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the physical forms are varied. Man is prey to ignorance because forgeing his Atmic reality, he identifies himself with the mind- body complex. (SSB)
The Five Sheaths (Encasing the Atma)
• Food sheath – annamaya kosa
• Vital airs sheath – praanamaya kosa
• Mental sheath – manomaya kosa
• Intellectual sheath – vijnanamaya kosa
• Bliss sheath – anandamaya kosa
The Five Vital Airs
• Prana – vital air that has its seat in the lungs
• Apana – vital air that goes downwards and out of the
anus
• Samana – vital air that is diffused through the whole
body
• Udana – vital air that rises up the throat and enters
the head
• Vyana – vital air that moves through the entire
circulatory system
The Four Bodies
Man is not the body alone. In fact, he is the conglomerate of the body, the mind, and the Self (Atma). The body is the vehicle for action, the mind is the means for realization of his true nature, and the Self is the witness of both the body and the mind. (SSB)
Gross Body
The physical body is the annamaya kosa (the sheath of food), which is of inert nature. It is composed of elemental substances like calcium, iron, and water. (SSB)
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