Hindu Concepts

Kosha

A Kosha (also, Kosa) (Sanskrit कोश, IAST: kośa), usually rendered "sheath",[1] one of five coverings of the Atman, or Self according to Vedantic philosophy. They are often visualised like the layers of an onion. Belling states:

According to the Kosha system in Yogic philosophy, the nature of being human encompasses physical and psychological aspects that function as one holistic system. The Kosha system refers to these different aspects as layers of subjective experience. Layers range from the dense physical body to the more subtle levels of emotions, mind and spirit. Psychology refers to the emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of our being. Together, all aspects make up our subjective experience of being alive.[2]

The five sheaths (pancha-kosas) are alluded to in the fourteen verse of the Atmabodha. From gross to fine they are:
Annamaya kosha, food-apparent-sheath
Pranamaya kosha, air-apparent-sheath
Manomaya kosha, mind-stuff-apparent-sheath
Vijnanamaya kosha, wisdom-apparent-sheath(Vijnana)
Anandamaya kosha, bliss-apparent-sheath (Ananda)

According to Vedanta the wise man should discriminate between the self and the koshas, which are non-self.
1 The five sheaths
1.1 Annamaya kosha
1.2 Pranamaya kosha
1.3 Manomaya kosha
1.4 Vijnanamaya kosha
1.5 Anandamaya kosha

Annamaya kosha

This is the sheath of the physical self, named from the fact that it is nourished by food. Living through this layer man identifies himself with a mass of skin, flesh, fat, bones, and filth, while the man of discrimination knows his own self, the only reality that there is, as distinct from the body.

Pranamaya kosha

Pranamaya means composed of prana, the vital principle, the force that vitalizes and holds together the body and the mind. It pervades the whole organism, its physical manifestation is the breath. As long as this vital principle exists in the organisms, life continues. Coupled with the five organs of action it forms the vital sheath. In the Vivekachoodamani it is a modification of vayu or air, it enters into and comes out of the body.

Manomaya kosha

Manomaya means composed of manas or mind. The mind (manas) along with the five sensory organs is said to constitute the manomaya kosa. The manomaya kosa, or “mind-sheath” is said more truly to approximate to personhood than annamaya kosa and pranamaya kosha. It is the cause of diversity, of I and mine. Sankara likens it to clouds that are brought in by the wind and again driven away by the same agency. Similarly, man’s bondage is caused by the mind, and liberation, too, is caused by that alone.

Vijnanamaya kosha

Vijnanamaya means composed of vijnana, or intellect, the faculty which discriminates, determines or wills. Chattampi Swamikal defines vijnanamaya as the combination of intellect and the five sense organs. It is the sheath composed of more intellection, associated with the organs of perception. Sankara holds that the buddhi, with its modifications and the organs of knowledge, form the cause of man’s transmigration. This knowledge sheath, which seems to be followed by a reflection of the power of the cit, is a modification of prakrti. It is endowed with the function of knowledge and identifies itself with the body, organs etc.

This knowledge sheath cannot be the supreme self for the following reasons;
It is subject to change.
It is insentient.
It is a limited thing.
It is not constantly present.

Anandamaya kosha

Anandamaya means composed of ananda, or bliss. In the Upanishads the sheath is known also as the causal body. In deep sleep, when the mind and senses cease functioning, it still stands between the finite world and the self. Anandamaya, or that which is composed of Supreme bliss, is regarded as the innermost of all. The bliss sheath normally has its fullest play during deep sleep: while in the dreaming and wakeful states, it has only a partial manifestation. The blissful sheath (anandamaya kosha) is a reflection of the Atman which is bliss absolute.

But now I am considering getting "clipped"

In a realm beyond the laws of physics, beyond the minds of humans, beyond the ken of any save the most highly advanced spiritual adept, lies a reality completely different from the one we inhabit. There, a divine being, actually the essence of “Being” called Narayana, sleeps. Narayana exists in a realm governed by another type of mental activity altogether different from that in which we currently live. In fact, from Narayana’s perspective this universe, the realm we call home, does not exist at all. The galaxies are not even a cosmic conjecture. Sentient beings are far from the consideration. But as Narayana slumbers, this four armed androgynous being prepares to create our universe. By his very dreams, he generates the stuff of our universe, where we will be players in a divine drama acted out over billions of years.

As this particular dream opens, a lotus flower blossoms from Narayana’s navel, and starts to grow. It grows and morphs until it resembles an egg in the middle of a flower from which ultimately hatches a four faced masculine being called Brahma. Brahma represents Mind, and within him-that is, within primordial mind, or consciousness-stirs an overwhelming urge to create and multiply. Just as Narayana represents Being, Brahma is Mind. Within him, now, the Desire to propagate appears. From Mind comes Desire.

But before Brahma can do anything about his desire, two demons emerge from the ear of the sleeping Narayana. Spying Brahma, who has only half emerged from out of his birth lotus, the demons gleefully decide to exhibit the dark side of their nature. Brahma is fully conscious of his vulnerable position. He knows that something terrible may happen to him at any moment, and he yells to the sleeping Narayana to awaken and protect him. For a second, nothing at all happens and Brahma watches, horror-stricken, as the demons start to make their way over to where he rests in the flower at Narayana’s navel.

But just then, a large radiant feminine figure arises out of the form of Narayana. Although he still slumbers the feminine figure seems to come directly from Narayana’s dormant body. Observing Brahma and the encroaching demons, she speaks. “Well what have we here!”

Help, help,’ cries Brahma. “I am threatened by those two evil figures even before I am completely formed. Please, wake Narayana so that I can be saved.”
The radiant feminine figure turns to the demons, who have now halted in their tracks. Briefly contemplating the situation, she muses, “I see.”
“Oh, Great Mother,” one of the demons speaks quickly, “we mean nothing, really.” “Oh yes they do,” gushes Brahma.
(The figure goes on to say…….)
“The sleeping Narayana has created you all. His dream will be the stuff of a new universe and there you shall all contend with one another in due course time. For now, I command that when the universe has completed its first, etheric phase of creation, you demons shall go to the farthest reaches of that place. It will take you a long time to come back to the center of things. Meanwhile, I offer shelter and protection to you, Brahma, while you finish your act of creation.”

Brahma says, “Great Mother, who are you?” She replies, “I am the spouse of he who slumbers. I am his feminine self, his energy, his wisdom, all the power that he manifests in any form whatsoever. I am called Lakshmi. As I am to Narayana whose dream this is, I shall also be your power and all energy and power of this creation of yours. For you, I shall manifest as Saraswati, she who is self contained, self aware and with full knowledge of that which you will create. I shall be your divine speech that you will use to create anything and everything. As your feminine aspect, Saraswati, I give you the power to create.”

“He who has made this cosmos through you is now playing in it. I shall also appear at the proper time, and you, too, will take part in this great play. As the Mind of the cosmos, you will be like the Grandfather who knows and understands all. Saraswati, your feminine counterpart, shall bless sincere seekers with wisdom and power. She shall be the pinnacle of wisdom and knowledge to whom all who love knowledge will aspire.”
(Brahma is the source of all knowledge and Saraswati is knowledge itself.)
Just as Narayana is Being and Brahma is Mind, the great feminine energy Saraswati is Brahma’s shakti, his power. She “speaks” a great idea through his mental conception and the cosmos is born.

Saraswati, in her manifestation as Divine Speech, represents a grout, through mantra, to grasping the underlying spiritual laws of the universe and through them the attainment of personal spiritual and material power.

In the structure of the creative power of sound, Nada, as Saraswati, is the primordial sound vibration emanating from the kundalini at the base of the spine, paralleling the creation of the universe.
The relationship of sound to the creation of the universe is found in different scriptures originating in India. Sir John Woodroffe’s Garland of Letters is a translation of one of the earliest recorded scriptures in all of mankind. Called the Sata-patha-Brahmana, it is reputed to have been part of an oral tradition in India for six to eight thousand years. It states, “IN the beginning was God with power through speech. God said, May I be many…. May I be propagated. And by his will expressed through subtle speech, he united himself with speech and became pregnant…..” It sounds amazingly like the Gospel of John, “IN the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God.”

I read that the Vedas were taken from the Naacal writings and then the Brahmins used them for deception, making no sense of the Vedas, turning it into superstition and awe, and making the people slaves with it with no understanding of it's true meaning.

Ay, and there is wisdom in the Vedas and understanding to be had that no human on earth is today capable of extracting or understanding...thus leaving many interpretations...impotent.