Ancient Wisdom In Modern Time Session: 8

Ego:

1. The Subtle Body: Subtle Body is born out of subtle Matter, which in turn is composed of 5 subtle elements. Even though the elements are subtle, the subtle body is material in nature.
   • Material – Subtle Space, Subtle Air, Subtle Fire, Subtle Water and Subtle Earth.
   • Components – The Subtle Body has 19 instruments of experience are 5 Sense Organs Of Knowledge, 5 Organs Of Action, 5 Pranas and 4 Internal Organs.
   • Function – The function of the Subtle Body is to transact with the world using these 19 instruments.
2. Vasanas/Desire: Causal Body acts as a source for the Subtle and Gross bodies; a very important component of the Causal Body is the Vasanas.
   • Objects of desire are not significant; desiring is significant. You can desire wealth, you can desire God – desiring remains the same, only the object has changed.
   • Vasanas are your conditioning, your tendencies, the objects and activities that you are attracted to and repelled by.
   • Vasanas can be said to be directly located in the Subtle Body, but are indirectly located in the Causal Body because the Subtle Body itself exists in un-manifest or seed form in the Causal Body.
3. Ego: Vedanta has 3 basic concepts regarding the Ego: Jiva, Ahamkara and Abhimanam.
   • Jiva – Any being with the 3 Bodies (Gross, Subtle and Causal) is a Jiva. All plants, animals and human beings are Jivas.
   • Ahamkara – Ahamkara; the Ego component of the Subtle Body; called Mind.
   • Abhimanam – Abhimanam is the sense of ownership; the idea “This is mine. This belongs to me.”
   • Ahamkara is in the middle and on one side is Jiva and on the other side is Abhimana. One can choose.