Chapter 5: A Vedantic Modelling of Human Personality PDF

# Chapter 5: A Vedantic Modelling of Human Personality ## Introduction The *Pakṣīkalpana Prakriya* of the *Taittirīya Upaniśad* describes *Svābhāvika Kalpana* - a natural assumption about who we are, the world etc. - this perception however commences at the tangible - the body. Naturally, in Eur...

# Chapter 5: A Vedantic Modelling of Human Personality ## Introduction The *Pakṣīkalpana Prakriya* of the *Taittirīya Upaniśad* describes *Svābhāvika Kalpana* - a natural assumption about who we are, the world etc. - this perception however commences at the tangible - the body. Naturally, in Euro-American Psychology, the path of inquiry is from the body to the brain to the mind and then to Consciousness, with consciousness being seen primarily as an emergent property of the brain. On the other hand, Indian spiritual psychology starts with a single *unitary Consciousness* that manifests numerously spatially and temporally. Thus, mind and therefore, psychology is emergent from Consciousness. The *Upaniṣads* use a variety of approaches to validate the existence and the immanence of Consciousness. One such approach is the narrative of *Prakriya. Prakriyā - Pratikalpana.* ## *Prakriya - Pratikalpana* The *Brahmananandavalli* explores the complexity of the human system through the beautiful imagery of the *Pakşī kalpanā* - a metaphorical bird with five dimensions (head, two wings, torso and tail). This is not merely to explain *intra-system dynamics* but to help the seeker comprehend the nature of the Self within. These five dimensions represent the five *constituent components* of each dimension of the human system. The allocation of different functions and processes to the different parts of the bird are not random. There is great coherence when we explore the interconnectedness of these five bird models and their constituent parts. The *Pañcamaya Prakriya* is discussed in Chapters 2 and 3 of *Taittirīya Upaniṣad*, with the elaboration using the *pakşī-kalpanā* appearing in Chapter 2 - Brahmanandavalli. The term, "Maya" implies a covering or sheath, however it is not one sitting on the other, but rather interacting aspects of the human system that both inform and influence each other very closely. ## *Pañcamaya Śarīra* The *Pañcamaya Śarīra* is a model that describes the five layers of the human organism: - **Annamaya**: The Physical Body. The backbone is the skeletal structure, at its core the skeletal structure is present, and at the outer level, the skin. We are contained within the framework of seven *Dhatu-s* (of Ayurveda). The bird describing the *Annamaya* is simply a bird with head, wings, torso and tail. - The head sets the direction, the wings enable flight, and the tail helps the bird navigate with ease and stability in flight while the torso holds the different parts together. Each part has a clearly defined role and purpose, much like the human body itself. - *Brahmananadavalli* (Chapter 2, *Taittiriya Upanishad*) defines annam as "adyate atti ca bhutani," which means that, when your adherence to diet is appropriate, it will sustain and nourish you. - When it is inappropriate (excessive, wrong), then that itself becomes the cause for our illnesses - that is why it is, "that which consumes and that which is consumed". When food is abused, then it will itself become your enemy. This is why *Annamaya* is referenced here as *Annarasamaya*. Modern medical science now has much to tell us about the gut biome and its impact on psychological wellness. When the principles of Ayurvedic food and nutrition that are individual centric are applied, then one can work on positively supporting the intestinal biome, thus laying a foundation for salutogenesis in the system. - A cross reference to *Bhagavad Gita*, Chapter 17, Slokas 8, 9, and 10 shows us how food choices determine one's personality as sāttvika, rājasika and tāmasika. - *Chandogya Upanishad* (6.5.4) tells us, "Annamayam hi manah" - what you eat is the essence of your mind. Understanding food and principles of nutrition is essential in working with individuals in the context of health and wellness. - **Pranamaya**: The Vital Body, which is physiological. *Prana* is key to this layer. Merely having the *shell* (the body) is not adequate. That shell needs to be empowered, enlivened. That quality of life is given by the flow of *prana*, which is vital to hold this external superstructure. *Symptoms* can manifest at this level. *Prana* is responsible for the optimum functioning of *Annamaya*. - The *pranamaya* or vital aspect of our system is made up of five components: *prāņa*, *apāna*, *vyāna*, *udāna* and *samāna*. Their locations and functions are summarized in the table below and these are also correlated to the specific parts of the bird, as indicated in the diagram. | **Prāņa ** | **Location**| **Direction** | **Function** | |-----|-----|-----|-----| | Prāna | Heart, Lungs | Upwards | Respiration, Vitality, Life-giving | | Apāna | Lower Abdomen | Downwards| Excretion, Reproduction (Prājāpatya and Sütika)| | Vyana | All Over the body | Circular | Circulation, Distribution | | Udāna |Throat | Upwards | Communication, Holds Ādhyatmika Prāņa in. | | Samāna |Navel | Inwards | Digestion | - In the context of *prāņāmaya*, some questions are worth pondering, for their answers will also reveal what makes us feel secure and what doesn't. - *With whom do we share our prāņa space freely?* - *How do we feel the depletion of prana after being in a crowded space?* - *How do we replenish prāņa?* - *Trauma as a transgression of prāņā space* - *Nurturing relationships, love, trust - connection to prāņa and breath - willing permission given to share prāņa space-* - *Adrenaline surges - due to fear and excitement - how they deplete prāņa* - Our *prānamaya* is nurtured by our capacity to breathe in and out slowly and deeply, which as modern medical science today indicates, stimulates the vagus nerve which is responsible for the rest and digest response of the body, essential for building immunity and sustaining health. - **Manomaya**: Represents all cognitive functions and the use of the senses to process information. - Through the senses, we acquire information about the world around us. It is the ability to think and process that is *manomaya*. What we retain is the memory that we use to do our work in our life. It includes the senses because the mind cannot do anything without the input given to us by the senses. One's ability to understand something is based on our exposure to education. That plays an important role in our understanding of our purpose of life and the choices we make. - Essentially, *manomaya* represents knowledge gained through the senses, the storage and retrieval of this knowledge and how we are able to appropriately apply this accumulated knowledge contextually. - In the *Upanishad*, the four Vedas form the head, wings, and tail of the bird, for in that period of time, the Vedas were the means of education. The specific instructions communicated in the *brahmaṇa portions* of Vedic literature as taught by one's teacher forms the core. This is comparable to modern systems of education in school and college as well, where diverse aspects of knowledge are gained through instructions as a preparation for further application. - **Vijñānamaya**: A deeper aspect of the mind. This is where all of our *samskāra-s* (habits / patterns accumulated over time through various experiences) are stored. This underlies the *manomaya* and colors the functioning of the *manomaya*. One's ability to think and to reason is colored by the baggage one is carrying. Most of us never see things as they are; we see things through a *projected lens*. Those projections are from the *Vijñānamaya*. - In the bird, *śraddhā* or an unwavering conviction in our path and the teachings of the *Guru* set the direction as the head. The wings are *rtam* and *satyam*, representing our capacity to comprehend the absolute, eternal *Truth* that underpins the cosmos and also how we are able to interpret and communicate that absolute truth (*Rtam*) through our words and behavior. Our intellectual honesty and sincerity stem therefore from this deeper aspect of one's personality, as also the absence of such a *value based ethics*. - For example, addiction to substances. There is some knowledge at the *manomaya* level. Everyone knows the harmful effects of smoking. Why is there such a high prevalence of smokers, despite knowing at the *manomaya* level? There is a total inability to act on it because the addiction has formed at the *Vijñānamaya* level. They think, "This makes me feel good" - and it is hard to break that. - The most important dimension of the *Vijñānamaya* is *Sraddha* or faith. The more intense one's conviction in oneself, and one's teacher and one's tradition, the less difficult our path seems to be. - The tail is *mahah*, the sum total of all accumulated experiences that are subliminally embedded in the mind and which propel the *atma* on cycle after cycle of embodiment. - The core in the *Vijñānamaya* bird is *Yoga*. Here it is indicative of a state of mental resolution and the capacity to accept what is and to accordingly orient oneself to situations as they unfold. Naturally, the greater the resoluteness of the mind, the easier it is to navigate through challenges of life. This is why *Vijñānamaya* is the true indicator of an individual's personality and what affects or drives him / her. - Renowned Yoga master, TKV Desikachar called this, "Yukti." *Yukti* is an intelligent application - the ability to reflect on what is appropriate, for whom it is appropriate, how that tool is appropriate, and to apply the tool in the context of the individual. - For any relationship to thrive, both individuals must have strong *dedication* (*Sraddha*) to work together. This collaboration is essential to change ingrained but harmful patterns of thinking, speaking, and behaving that are detrimental to health. This transformation occurs on the *Vijñānamaya* level. - **Ānandamaya**: The innermost aspect of the mind, most proximate. As the name implies, it is that capacity of the mind to transcend the waves of *sukha* and *duhka*, and to remain in serene stillness, in spite of the *sukha* and *duḥka* that are parts of our life experiences. There is an ability to be fully at peace no matter what's happening on the surface. When you connect to that, you are basically tapping into your *Ānandamaya*. The purpose of all spiritual *sadhana* is to tap into that and make that very strong, so that it anchors us. No matter what happens in terms of *sukha* and *duhka*, the *Ānandamaya* can anchor us, and give us hope. Meditation is essentially a stimulation of the *Ānandamaya*. - In the *Upanishad*, the head is represented as 'Priyam', the affection that arises in our minds as our first thread of connection to someone, the basis for any relationship. 'Moda' and 'Pramoda' are the increasing grades of joy experienced through the concretization of such relationships, and the delight of *ānanda* is the core of the *Anandamaya* bird. - As humans, we seek meaningful relationships between ourselves, and between us and nature, and these relationships fill us, literally and figuratively. Naturally, when relationships sour or in the face of loss, grief and anger, the relationships that fill us with *ānanda* also become a source of deep distress and pain. - When our *Anandamaya* is so deeply affected, one finds it difficult to see pleasure in ordinary things. The *Anandamaya*, when it blossoms, bestows a state where everything is experienced as joyful and beautiful. To be stable in this experience, is the state of the *Yogi*. But, for several of us, it can be the extreme opposite. This is where people with a lot of emotional trauma operate from - a place of hopelessness and despair. This is not our nature. It is a deep and systemic disturbance of our essential nature because of certain difficult and traumatic circumstances. - At the core of any holistic transformation lies connection. If there is no rapport, nothing will work. Such a deep relationship is what can touch an individual at the *Anandamaya* level. - But, the pinnacle of human spiritual growth is to develop the capacity to experience every moment deeply and fully, receiving and giving, and yet without becoming entangled in the prisons of our affections. This is a knife's edge walk but the outcome is a serenity and fulfillment that is unparalleled. The tail of the *Anandamaya* bird represents our connection to the source not just of all that we experience but the very source of the universe itself, for all that there is, is simply the outpouring of *Brahmānanda* ## Conclusion This is but a brief glimpse into one of the most beautiful and useful models to understand the different dimensions that constitute an individual. This model is presented to help us understand the nature of the *atma* as verily the infinite *Brahman*, which is eternal *Truth* (*Satyam*), the epitome of intelligence (*Jñanam*) and without beginning or end (infinite). This model can be unpacked to reveal deeper meanings and interconnections which can serve as a reference point to understand ourselves and others as well. The three *Guņas* (*sattva*, *rajas* and *tamas*) form the building blocks of the universe and the dominance of any one of the *triguņa* over the others at any given point of time determines our state of mind, the choices we make and therefore, the consequences of those choices. The *Pakşīkalpanā* model has far reaching implications when integrated with psychological approaches, *Yoga* therapy, counseling, personality development methods, aptitude based training and so on. ## References - 1. Taittiriya Upaniṣad - Dvitīya Brahmäandavalli, along with commentaries of Sankaracārya, Bhattabhāskara and contemporary commentators such as Swami chinmayananda and Swami Dayananda. - 2. The Yogasūtra of Patañjali - 3. The Heart of Yoga - TKV Desikachar - 4. Health, Healing and Beyond - TKV Desikachar with Richard Cravens - 5. Class notes from personal study with TKV Desikachar from 2003 till 2012. - 6. Insights gained from 21 years of experience working as a Yoga Therapist at Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram