OM! THE HUMAN BEING

THE HUMAN BEING
by Atman Nityananda

THE HUMAN BEING

This is a brief description of the main components and functions of a human being, which can be helpful to have a deeper understanding about your nature.

1. PHYSICAL BODY & The three Bioenergies -Doshas (Vata-Pitta-Kapha)

2. VITAL BODY 
The Vital-emotional Sheath and the Vital-emotional Ego

3. VITAL ENERGY

Two aspects of Vital Energy

• Physical vital energy
• Physical vital energy

PHYSICAL VITAl ENERGY

5 PRANAS - (apana, vyana, udana, samana, vyana) 
5 SUBPRANAS (Naga, Kurma, Krikara, Devadatta, Dhananjaya). The physical vital enable all functions of the body.

The prana flows through the 72.000 nadis (etheric channels). Important channels are the twelve acupuncture meridians with many acupuncture points. 
Most important are the nadis ida, pigala and brahmanadi (susumna) in which the sexual energy and the shakti-kundalini arise. There are also many energy centers (chakras), the 7 main centers are located along the spinal column. 

b. PSYCHIC VITAL
The Vital-emotional Sheath and the Vital-emotional Ego

Mental vital – emotional vital - central vital - lower vital (according  to Sri Aurobindo). The psychic prana enables the function of all psychic functions like thinking and feeling.

*** The vital sheath in its impure state creates all negative formations in every human being such as likes dislikes, desires, repulsion, attraction, lower emotions of fear, anger, greed,  etc. The vital formations are expressed in the mind level as compulsive thoughts and at the heart level as the negative emotions viz. fear, anger, greed, depression, fear etc. (as heart here I'm referring to the outer heart which is not really a center. The inner heart is the real one and its connected with the soul or psyching being as Sri Aurobindo call it.).

Real emotions of love, peace joy, devotion, compassion belong to inner heart. Some spiritual teachers refer to the inner heart as the higher emotional center.

3. MIND

The three qualities or Gunas of mind (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas)
The Three Gunas

ASPECTS OF THE MIND

AHAMKARA – BUDDHI – MANAS – CHITTA      

The four states of the mind
WAKING -- DREAM SLEEP -- DEEP SLEEP – SUPERCONCIOUS.

     a.  AHAMKARA: The sense of individuality;

--- The gross ‘Ego’  the rajasic and tamasic ego (the desire soul): the sense “the body is me”

--- The higher ‘Ego’ : A very subtle sense of individuality to enable a sage to function in this physical plane.

b. OUTER MIND (MANAS)
Sensory, emotional, physical, mechanical, sensual, imaginative, active (formative will). Coordinates all conscious body movements except those which belong to the instinctive mind.

c. INDERMITIATE MIND or INTELLECT (BUDDHI)

The intellect knows, cognizes, thinks, reflects, considers the pros and cons (for and against; to do or not to do; to do this or to do that) ratiocinates, compares, contrasts, deduces, infers, decides, determines, concludes, judges.  

a. LOWER INTELLECT
when related with the external world and functions under the dominion of the rajas and tamas qualities and lower ego I

The intellect polluted by rajas, tamas and the egoic energies and qualities loses its clarity and sharpness; becomes dull, inattentive, distracted and loses its capacity to express its innate capacities and functions properly. Thus instead of being a servant of consciousness becomes a slave of the ego and is called the lower intellect.

b. HIGHER INTELLECT - INTELLIGENCE
Self-awareness, self-observation, dettachment, right understanding, intutive knowledge, discrimination between real and unreal, perception of truth, intuition.

d. INNER MIND - SUBCONSCIOUS MIND (CHITA)
 The general mental field; memory, subconsciousness, latent tendencies, impressions (samskaras and vasanas) and creativity.
Regulates the pranas and instinctive bodily fuctions

4. CAUSAL BODY
The veil of ignorance. In causal body reside all possibilties and the seeds of samskaras and vasanas, 3 modes of happiness (priya- moda- pramoda). It is called the bliss sheath beccause whenn pure reflects on it the bliss of our true Self, Consciousness.

5. THE TRUE SELF - Atman, Consciousness
Being or Existence - Consciousness or awareness - Bliss  (Satchitananda).

The 'secret' to a plentiful life, a life of harmony, happiness and contentment is to have a sattvic mind free from desires and ego and to live in every moment in conscious contact with our true Self (Consciousness).

🌺 Peace, Love, Harmony