We all know that one of the most important desire or longings of life is the attainment of uninterrupted pleasure or joy. For which it is essential to understand the five fundamental elements. The human body is made up of these five fundamental elements (PANCHMAHABHUTA) and the universe is also made up of same five elements. It is impossible to understand the universe because it is vast and infinite, but the universe can also be understood by understanding the human body which is similar in terms of composition. So it is very important to know about these five fundamental elements. These PANCHKOSH consists of ANNAMAYAKOSH (food element or physical body), PRANAMAYAKOSH (oxygen or energy body), MANMAYAKOSH (mind), VIGYANMAYAKOSH (conscious) and ANANDAMAYAKOSH (joy & happiness). So let us understand the usefulness of these five fundamental elements in life.
1) ANNAMAYAKOSH (food cell) – ANNAMAYAKOSH is all the material substance from which the physical body is made. The universe also has ANNAMAYAKOSH (food cell), which sustains living things. In physics it is known as carbon cycle or nitrogen cycle. If these chakras remain balanced, the earth will be full of fertility that is full of juices and food, otherwise there will be famine. That is why perhaps our divine power is known as Annapurna. Food is very glorious in Hinduism. What to eat? How to eat? Not to eat without God’s mercy, to eat after depriving other living being’s rights, etc. are very important in our culture. The word “ANN” is derived from the Sanskrit word “ATTI” which means the food that is the meal of all animals and ultimately everything dissolved in it at the end. That is why we have a saying “ANNA AISA MAN” that is our mind (thoughts) will be determine by food. This is because all the other cells that make up the body are mostly made up of ANNAKOSH (food cells) so it is essential to be aware of it. Our eating process actually should become a YAGNA (sacrifice), when does it become YAGNA? Answer is when our body is protected without disturbing the balance of nature or environment, the deed in which the triune confluence of transcendental priority, duty and conscience of love & welfare takes place is called YAGNA. YAGNA means to repay little from where we have got it and eat whatever you have by sharing with everyone. Such a meal is called VAISHWANAR YAGNA. In this sense, food should not be taken without dedicating to God. Secondly, when it is devoted to God (which is actually given us by God) God removes the manmade toxic substances mixed in it and provides pure food to us as a PRASAD which leads to physical, mental and spiritual upliftment. In every religion, food is of great importance because the most significant of the five fundamental elements of human body as well as universe is ANNAKOSH.
2) PRANAMAYAKOSH (life cells) means the energy body or astral body of life in the language of science. Only in presence of this energy body every organism can live otherwise it will die. In the same way, the PRANAMAYAKOSH of the universe is our environment, in which God has arranged everything so beautifully that oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide are all in balance. Some organisms breathe carbon dioxide and give off oxygen in exhalation. Some inhale oxygen and exhale carbon. But we have disrupted this ecosystem of the universe by creating many problems such as global warming by disturbing the ecological balance due to excessive pollution. So many questions have been raised about the health of the ecosystem. Planting trees and rejuvenating the life cell of the universe is our true PRANA YAGNA. At least one PIPAL tree must be planted as PIPAL gives 1700 kg of oxygen per hour and its average lifespan is around 100 to 200 years. Thus an average of 1.5 million tons of oxygen is obtained through a PIPAL tree as it provides oxygen day and night. PRANAYAMA is also very important to keep the life cell fresh. PRANAYAMA is the regulation of breathing or PRANA movement. PRANAYAMA is the process of converting the potential energy of demonic energy into divine energy. This is because as oxygen enters the body, its components lead the body towards aging i.e. aging fast so regulation is essential to get the right amount of oxygen into the body. Life expectancy depends on speed of breath, the faster you breathe, the shorter your life. If a man breathes 15 times in a minute, his life span is one hundred years. Dogs live eight to ten years as they breathe 20 to 30 times in a minute. While a tortoise lives a thousand years as it takes only four to five breaths per minute.
3) MANMAYAKOSH – that is mind cell, determination, optioning, belief, instinct, impulse etc are the subjects of mind. If the mind of a person becomes calm then the person will become calm and if the person becomes calm then the entire world will become calm. The big problem of Kali Yuga is mental unrest. About 70% of the diseases of Kali Yuga are mental. All the vices or evils like lust, anger, greed, ego and jealousy are mental. So the healthy and calm psyche is very important for the person, family as well as the society. That is why the scriptures suggest the prayer “Let my mind be filled with welfare resolutions.” The giant tree of resolutions is the human mind. Our thoughts, decisions or resolution create state of mind. Our decision decides our conduct and we will get result as per our conduct. Thus it is necessary to make the mind calm and healthy to avoid all pain and suffering. Mantra chanting is the science for the protection of the mind which concentrates the mind. Resolutions become pure and powerful. Conduct becomes sacred. So that happiness is achieved. Mantra worship gives full result when it is formed on the basis of penance and restraint. The simplest way to make the entire universe very calm through our mind is the collective prayer and the simplest mantra for it is “Om SHANTI-SHANTI-SHANTI”. The universe also has a MANAMAYAKOSH (mind cell) which we call global mind which is shaped by media, fashion as well as collective prayer.
4) VIGYANAMAYAKOSH – Here VIGYANA (science) means conscience. There are two ways to awaken conscience. 1) Self-experience and 2) spiritual reading. The alum of conscience is necessary to make the water of the mind or the turbid of the mind clean, calm and pure. VIGYANAMAYAKOSH in short is a collection of original or read, heard sermons, its brainstorming and right conduct. Listening, thinking and meditation are very useful for the growth of VIGYANAMAYAKOSH. That means good reading, brainstorming and focusing on digestible thoughts is advisable because there is always a choice between good and bad or wrong and right, which is usually remain difficult to choose which requires discretion. If you have noble feeling such as compassion, tenderness and evils free life that is the sign of healthy VIGYANAMAYAKOSH. The universe also has such VIGYANAMAYAKOSH which is known as Collective Conscious. Slavery, superstition, feudalism, untouchability etc. can be removed from the development of this VIGYANAMAYAKOSH (scientific cell) of universe.
5) ANANDAMAYAKOSH (bliss cell) – pure and holy conscience which has been achieved through penance, self-enlightenment restrain sanctity is the only true pleasure. When one sits in the plane of gratitude received from good deeds and crosses the boundaries of selfishness, when the soul reaches the world of bliss, there is no resolution or option, no pain or sorrow, no enemy or dispute, only complete bliss. God Himself is the ANANDAMAYAKOSH (bliss cell) of the universe. State of Joy (bliss Samadhi) of a person is an homage dedicated to the bliss cell of nature. The innermost part of a person is the ANANDAMAYAKOSH bliss cell. Happiness is the greatest fundamental right of life. As human beings travel through the subtler skies of personality, the duration of happiness increases. Happiness or pleasure is greater on a mental, emotional, and spiritual level than physical and sensual pleasure that is the joy we normally get by five senses. As the conscience, which is lightened by the force of penance, meditation self realization and restrain, moves in the direction of divinity, more and more eternal bliss is attained.
Shilpa shah director in-charge HKBBA College
