified until the matter. His sensory and mental limitations did not allow man to perceive the Atman, the true nature of the universe can not have that intuitive knowledge, for his understanding beyond his understanding.

The Kosha, the “envelopes” of the soul

The Kosha are exposed in the Taittiriya Upanishad. Kosha means in Sanskrit casing, coating, sheath or veil. Intensification of development required several modifications of energy and consciousness, depending on the nature of different planes crossed:

# Thus, the original energy is pure icing on the earthly plane. Then a map through it becomes light, sound, vibration. When the planes reached the most rude, it materializes: it becomes material, composed of 5 elements (ether, air, fire, water, earth).

# This also applies to the “soul” (Jîvâtman or individual consciousness) which descends from the subtle planes, plans until coarse. It is as if this descent into earthly existence, necessitated the creation of “clothes”, functions, vehicles, allow for individual consciousness to interact on energy plans through.

This phenomenon explains the existence of Kosha (envelopes). Here is another explanation of pictorial Kosha:

A room is in total darkness. The observer can see the darkness. In this room, there is however a lantern, but it is covered by many veils that do not allow light to pass through. It is covered with five sails – or Kosha – bunk. In its most secret center, shining the light of the Atman, the individual soul, pure and identical to the universal Atman. But his physical senses do not allow him to see his true nature. On the contrary: its meaning the push to project themselves into the material world outside. Just like the lantern above, however, lit, man can not see or be conscious of its own light …

The Kosha to hide his true human nature.
# He knows that he focuses more on the subject, plus the source, the Atman, is hidden & more it turns in and connects to its true nature, beyond Kosha, the more he comes close.

In the end, the yogi experiences the light source inside … The Jîvâtman (individual soul), who longs for liberation, is the opposite to the projection in the creation of the Universe . He goes up against the current, in Kosha, the coarser the more subtle, and finally surpasses. This task is extremely difficult: instead of being projected into the outside world, the “how” and “having”, Yogi returned within himself, learns to know and “be” to find him in the Unit in the Atman & that is what the yogi is when practice the various techniques of Yoga.