For years I have been asked: How do you reconcile what you
do for a living, yoga, with your Christianity? I understand the root of where
this question comes from. Many feel that
yoga is a Hindu or Buddhist practice. While it can be true, as yoga finds
its root in India where these religions are prosperous, it can equally be
Christian or “spiritual but not religious,” etc. I find that the more I learn
about yoga, and particularly the philosophy of yoga, the deeper my Christianity
becomes. In the middle of the COVID19 pandemic I find peace in today’s
philosophical discoveries and intersections.
The readings at my church, the Episcopal Church, on this Sunday (Lent 5
Year A) found me exploring the Koshas in my head while listening to them being
read at a social distance.
Kosha means Sheath.
These five sheaths are different versions of the body. Anna Maya Kosha is the physical systems of
the body. Prana Maya Kosha is the energy
or breath body. Mano Maya Kosha is the
emotional body and thoughts, real or imagined. Vijyana Maya Kosha is the Wisdom
body that is discerning. Ananda Maya Kosha is the Bliss or Spiritual body.
These sheaths are normally shown as layers around the Self or Atman which is in
the middle. They are typically shown as
every expanding, like the layers of an onion one completely inside of the
other. But this is not completely
true. All of these representations of
our body(s) can and do interact with each other. Koshas are more like spaghetti
and less like an onion. Personally, I think of them as being more of a Venn
diagram with the Atman/Self at the center.
As the world strives to deal with the COVID 19 virus the
readings in the Episcopal church focused on stories of bodies in various forms
or koshas.
The old testament reading was from Ezekiel 37:1-14, the Dry
Bones. The physical body (Anna Maya
Kosha) is obviously present within the bones, “as I prophesied, suddenly
there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I
looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin
had covered them; but there was no breath in them,” Missing was the Energy
of Breath (Prana Maya Kosha). Then he said, “to the breath: Thus says the
Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain,
that they may live.” I think we too
often leave this story right here but it continues, “Then he said to me,
“Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are
dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ Therefore prophesy,
and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and
bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the
land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves,
and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within
you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall
know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act,” says the Lord.” Those souls
raised in the bones were lost in their untrue sad thoughts (Mano Maya Kosha)
that God had abandoned them. But the prophet continues his work letting the
bones know that they will know that I am Lord (Vijyana Maya Kosha) when I open
your graves. (This happens in today’s gospel
reading about Lazarus.) Finally putting the spirit in them (Ananda Maya Kosha)
so they can live, sin and all. There is an aspect of the messiness of the
Koshas here. All five show up in this
story perhaps in a somewhat organized fashion like an onion. But this is an old testament reading, which I
personally find to be much less deep and more elemental than the new testament.
In the Psalm for today 130 there is an emotional (Mano Maya
Kosha) element to the waiting for forgiveness and redemption. These thoughts, prophesy, may or may not be
true. But through faith (Ananda Maya Kosha) and intuition (Vijyana Maya Kosha)
they wait. No body or breath need to be present only the soul. In pandemic times
such as these there is comfort in knowing we go on even if the Anna and Prana
Maya Koshas should stop…
1 Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord; Lord,
hear my voice;
*let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.
*let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.
2 If you, Lord, were to note what is done amiss, *O Lord,
who could stand?
3 For there is forgiveness with you; *therefore you shall
be feared.
4 I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; *in his
word is my hope.
5 My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen for the
morning, *more than watchmen for the morning.
6 O Israel, wait for the Lord, *for with the Lord there
is mercy;
7 With him there is plenteous redemption, *and he shall
redeem Israel from all their sins.
In the Epistle reading is Romans 8: 6-11 this idea of soul
without body is explored even further…
“To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the
mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on
the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law–indeed it cannot,
and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh;
you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does
not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you,
though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of
righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in
you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies
also through his Spirit that dwells in you.”
Comparing Physical Body (Anna Maya Kosha) to the Soul
(Ananda Maya Kosha) via Wisdom (Vijnyana Maya Kosha). This speaks of the
interconnectedness of all sheaths or bodies.
But that the most important is the soul Ananda Maya Kosha or
Bliss/Spirit. Without Soul the Physical
(Anna Maya Kosha) cannot live. Without
the physical the Soul lives on. We are more than our physical bodies. We are
all five of these Koshas. We will survive this pandemic, one way or the other.
In the Gospel reading from John 11: 1-45 we hear the story
of Lazarus. This is the culmination of all of the prophecy of Ezekiel and Psalm
130. The saving of our souls. “So the sisters sent a message to Jesus,
“Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This
illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son
of God may be glorified through it.” Jesus is confronted with emotion
(Mano) of love and the wisdom (Vijyana) of the completion of the prophesy. It continues with Jesus saying, “Our
friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” The
disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.”
Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was
referring merely to sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. For
your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to
him.” Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us
also go, that we may die with him.””
Some of their thoughts (Mano) here are incorrect. But Jesus’ Wisdom (Vijyana) moves them
through their faith (Ananda) to the peace of following Jesus even to death. Then,
“When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary
stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother
would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you
ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to
him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.””
Martha is in emotional (Mano) distress but even in that her faith (Ananda) is
high. Then Jesus says,” I am the resurrection and the life. Those who
believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and
believes in me will never die.” All Koshas in one small passage!
Resurrection and life of the physical and energetic through belief/spirit and
wisdom teaching in an emotional time. This passage is true even today. We all live on even if we die. Through our children, the gifts of our life
shared with others, the mark we leave on the world, good bad or otherwise. I
take comfort in that during this turbulent time. But then “Jesus weeps”,
showing us a human side in his emotion (Mano) “he was deeply disturbed in spirit
(Ananda) and deeply moved.” Jesus knows (Vijyana) that if he saves
Lazarus it seals Jesus’ own fate; The Pharisees will view this miracle as a
bridge too far and will kill Jesus. He has so many reasons to weep. As do we
today. As Lazarus rises from the dead more believe in Jesus (Ananda). Jesus
knows that in doing this he has exchanged his physical (Anna) life for Lazarus’
life. He has exchanged his life for ours. His Anna Maya Kosha may not be
visible, but through the other Koshas he lives on every day as the resurrection
and the life. Take comfort in the Lamb of God who takes Away the Sins of the
World. He will show mercy on us all.
Namaste and Amen
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