The internal energy system of human body
Human body is a mysterious thing and is composed of many systems, energy, and organs. Collectively all of them make our body whole. Without these our body cannot stay alive. When the organs, systems work in a coordinated way, then only our body works. The internal energy system of human body is composed of three bodies and five sheaths. Physical, astral, and casual are the three bodies while Anamaya, pranayama, manomaya, vijnanamaya and anandamaya kosha are the sheaths of internal energy system.
Astral body
Astral body is one of the three bodies of internal energy system of us. Simply, our astral body is that system us that drives our physical body. Astral body has many names in different language. Aatma, soul, spirit all are the synonym of the astral body. Our astral body exists on a different plane than the physical body. It is said that our true form is the astral form, it can never be destroyed and change physical bodies. When the time of one physical body dies, our astral form moves out of it and move to another body starting a new life again.
Our astral body is like the software, to the physical hardware body. They follow the same relation. We can see physical body touch it and feel it, however we neither can see not touch our astral form. However, it is there and it is the force that drives the physical body.
Like the physical body our astral body can also weaken or become corrupted. Dharma, good work, karma, meditation are some of the activities that strengthen our astral body and paves it’s path to the heave. While evil works, hurting others, adharma weakens and corrupts our astral body.
Physical body
Physical body comes after astral body in the internal energy system. Everything that we can see in our body is the physical body. Physical body is the medium through which the soul experiences the world. Our soul cannot exist in this plane without a body. The astral body combine with the physical body in the womb of the mother to make a life in existence.
Physical body is the most complex type among the bodies of internal energy system. There are billions of cells, billions of neurons, blood, organs, system that work day and night to make the physical body working.
Our physical body is made of 5 primal elements or Panchamahabhut according to the Vedas. Wind, fire, water, earth, and space are the elements that makes the physical body. Disbalance in any of the elements cause the disturbance in the health of the person. Every organ from tip of the hair to the toe of the thumb is made by it. We also need these 5 elements to keep the body working. In the absence of any of them the physical body cannot function.
The physical body also needs to keep eating the food. Without food the body cannot function. Healthier the food fed to the body healthier the body will be. Vedic science says that food should be consumed in balance, if over consumed for the pleasure of mouth it does more harm than good to the body. We should eat to live not live to eat.
Internal energy system of the physical body needs to be balanced constantly. Like dharma is what makes the astral body healthy, workout, meditation, yoga are the things that keep the physical body healthy. One needs to take care of their physical body as without it they cannot exist in this world. Continuous workout, healthy food, meditation are the things that will keep your physical body in appropriate shape.
Causal body
Most people know about the physical and astral body but do not know about the casual body. Casual body is the deepest part of you and your existence. Let us understand the casual body like this, our astral body is the one that supports the physical body. The body that handles the astral boy is called the casual body.
Casual body is the most integral body of internal energy system that people do not even know about. People know astral and physical, however the one that extends beyond that s your casual body. Everybody knows their physical body and feel the presence of the astral body. However, not everybody knows their casual self. One needs to be deeply awakened or meditate deeply to know their casual from.
When the people go beyond knowledge, world, soul and enter the state of nothingness. That very nothingness is the casual body. That is the very reason it is called the body of no knowledge or body of ignorance.
In the casual plane nothing exists, there are no objects even light does not exist there. Everything in the subtle plane is darkness. People may perceive darkness as bad thing. however, it is not positive negative kind of darkness. The darkness is because nothing exists there. We perceive darkness through the physical and spiritual senses. However, what is there cannot be perceived by the physical or spiritual self. Where the limitation of the spiritual body ends, the existence of the casual body appears. It is peaceful place, resting place where one achieves nothingness.
The human internal energy system of soul is divided into Pancha Kosha or sheaths. The five Koshas exist enclosing one other. Annamaya kosha exits at the surface and the other 4 koshas are inside the annamaya kosha in layered form.
The internal energy system of koshas are as follows:
Annamaya kosha- physical layer
Annamaya kosha is the first among the five internal energy system of the soul. In your step of discovering your true self you must start by discovering annamaya kosha.
Annamaya kosha is the physical body of ours. It is also called as the food body. Every part of us that exists in the physical world is annamaya kosha. Our skin, organs, cells, tissues all fall under this category.
Wind, earth, fire, water, and sky, the great five elements come together to make annamaya kosha. This body is the temporary body and the outermost enclosing of ourself. Annamaya kosha needs to eat food, breath air to be able to function properly. It needs physical edibles as a power source to sustain it otherwise it dies.
Pranayama Kosha- Energetic layer
Pranayama kosha is the second casing of the internal energy system of the soul. When one goes beyond the physical self, they found this layer. By yoga, meditation, and knowledge one can know the pranayama kosha of themselves. When we cross annamaya kosha and reach pranayama kosha we go from the physical world to the energy world.
This internal energy system consists the subtle energy of the body. This kosha cannot be seen by the human eye but we can feel it as it is pure energy. Breath and prana are the elements of the pranayama kosha. Prana is the life in all living beings. Basically, it is the wind element within us. By the medium of breathing prana enters as a life within all of us.
Breath needs to be mastered in order to increase the prana within us. A clam mind, meditation yoga and knowledge are the things that help you to master pranayama kosha and go beyond it.
Breathing exercise, breath yoga as mentioned in the yoga books are the technique that enhances the life energy within us.
Manomaya Kosha- Mental/emotional layer
After pranayama comes manomaya kosha in the internal energy system of the soul. Manomaya kosha is that part if internal energy system that consists of thoughts, emotions and thinking.
Manomaya kosha also contains the subtle energy of the body. This kosha lies beneath the pranayama kosha and above the vijnanamaya kosha. People who go beyond the pranayama osha are able to get to this part.
Manomaya kosha is the kosha of consciousness. Our thoughts, memories, emotions, feelings, ideas all lie in this kosha.
The manomaya kosha takes the information form the annamaya kosha and acts in the according way. The ears give sound, eyes give s vision, nose gives smell and the mind acts accordingly in this process. Then after all the action the same kind of emotion arises according to the mental action.
Most people come to this region of the internal energy system of the soul.
To come up to here is also not easy. However, to go to the two koshas from here are even harder. To master the manomaya kosha one need to first make the mind calm and emotions very stable. One with the unstable mind and disturbed emotion cannot go further than this. One need to have the mastery over the mind and emotion to proceed from here but how to do that?
Various forms of yoga, breathing technique help to enhance the energy of this kosha. However, not just yoga and technique grant you mastery over this kosha. One need to amass huge knowledge to master this kosha. Knowledge and experience are the two things that enhances the mental layer. What food is to annamaya layer, knowledge and experience is same to the manomaya kosha.
Vijnanamaya kosha-wisdom layer
After manomaya comes vijnanamaya kosha in the internal energy system of the soul. Mainly people roam around the previous koshas and are not able to reach here. Vijnanamaya kosha is the layer of wisdom. It is the last layer of subtle energy of us. Those who master the manomaya layer completely and go beyond are able to get to this layer of themselves.
Vijnanamaya kosha is the penultimate destination of internal energy system of the soul. Before here, thigs used to act on a fact or what we perceive as a living being. Now, things get little bit different from here. Those who have achieved and gone to their vijnanamaya kosha in internal energy system acts as wisdom and intuition rather than fact and what we see surfacely.
The people who are here see the bigger picture, their thoughts actions and vision are not understood by all. They see a lot more than what meets eye and understand lot more than what senses acquire. They acquire inner wisdom and know themself very well both physically and internally.
People meditate, practice yoga, research, search deep within themselves to be able to reach here. Then try to convert their knowledge into wisdom and intuition. Only then they will be able to master the vijnanamaya kosha. Greatest of sages, yogis who have acquired years of knowledge and experiences are found here.
It is the great peak of knowledge to know oneself but still it is not the highest peak. Further from here lies the anandamaya kosha, the final destination of internal energy system.
Anandamaya kosha-Bliss layer
Anandamaya kosha is the core of internal energy system. The one who reaches here goes beyond the subtle body and finally reaches the casual body. It is the deepest layer of kosha and the destination of true knowledge where one knows oneself.
Anandamaya kosha is also called as the layer of bliss. It is because the one who reaches to this layer attains true joy, happiness, and knowledge. There is no further destination of knowing yourself beyond anandamaya kosha. One who reaches here Know’s their true self. They are able to reach beyond even the grasp of wisdom.
To get to this layer one need to go beyond physical realm to subtle realm when they also pass-through subtle realm they reach here. It is not easy and possible for everyone to reach the core of internal energy system. Only some gifted in the way of spirituality and knowledge are able to do it.
When one touches and reaches, they achieve true bliss. Moreover, when they reach to the center and master the anandamaya they achieve cosmic consciousness. Cosmic consciousness is the state far beyond the senses of physical body. They are believed to be beyond the grasp of logic and wisdom. One who has awakened himself in all the ways are able to achieve it. It is belived to be the true and ultimate essence of living being.