Spirituality Studies 10-2 Fall 2024 53 Gejza M. Timčák, Gábor Pék sion, the ordinary saṃtoṣa oriented outputs of ānandamaya kōśa are needed, just as its advice regarding possible painful, joyful, or neutral outcome of a given life situation or of an approach to it. Saṃtoṣa, however is not identical with “joy” (Sa. sukha). Further, as Muruganar (2004, 461) states, when the ahaṁkāra stops identifying itself with the kōśas, the anandamaya kōśa enables abidance in true Ānanda. Ānandamaya kōśa, however may derive its seeming memory from the general information database (memory field) connected to the storehouse of karma through the ahaṁkāra, to which all the kōśas have access when they are active (Avalon 1913, 22–23; Maharshi 2024, 6). Thus, it is unclear why ānandamaya kōśa should hold the database of vāsanās [7]. Ozhivil Odukkam (Vallalar 2013, xvii–xviii, 49, 51, 69, 308) supports this view inasmuch that the vāsanās come under karma mala (mala, Sa. “dirt”), the māyā mala gives existence to jīva under the condition that the āṇavā mala (āṇavā, Sa. “minute”) already exists. Thus, the ahaṁkāra has its roots in the āṇavā mala, which is the first, and most fundamental mala making the jīva believe that it is itself the author of its actions not realizing that the Self is the real author. The vāsanās are a part of jīva’s karma. Figure 5 shows an experientially justified perceptual model of the function of indriyas (Sa. “senses”), i.e., inner and outer senses and kōśas reflecting also the data from upaniṣadic sources. Here the indriyas provide information to manomaya kōśa using the system of nāḍīs and thus of prāṇamaya kōśa. Manomaya kōśa does the primary assessment of the information and delivers it to vijñānamaya kōśa and ānandamaya kōśa. The vijñānamaya kōśa takes into consideration the ānandic value assessed by ānandamaya kōśa (from joy to suffering) and does its own assessment including “risk assessment”. Then the result is presented to ahaṁkāra and “imaged” in the working space of mind. The ahaṁkāra – taking in also the vāsanic input – then identifies itself with some of the proposals of vijñānamaya kōśa (Woodroffe 1990, 45) [8]. Therefore, the kōśas can be seen as “software applications” that ideally should not be influenced by “noise” coming from contamination of tattvas and stored incorrect decisions of the ahaṁkāra. These contaminations and footprints of incorrect decisions have to be “cleaned/deactivated” by deep meditation and practices like Śrī Chakra Sādhanā (Timčák 2017, 16–22) or Tattva Śuddhi (Woodroffe 1990, 108–109; Avalon 1913, 124–127; Satyasangananda 1992, 91–100). 5 Conclusion The subject of kōśas can be approached from two directions. The first is that, which explains the kōśas as the agents through which the jīva can experience the dualistic world in all its aspects. The kōśas do not have separate existence from prāṇa and the ahaṁkāra. The second view comes from the standpoint of the jñāni (Sa. “sage”). Here the kōśas are the tools of māyā that hide the Reality. Still, they enable the ahaṁkāra to be conscious of the outer and inner world and to process and react to life situations. Analyzing the upanishadic information it seems that the ānandamaya kōśa is difficult to identify with “will”. The kōśas do not seem to have a decision-making ability, but only a data processing role, as the decisions/identifications leading to actions, are to be taken by the ahaṁkāra. The seemingly most complex kōśa – the ānandamaya kōśa has two modes of function. During “wakeful state” (Sa. jāgrat) it conveys the presence or absence of joy and also provides the feeling of basic “satisfaction” (Sa. saṃtoṣa). The intensity and type of joyful perception depends also on the vāsanās of a given person. During dreamless deep sleep it connects the jīva to true Ānanda. The suggested functional model of the kōśas may help also in discerning and disconnecting the various information coming from the kōśas during meditative practices to enable the said merger. The discussed model represents a functional frame of human beings based on the concept of tattvas, kōśas, and ahaṁkāra. The contamination of tattvas and the malas, together with the vāsanās are to be experientially recognized and cleaned in order to be successful on the way to jñā na. Tattva Shuddhi and self-enquiry are deemed to be the most important tools for purification and jñāna.
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