PSYCHOLOGY OF MAN WITH REFERENCE TO GODREALISATION

REALISATION OF THE DIVINE

[Psychology of man with reference to God-realisation —Kundalini and spiritual awakening—Spurious ecstasy- --Perception of Divine forms and sounds—Samadhi and Brahma-jnana—The Psychology of Samadhi—Vijnana which comes after Samadhi]

This body which is made of the five elements is called the gross body. The subtle body consists of Manas, Buddhi, Chitta and Ahamkara. The body by which one realises the bliss of God-vision and continues to enjoy His union, is the causal body. In the Tantras it is called Bhagavati-tanu. Beyond all is the Mahakarana —the First Cause.

When the mind is attached to the consciousness of the external world, it sees gross objects and abides in the Annamaya-kosa, the physical sheath of the soul, which depends on food. When the mind turns itself inward, it is like shutting the door of a house and entering its inner apartments; that is to say, it goes from the gross into the subtle, thence into the causal, till it reaches the final causal state. In that state the mind is merged in the Absolute and nothing can be said of it.

Lord Chaitanya used to have three sorts of states ' : (1) the conscious state in which the mind dwelt

on the gross and the subtle bodies. (2) The semi-conscious state in which the mind soared to the causal body and felt the causal bliss' and (3) the state of in-turned consciousness (superconscious state) in which the mind used to merge completely in the Mahakarana—the great First Cause.

There is a great similarity between this and the five sheaths or Kosas of the Vedanta—the Annamaya and Pranamaya Kosas (together forming the gross body), the Manomaya and Vijnanamaya Kosas (together forming the subtle body) and Anandamayakosa (forming the causal body). The First Cause is beyond all these Kosas. When the mind used to merge in this First Cause, he (Sri Chaitanya) used to fall into Samadhi; this is known as the Nirvikalpa or Jada Samadhi.