Answers to Spiritual Questions - The Body and the Indriyas (as answered by: Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba)

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"THE BODY AND THE INDRIYAS"

Answers to Spiritual Questions, by BHAGAWAN SRI SATHYA SAI BABA

Q. Why is this human body said to be composed of the Five Elements, the Panchabhootas?

A. Since it is a product of the Five Elements.Akasa, Vayu, Agni, Jala and

Prithivi, which are usually referred to as ether, air, fire, water and earth.

Each subsequent element originated from the previous one.

Q. Which is the cause of the first and therefore of all the five?

A. Brahman, the unmodified, the fixed, the Basis.

Q. What is the relationship between these Five Elements and this human body?

A. From Brahman originated Yathna and Mahath (Effort and Cosmos); from these was

born Akasa, from Akasa was born Vayu; from Vayu, Agni; from Agni, Jalam; and

from Jalam, Prithivi.

The human body is the result of the combination of all these five.

Q. In what form do these elements persist in the body?

A. Each element has again become fivefold and has gone into the composition of the body.

Q. The first—Akasa, what are the five which it has become?

A. The cogniser (Jnaatha), manas (mind), buddhi (intellect), ahamkaaram

(egoism), panchakam (existence, effulgence, bliss).

Q. Speaking as “in the body,” these are indicated?

A. They are recognised as the “inner senses.”

Q. Now, what are the five forms of the next element, Vayu?

A. Samaana (balanced breathing), Vyaana (The life wind, diffused throughout the

whole body), Udhaana (life wind which rises on throat and enters head),Prana

(breath, vital airs) and Apaana (down breath).

And, in the body, they are called "Pancha Pranas", the five vital airs.

Q. And Agni?…the Fire-element?A. That element became the sensory organs: the

ear, the skin, the eye, the tongue, and,the nose.

Q. And how are they demarcated?A. As Jnanendriyas, the organs of knowledge.

Q. Tell me, what are the Jalapanchakas, the five which the Water-element

became?A. Sabda (Sound), Sparsa (Touch), Rupa (Form), Rasa (Taste), and,Gandha

(Smell)

Q. Have they too any special name?A. They are known as Pancha-thanmatras...the Five Subtlenesses.

Q. The Earth-element remains out of the Five. How does it appear in the body?A.

The vocal organs, hands, legs, genitals, and the excretory organs.

And they are known as Karmendriyas...the organs of action.

Q. Instead of considering this human body, constituted in this manner by the

elements as a single unit, the Vedanthins say there are many units in it! Is

that true?

A. There are not “many,” but three. Some say there are four!

Sthula deha (the gross body), Sukshma deha (the subtle body) and Karana deha (the causal body).

Some aver that there is a fourth, called Mahakarana deha (the Super-causal Body) also.

Q. What exactly is meant by Sthula deha, the gross body?A. It means the body,

constituted of the twenty-five elemental principles mentioned by me already.

Q. What then is the Sukshma body?A. The five Jnanendriyas, the five

Than-mathras, the five Pranas, the Manas and the Buddhi—these seventeen

categories combine to constitute the subtle body.

Q. Is this called Sukshma deha only or has it any other appellation too?A. Why

should it not have? It has. It is known also as Thaijasa.

Q. And is it marked off as belonging to any state or Avastha? And what is the

name of that?A. Yes, it is.The Dream State.

Q. Do you mean to say that the Gross Body has no state assigned to it?A. Of

course, it has.That is the wakeful state, the Jagrath.

Q. What is the Causal, the Karana deha?A. There, the Chiththam or Consciousness

is in association with the Knower, the Knowing Principle, the Jnaatha.

It is known as Praajna.And the state is known as Sushupthi, Deep Sleep.

Q. Tell me also, what they mean by the Super-causal Body, the fourth.A. The Pure

Consciousness unmixed with any Thathwa or elemental principle, the Witness

Eternal, the Self Luminous. They refer to it as the Mahakarana Deha.

Q. Has it a name, like the rest?A. It is known as Hiranyagarbha.

Q. And the state?A. It is stateless, it is beyond all states of consciousness

and so it is described as Akshara Purusha.

Q. Coming back to this Gross Body, what are the specific products attributable

to the Five Elements that have united to form it?A. Of the Earth, bone, skin,

flesh, veins, hair.

Q. Of water, Jala?A. Blood, urine, saliva, phlegm, brain.

Q. From Fire?A. Hunger, thirst, sleep, sloth, comradeship.

Q. The element Vayu produces…?A. Activity, movement, speed, shame, fear.

Q. The element Akasa in the body must be responsible similarly for some

consequences.A. Yes; for lust, anger, greed, pride and envy.

Q. Man has many travails, is it not? Do these consequences of his composition,

have anything todo with his travails?A. You seem to have some doubts. The

reason for all his agony is this group of gross qualities. The travails, too,

are not many though they may appear so.

They are only of four types. They are called Vasanas.

The body, the mind, wealth and sex;

Though there are others, all are ultimately based on these.

Q. Man in his pride struts about blindly. What is this egoism that prods him on?

How many varieties of egoism are there?A. There are four types: vanity of clan,

vanity of wealth,vanity of youth, and vanity of scholarship.

Though there are other types too, they can be grouped under these.

 

Chapter 1. "THE BODY AND THE INDRIYAS"

PRASNOTTARA VAHINI(Answers to Spiritual Questions)

by

BHAGAWAN SRI SATHYA SAI BABA