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Page 1: 32 Human Personality and its Development : The …old.nios.ac.in/secpsycour/unit-32.pdf32 Human Personality and its Development : The Yogic Perspectives 32.1 Introduction Human personality

32

Human Personality and itsDevelopment : The Yogic

Perspectives

32.1 Introduction

Human personality and its development is a major area of study in Psychology. The Indiansages from ancient times have given thought to this area. Bhagawad Geeta, at differentplaces gives the models of highly developed human potential in its totality. In 16th canto, itgives 26 virtues that are constituents of a highly developed personality. It also describesthree gunas and says that we all are combinations of these gunas (characteristics) whichare Tamas, Rajas and Sattwa.

Sri Aurobindo has given a concentric and vertical system of one’s being which is based onIndian thought and on his studies on consciousness. This system is more or less like Koshasand the vertical is like a staircase showing gradations of consciousness. We will studythese perspectives in brief and try to understand what are their implications for day to daylife.

32.2 Objectives

After reading this lesson we will be able to :

! list the various divine virtues that one must have;

! describe the Tamasik, Rajasik and Sattwika ways of life;

! explain the concept of five Koshas;

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! relate how one can develop the five Koshas;

! appreciate the concept of development of consciousness as given by Sri Aurobindo.

32.3 The Wealth of Virtues or Good Qualities

As a profile of highly developed personality in 16th Canto, Geeta gives a constellation ofgood qualities like – fearlessness, purity, desire for knowledge and staying in knowledgeof the self, selfless giving, control over desire, sacrifice, self study, penance,straightforwardness, non-violence and truthfulness. It also includes absence of anger andirritability, calm, conquest of animal desires, compassion for all beings, sense of detachment,gentleness, modesty, steadfastness, radiance, forgiveness, cleanliness, loyalty andunassumingness.

Some like Arjuna are born with these qualities and some can achieve them if they aremotivated to transform their personalities and ways of life.

32.4 Three Gunas and three Life ways

All life around, men, women, animals, plants, objects in nature is made up of combinationsof three Gunas. Sattwa represents light, Rajas represents dynamism and Tamas representslethargy or inertia. All human beings also are mixtures or combinations of these threequalities. Tamas is considered as the lower rung of the ladder while Sattwa is the higherrung and Rajas is somewhere between these two. In 17th canto, Geeta describes howdifferent people under the influence of different gunas behave in different ways. Humandevelopment is measured with reference to our transcending from Tamas to Rajas andthen to Sattwa. The highest stage is being above these three gunas. Let us study the threepersonality types based on the combinations of these three Gunas.

Sattwik : This kind of person is moderate in eating, sleeping and activity. He or shemeditates regularly, and does all his or her work as worship of the Lord. People love thisperson and this person also loves and helps people. He or she radiates the light ofknowledge. Guru Nanak Dev, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Kabir, Meera, Purandar Das, Tyagarajare some of the examples of such a persons.

Rajasik : This type of person is very active, dynamic and is addicted to work. If he or shedoes not have work to do, he or she will feel restless. This person likes to eat spicy food.He or she is fond of entertainment, sitting at one place and observing silence is difficult forhim or her. Such persons can be found in business.

Tamasik : A person of this category does not like to work. He or she gets up late in themorning. They are failures in their lives. Nobody likes them because they are dirty, idle andlethargic. People keep themselves away from such persons.

The three qualities Sattwik, Rajasik and Tamasik are not exclusive. Each and every personis a combination of these three gunas. In some, Sattwik is predominant, in some Rajasik ispredominant and in some Tamasik is predominant. However all these three are present in

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each of us to some extent. Personality development involves maintaining the right proportionof all these three qualities. Rajasik is necessary to some extent but Tamasik should be triedto be kept at the minimum.

Now we come to another way of looking at our existence which sees human beingsconsisting of five levels. Let us examine them in detail and also the ways in which life isorganized developing along with them.

32.5 The Concept of Panch Koshas

This concept has already been introduced in lesson 3. Taittiriya Upanishad gives the conceptof Panch Koshas and their development. It says that starting from Annmaya Kosh andreaching the Anandamaya Kosh, our existence has 5 layers or sheaths. They all enfold atthe same time but reach their ultimate stage of development at different points. Here weshall examine them in some detail. It states that human existence comprises the divinespark of life called the Atman with five layers covering it. They are called five koshas orsheaths. The gross body that we see is Annamaya Kosha. The subtler body made ofpranic energy is called as Pranamaya Kosha or vital sheath. The third kosha is ManomayaKosha or mental sheath comprised of one’s feelings and emotions. The fourth one isVijnanamaya Kosha. It is comprised of imagination, memory, knowledge, insight andunderstanding. The fifth is Anandmaya Kosha or sheath of bliss. Its characteristics arecreativity, joy and bliss. In Indian thought the self or Atman is the core of one’s existenceand the five Koshas given above are the sheaths that cover the core. Let us learn moreabout these five Koshas.

1) Annamaya Kosha : The Food Sheath

The physical body, the outer most part of our personality beyond which we do not physicallyexist, is termed as the Annamaya Kosha or Food Sheath. It has emerged from the essenceof food assimilated by the father and nourished in the womb by the food taken by themother. It continues to exist because of food eaten and it ultimately, after death, goes backto fertilize the earth and becomes food. The substance of the physical structure, rising fromfood, existing in food and going back to become food, is naturally and most appropriatelytermed the food sheath.

The food we eat gets transformed into muscles, veins, nerves, blood and bones. If properexercise and proper diet is given the Annamaya Kosha develops well. The signs of healthydevelopment are fitness, agility, stamina and endurance. A person having these qualitiescan easility master motor skills and has good eye hand co-ordination. Wiring, fitting, welding,smithy knitting are motor skills that involve eyehand co-ordination. Body is an effectiveinstrument in the worship of God. Our duty and work itself is the worship and one issupposed to do it with total devotion. It is an instrument to perform our duties.

Yoga says that body is made of five elements. Prithwi (solid), Aaap (liquid), Teja (fire),

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Vayu (air and gas), and Akash (space). All the solid matter in the body like tissues, bonesetc. are Prithwi related elements. All liquids in the body like blood, urine are of Aaap. Ourbody has temperature because of Teja. We feel the gas or Vayu in stomach. There is lot ofspace or Akash in our body between the cells. Thus the five elements reach the optimumextent as we grow. Food taken is transformed into these elements and it makes us growphysically. Death is nothing but disintegration of these elements and their going back totheir original sources.

2) Pranmaya Kosha : The Vital Air Sheath

The Pancha-Pranas, which are corresponding to the five physiological systems describedby the biologists, represent the Vital-Air Sheath. These activities which support the bodytake place as a result of the air that we breath in. Hence it is termed the Vital-air Sheath.The five Pranas comprising this Sheath are:-

i) Prana : The faculty of Perception : It controls the perceptions of the five fold stimulireceived from the outer world of objects through the five sense organs.

ii) Apana : The Faculty of Excretion : All things thrown out of or rejected by the bodysuch as seeds, septum, perspiration, urine, faeces, etc. are expressions ofApana.

iii) Samana : The Faculty of Digestion : Digests the food received in the stomach.iv) Vyana : The Faculty of Circulation : The power by which the digested food is properly

coveyed to the various limbs of the body through the blood stream.v) Udana : The Faculty of Thinking : The capacity in an individual to raise his thoughts

from their present level so as to conceive a possibility of or appreciate anew principle or idea-the capacity of self-education.

These five faculties gradually weaken as people advance in age. The Vital-Air Sheathcontrol and regulates the Food Sheath. When the pranas do not function properly, thephysical body is affected. The signs of healthy development of Pranamay Kosha areenthusiasm, ability to use one’s voice effectively, suppleness of body, forcefulness inpersonality, perserverance, leadership, discipline, honesty and nobility.

3) Manomaya Kosha : The Mental Sheath

The mind regulates and order the Pranamaya Kosha, Vital-Air Sheath. For example,when the mind is upset due to some shock, the functions of pranas and the body areaffected. Mind interprets the impressions of sense organs. It stores good and bad memoriesof the past. Mind and body are strongly related. The diseases like Asthma and Psoriasishave mental causes. Such diseases are often called Psyhcosomatic diseases. It is possibleto increase the strength of mind by regular prayer, making resolutions and keeping themup. There is deep relationship between mind and intellect.

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4) Vijnanmaya Kosha : the Intellectual Sheath

The intellect controls the Mental Sheath. To get a clear idea of what exactly the mind andintellect are they have been differentiated below in five ways.

a. The mind is that which receives the external stimuli through sense organs andcommunicates the responses to the organs of action. Though the stimuli receivedthrough the five sense organs are distinct and different from one another. An integratedexperience of them all is brought about by a single entity which receives them andthat is called the mind.

The intellects is the judging capacity. It is the discriminating and discerning facultywhich examines and judges the stimuli received by the mind. It also communicatesto the mind its decision on the type of responses to be executed. The mind associatesthe impressions with pleasantness or unpleasantness based on its memory. Theintellect however, with its capacity to think takes a rational decision which may notbe liked by the mind but ultimately beneficial to the person. For example medicine isbitter to taste and our mind does not like it but our intellect tells us that it is good forour health. The mechanism of the mind and intellect and their functions are betterunderstood with the help of an illustration. When an individual steps on a burningcigarette he quickly removes his foot but before he does so a series of reactionstake place. As soon as the man’s foot comes in contact with the fire, the skin carriesthe stimulus of heat to the mind, which, in turn, puts it up before the intellect fordetermining the type of reaction necessary. The intellect, with the help of theexperience and knowledge gained by it in the past, orders the mind which in turncommunicates the order to the muscles of the body to move the foot away since theobject contacted is dangerous to the welfare of the individual.

b. Mind involves a continuous flow of thought. If each thought is compound to a bucketof water,then the mind may be compared to a river which is a constant flow ofwater. Each thought, like a bucket of water, has no dynamism of its own, but, whena large number of them continuously flow, the river gathers dynamism and strength.So, too, when thoughts flow continuously they cause a lot of agitations and the mindbecomes the most powerful tyrant of man.

c. The mind and intellect are the storehouse of all memory of one’s past experiencesand knowledge. This storehouse of experience is the guiding factor in man’s actions.The mind can also be described as the seat of emotions and the intellect is to examinethe areas in which they operate. The mind has a capacity to travel only to the ‘realmsknown’ but the intellect, besides remaining in the realms known, can further penetrateinto the ‘realms unknown’ to investigate, contemplate and comprehend newdiscoveries.

d. The mind and the intellect also differ in their nature and quality. The mind, is ever ina state of flux. It is the ‘doubting element’. But when the thoughts stabilize themselvesto form a ‘willed judgment’ they are called intellect. For example when a person is

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indecisive as to whether he should be a vegetarian or non-vegetarian, thoughts inthat condition of doubt and indecision are called the mind but when one takes a firmdecision, whatever, it be, his/her thoughts acquire the status of an intellect. Therefore,what is a mind at one moment can be developed to an intellect at the next moment,and conversely an intellect at the next moment can be reduced to the status of amind when its decision is shattered by the suggestions of a more powerful intellect.

It is important to note that the above differentiation is functional. It is not structured.It is meant for understanding the mind and intellect, functional, in essence, however,mind and intellect are both constituted of thoughts and impressions.

5. Anandamaya Kosha : The Blissful sheath

This is the innermost of the five sheaths consisting of vasanas or desires. They exist insubconscious in which we exist during our deep-sleep-state of consciousness. It isconsidered blissful, because, whatever be the condition in which we are in our waking anddream states, once we reach, all of us experience relatively the same undisturbed peaceand bliss due to the cessation of agitations experienced by us in the other two states ofconsciousness that are wakefulness and dream. The Bliss Sheath controls the intellectualSheath, since the intellect functions under the control and guidance of one’s vasanas.

There is one more interpretation of this Kosha.When all the other Koshas are welldeveloped we experience harmony between our inner self and the outer world. This harmonygives sense of joy and bliss. That is the content of Anandmaya Kosha. Prayers, meditationJapa are the means that help us to reach the level of bliss and become steady in it.

The subtlest of all is the Atman which is the core of the five-sheathed structure. The fivesheaths are like the layers of clothes worn by a person which are totally different from thewearer. So too, the Atman is distinct and separate from the five matter layers.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 32.1

1. Name any two qualities of a Satvik person.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Which are the five Pranas of Pranamaya kosh?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

32.6 Development of Koshas

Regular eating habits, right kind of food, all types of exercises and games, jogging, running,walking and particularly Asanas and Surya Namaskars facilitate the development ofAnnamaya Kosha. Pranayam and breathing exercises improve the quality of Pranamaya

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Kosha. For the development of Manomaya Kosha study of good literature including poems,novels, essays and articles is useful. All the activities that challenge one’s intellect developVijnanamaya Kosha. These activities include debates, problem-solving, study-techniques,small research projects, evaluation and appreciation of books, interviewing the eminentpersons, all the activities make you go beyong your tiny self and give opportunity to idenfitywith your fellow beings-your community members, your country and the whole world.This facilitates the development of Anandmaya Kosha. Even in your contemplation youcan extend your consciousness to reach the earth, the sun, the stars, the galaxies and theuniverse. This way we gradually built the relationship between individual self or individualconsciousness and universal self or universal consiousness that is God.

Shri Aurobindo said, ‘Every one has in him something divine, something his own, a chanceof perfection and strength in however small a sphere which God offers him to take orrefuse. The task is to find it, develop it and use it. The chief aim of education should be tohelp the growing soul, to draw out that in itself which is best and make it perfect for a nobleuse.’

32.7 Sri Aurobindo on Levels of Consciousness

Sri Aurobindo says that two systems are simultaneously active in the organization of thebeing and its parts a concentric system and a vertical system.

The concentric system is like a series of rings or sheaths. The outer most circle is comprisedof awareness of physical body, awareness of vital (pranic) body or sheath and awarenessof mental sheath. These three types of consciousness are interconnected.

The inner circle is composed of inner mind which is in touch with the universal mind orSupreme Energy.

The innermost core is called as Psychic being which is a spark of the Divine (SupremeEnergy) present in all of us and in every thing. It is also called as Atman

Physical

Vital

Mental

Inner mind

Psychic being

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The vertical systems is like a staircase consisting of varius levels, planes of consciousnessranging from the lowest – the inconscient to the highest – Sat chit anand.

Satchitanand - Ram / Krishan AvatarasSupermind - SaintsIntution -Illumined mind - Gradually evolving human consciousnessHigher mind -Mind -Vital -Physical -The subconscient - Plants, AnimalsThe inconscient - Stones, rocks.

In simple words, from unicellular being, man has climed innumerable rungs of the ladder ofevolution. He has evolved body and mind. But his evolution is not complete. Hisconsciousness has to climb a number of rungs to reach still higher levels and the highestlevel of consciousness which is endowed with amazing powers, goodness and knowledge.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 32.2

1. How can we facilitate the development of Annanmaya Kosha?

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

2. According to Sri Aurobindo, what is the innermost circle called?

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

32.8 What You have learnt

• Human existence and its development is a major concern of psychology

• Bhagwat Geeta, Upanishads give us profiles of highly developed life ways.Upanishads also give as the constituents of human potential. The are called as Koshas.

• Atman the divine spark of life lives in human body with fiver coverings on it. Thecoverings or sheaths are called Koshas. Annamaya, Pranmaya, Manomaya,Vijanamaya and Anandmaya are the five Koshas.

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• Sri Aurobindo perspective gives us a concentric and a vertical model of our being.The development according this more or less similar to thedevelopment of PanchKoshas.

• The food we eat gets transformed into muscles, veins, nerves, blood and bones. Ifproper exercise and proper diet is given the Annamaya Kosha develops well. Thesigns of healthy development are fitness, agility, stamina and endurance. A personshaving these qualities can easily master motor skills and has good eye hand co-ordination. Wiring, fitting, welding, smithy knitting are motor skills that involve eyehandco-ordination. Indian psychology says that body is an effective instrument in theworship of God. Our duty and work itself is the worship and one is supposed to doit with total devotion.

32.9 Terminal Exercise

1. Explain any one Kosha in detail.

2. Describe the ways for development of each of the five Koshas.

32.10 Key to Intext Questions32.1

1. Moderat in eating, mediates regularly, loves people.

2. Prana, Apana, Saman, Vijana, Udana

32.2

1. Regular eating habits, exercise, night food, and Yoga.

2. Psychic being or Atman.