The Hindu View of Man

THE HINDU VIEW OF MAN

Upanishads

Upanishads are a collection of philosophical texts which form the theoretical basis for the Hindu religion.

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 The Upanishads are considered considered by orthodox orthodox Hindus to contain revealed revealed truths (Sruti (Sruti)) concerning the nature of ultimate reality (brahman ( brahman)) and describing the character and form of human salvation ( moksha). moksha).  The main teaching of the Upanishads Upanishads is that Atman is Brahman.

Brahman Brahman is the unchanging u nchanging reality amidst and beyond the world! which cannot be exactly de"ned. #t has been described in Sans$rit (being% consciousness%bliss) and as the highest reality. reality.

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#t is the ground of all things.

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#t is the &bsolute ('ure onsciousness) that stands transcendingly in the heart of man and of every contingent being.

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&tman •

Atman is a Sans$rit word that means inner%self or *soul* the principle of life.

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#t is the inmost essence in man.

Five Sheaths of Man •

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& osha usually rendered sheath! one of "ve coverings of the Atman! or Self. Self. They are often visuali+ed li$e the layers of an onion. ,st Sheath - self dependent on food (annamayatman).  This is the material layer of man better $nown as the physical or or corporate self.

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nd Sheath - self as vital breath (pranamayatman).  This is the biological biological layer. layer.

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/rd Sheath - Self consisting of will (manomayatman).  This is the psychological psychological layer. layer.

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0th Sheath - Self or consciousness (vi1anamamayatman).  This if the intellectual layer. layer.

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2th Sheath - 3inal essence of the self as pure bliss (anandamayatman).  This approximates approximates the Brahman which is 'ure Bliss.

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 These sheaths are considered as dar$ coverings of ignorance that lie underneath the whole created world.

Annama!a "osha

 This is the sheath of the physical self! named from the fact that it is nourished by food. 4iving through this layer man identi"es himself with a mass of s$in! 5esh! fat! bones! and "lth! while the man of discrimination $nows his own self! the only reality that there is! as distinct from the body. #ranama!a "osha

'ranamaya means composed of prana! the vital principle! the force that vitali+es and holds together the body and the mind. #t pervades the whole organism! its one physical manifestation is the breath. &s long as this vital principle exists in the organisms! life continues. oupled with the "ve organs of action it forms the vital sheath. #n the 6ive$achudamani it is a modi"cation of vayu or air! it enters into and comes out of the body. Manoma!a "osha

7anomaya means composed of manas or mind. The mind (manas) along with the "ve sensory organs is said to constitute the manomaya $osa. The manomaya kosa! or 8mind%sheath9 is said more truly to approximate to personhood than annamaya kosa and pranamaya kosha. #t is the cause of diversity! of I and mine. San$ara li$ens it to clouds that are brought in by the wind and again driven away by the same agency. Similarly! man:s bondage is caused by the mind! and liberation! too! is caused by that alone. Vi$nanama!a "osha

6i1nanamaya means composed of vi1nana! or intellect! the faculty which discriminates! determines or wills. hattampi Swami$al de"nes vi1nanamaya as the combination of intellect and the "ve sense organs. #t is the sheath composed of more intellection! associated with the organs of perception. San$ara holds that the buddhi! with its modi"cations and the organs of $nowledge! form the cause of man:s transmigration. This $nowledge sheath! which seems to be followed by a re5ection of the power of the cit! is a modi"cation of pra$rti. #t is endowed with the function of  $nowledge and identi"es itself with the body! organs etc.  This $nowledge sheath cannot be the supreme self for the following reasons; •

#t is sub1ect to change.

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#t is insentient.

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#t is a limited thing.

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#t is not constantly present.

Anandama!a "osha

7ain article< &nandamaya $osha &nandamaya means composed of ananda! or bliss. #n the Upanishads the sheath is $nown also as the causal body . #n deep sleep! when the mind and senses cease functioning! it still stands between the "nite world and the self. &nandamaya! or that which is composed of Supreme bliss! is regarded as the innermost of all. The bliss sheath normally has its fullest play during deep sleep< while in the dreaming and wa$eful states! it has only a partial manifestation. The blissful sheath (anandamaya $osha) is a re5ection of the &tman which is bliss absolute.

Indian So%iet! and its &aste S!stems •

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 The logic behind the aste is that every man is born to his own place in the world. His duty is to show it! to live it and ma$e $nown both in appearance and action 1ust what is his role in the world drama.

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aste is regarded as forming an innate part of character;

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=ivine moral order (dharma)

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 The correct way of dealing with every life problem is indicated by the laws (dharma) of the caste > the particular state of life proper to one:s age.

#n #ndia! a caste system organi+es division of labour and power in human society. #t is a system of social strati"cation!?,@ and a basis for aArmative action.?@?/@ Historically! it de"ned communities into thousands of endogamous hereditary groups called Ctis.  The Ctis were grouped by the Brahminical texts under the four well%$nown caste categories (the varnas)< vi+ Brahmins! Dshatriyas! 6aishyas! and Shudras. ertain people were excluded altogether! ostraci+ed by all other castes and treated as untouchables. #t is widely believed across regions of #ndia! for example in Tamil Eadu! that caste system was created for to exploit advantages of social system by group of people at later part of the 6edic period in Hindu religion. ' Sta(es of the Idea) *ife &o+rse of Individ+a) •

,st Stage - the 'upil

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nd Stage - the Householder

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/rd Stage - the Hermit

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0th Stage - the Fandering &scetic (sannyasa )

I. #+pi)

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'upil goes to spiritual teacher (guru) to receive divine $nowledge > magic craft of his vocation.  The mere natural man is sacri"ced.  The "rst is the brahmacarya!

! or the stage of the st+dent

(brahmacârî  ). 3or boys! the student is supposed to go live with a teacher (guru! )! who is a Brahmin! to learn about Sans$rit! the 6edas! rituals! etc. The dharma! ! of a student includes being obedient! respectful! celibate! and non% violent. The teacher is God. The student is supposed to be respectful of the teacher even behind his bac$. & comparable status of the teacher! without uite the same religious dimension or obligation! can be found in hina. 3or girls! the stage of studenthood coincides with that of the householder! and the husband stands in the place of the teacher. Since the boys are supposed to be celibate while students! Gandhi used the term brahmacâri to mean the celibate practitioner that he thought made the best Satyagrahi! the best non% violent activist. There may be an echo in th is of the provision in the Laws of Manu that a student! a Brahmin in particular! may remain with his teachers family for his entire life. This is one of the points in the tradition that con5icts with another proposition in Manu! that if a twice%born see$s renunciation without studying the 6edas! without fathering sons! and without oIering sacri"ces ?i.e. discharged the three debts@! he will proceed downward ? The Law Code of Manu! translated by 'atric$ Jlivelle! Jxford! KK0! L
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3rom youth to a young man! he is married and ta$es over the paternal craft! business or profession and forms a family of his own. He gets into / of the 0 ends of Hindu life< wealth an power (artha); pleasure of his caste married life ($ama) and rights! > duties of his caste (dharma).

 The second stage is the gârhasthya! ! or the stage of the ho+seho)der! which is ta$en far more seriously in Hinduism than in ainism or Buddhism and is usually regarded as mandatory! li$e studenthood! although debate continued over the centuries whether or not this stage could be s$ipped in favor of a later one (especially with Brahmins). Being a householder is the stage where the principal dharma of the person is performed! whether as priest! warrior! etc.! or for women mainly as wife and mother. &r1unas duty to "ght the battle in the hagavad !ita comes from his status as a householder. Besides speci"c duties! there are general duties that pay oI the three "#n#a! ! =ebts<

,. a debt to the ancestors! the Manes in the comparable and probably related Noman practice! that is discharged by marrying and having sons. Jne may not be regarded as a true householder until m arried; . a debt to the gods that is discharged by the household rituals and sacri"ces! which in general cannot be performed except by man and wife together; and /. a debt to the teacher and the seers that is discharged by becoming a student and then appropriately teaching ones wife! children! and! for Brahmins! other students.  The three debts are sometimes associated with the three Gods of the TrimOrti %% the ancestor debt with BrahmP! the gods debt with 6is.n.u! and the teacher debt with Shiva. Jne way the debts were discharged is through the "ve daily Mahâya$%a! ! or Great Sacri"ces< ,. the pitr#ya$%a! oIerings of food and water to the ancestors! without which the 7anes were originally believed to suIer in the afterlife! a reference to which still occurs at Bhagavad Gita ,<0; . the devaya$%a! sacri"cial oIerings to the gods! as a "re oblation! reuiring that a sacred "re be $ept in the house (li$e the 'ersian "re altar)! a ritual act that! again! can only be performed by husband and wife together; /. the brahmaya$%a! 6edic recitation or study as devotion; 0. the bh&taya$%a! oIerings to all beings! the bali! ! oIering! which may be food thrown into the air and largely consumed by birds; and 2. the manushyaya$%a! human (manushyâ) oIerings! through charity or hospitality. Fhat we do not see in these speci"c practices it anything that would discharge the debt to the teacher! unless it is the brahmaya$%a. Eevertheless! while the number the debts is all but universally given as three! there are texts that add a debt of hospitality as a fourth. Thus! there is a curious connection between the three debts and the "ve sacri"ces! which is reminiscent of that between the three gun#as and the "ve elements! seen elsewhere. The original three elements clearly match up with the gun#as! but later expand! while the sacri"ces may easily be seen as discharging particular debts %% hence the temptation to posit a debt of hospitality.  The two systems! however! have resisted complete systemati+ation and identi"cation.  The burden of the debts and the sacri"ces addresses the "rst and socially most important of the four aims or values of life! the  purus#ârtha! . Fhile it has become common to lin$ the purus#ârtha to the âshramas! this is a recent occupation that is based on no classic texts. Eevertheless! it is reasonable to wonder how the aims and the stages of life do relate to each other.

,.   dharma! ! the manner of ones duties! determined by caste! sex! and stage of life. =harma applies in being a student! a householder! and! in attenuated form! a forest dweller. The wandering ascetic is beyond dharma and beyond caste but! however! is restricted to men. .   artha! ! is material success in life! and the word can mean business! wor$! pro"t! utility! wealth! money! and also political experience and $nowledge. #t can involve practical wisdom at both the personal and public level. &s such! it is a concern only for householders! and not in the least for students! forest dwellers! or wandering ascetics. The householder! indeed! surrenders his possessions to his sons on becoming a forest dweller. However! the wisdom of  the forest dweller or even the wandering ascetic sometimes may have application in public aIairs. /.   kâma! ! is pleasure! which is a concern that also may be con"ned to the householder! but it can also exist in attenuated form! or as a matter of yogic practice! in the forest dweller. 0.   moks#a! ! is liberation or salvation! which in Hinduism (as in ainism and Buddhism) will mean leaving leaving the cycle of rebirth. This is the primary concern and occupation of the forest dweller and the sole concern of the wandering ascetic. The doctrine of karmayoga! ! expounded in the Bhagavad Gita! means that liberation can be obtained by the householder in the course of practicing his dharma. &lso! we would expect that the life long student! who never becomes a householder! would also h ave this as an exclusive focus! even while ful"lling his duties to his teacher. 'armayoga! however! has not been a popular practice in modern religion! and is sometimes not even regarded as a means to salvation.

III. Hermit •

Second half of his life cycle after serving the community > having prepared his children to be independent from him in life! he steps away from the / ends of life to enter in this / rd stage of life.  The third stage is the vânaprasthya! ! the stage of the forest d,e))er ! or vaikhânasa! ! the anchorite. This may be entered into optionally! according to Manu! if (ideally) ones hair has become gray! ones s$in wrin$led! and a grandson exists to carry on the family. Husbands and wives may leave their aIairs and possessions with their children and retire together to the forest as hermits. & hermit cannot step on plowed land. This does n ot involve the complete renunciation of the world! for husbands and wives can still build a shelter! have sex (once a month)! and a sacred "re still should be $ept and minimal rituals performed. This stage is thus n ot entirely free of dharma. The 3orest Treatises were supposed to have been written by or for forest dwellers! who have mostly renounced the world and h ave begun to consider liberation.

# am not aware that forest dwelling is still practiced in the traditional way. The modern alternatives seem to consist of the more star$ opposition between householding and becoming a wandering ascetic. 3orest dwelling is an institution that doesnt really develop as such in  ainism and Buddhism! although we do have the Buddha repairing to a forest outside the traveling season %% a practice that will develop into Buddhist monasticism. Hinduism! which might be said to now lac$ true monasticism %% i.e. there are no monasteries or convents %% nevertheless has mendicants and hermits! where the hermits include these forest dwelling married couples. The idea that husbands and wives would engage in ascetic practices together! without celibacy! would appear extraordinary. #n those terms! it is an unfortunate loss if the institution does not continue in modern Hinduism. Fe see a good deal of forest dwelling in the Mahâbhârata! where 'an.d.u! who himself is on a $ind of retreat with his wives in the forest! hoping to overcome his strange reluctance to consummate his marriages! accidentially $ills an adept and his wife! who have assumed the form of animals! in the very act of their copulation %% and so is cursed. 'an.d.u and his wives had previously accepted (non%sexual) instruction from this very couple. Such an episode not only illustrates various uses for forest dwelling! but it reveals that speci"cally sexual practices can be among them. #t is ironic that forest dwelling should have become obsolete! when the term âshrama! ! originally  meant a heritmage! and when it continues in modern usage! as Hindi âshram! to mean a spiritual retreat! not unli$e the original forest dwelling. The modern &shram! however! is not seen as part of traditional life and is often associated with non%standard or even disreputable teachings and practices from popular and sometimes heterodox gurus. IV. Wanderin( Be((ar •

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#f a man desires! he may continue on to this stage! but his wife will need to return home;  The sannyâsî  has renounced the world completely! is regarded as dead by his family (the funeral is held)! and is beyond all dharma and caste.  He surrenders the sacred thread he received when he came of age! and all the sacri"ces and rituals of daily life are abandoned. Eot 1ust ritually but legally  the sannyâsî  is released from debts and contracts! cannot enter into legal transactions or be a witness in court! and is supposed to be immune from "nes! tolls! and taxes. #ndeed! with no possessions! it is not clear how an ascetic could be responsible for the latter. Fhen a sannyâsî  enters a Hindu temple! he is not a worshiper but one of the sub1ects of worship. He is utterly free > attains the fourth end of life - spiritual release (mo$sha) He is entirely concerned with meditation on the absolute or tru e reality! rahman.

 The fourth stage is the sannyâsa (s(nyâsa)! ! or the stage of the ,anderin( as%eti%! the sannyâsî  (s(nyâsî )! ! sâdhu! ! or biks#u! . #f a man desires! he may continue on to this stage! but his wife will need to return home; traditionally she cannot stay alone as a forest dweller or wander the highways as a mendicant ascetic! begging for food. The sannyâsî  has renounced the world completely! is regarded as dead by his family (the funeral is held)! and is (usually) beyond all dharma and caste. He (usually) surrenders the sacred thread he received when he came of age! and all the sacri"ces and rituals of daily life are abandoned. Eot 1ust ritually but legally  the sannyâsî  is released from debts and contracts! cannot enter into legal transactions or be a witness in court! and is supposed to be immune from "nes! tolls! and taxes. #ndeed! with no possessions! it is not clear how an ascetic could be responsible for the latter. Fhen a sannyâsî  enters a Hindu temple! he is not a worshiper but one of the sub1ects of worship. Eot even the gods are sannyâsîs (they are householders)! and so this is where in Hinduism! as in ainism and Buddhism! it is possible for human beings to be spiritually superior to the gods. #t has long been a matter of dispute in Hinduism whether one need really ful"ll the reuirements of the Laws of Manu (gray hair! etc.) to renounce the world. The Mahâbhârata says that Brahmins may go directly to Nenunciation! but it also says that the three debts must be paid %% and the debt to the ancestors could only be paid with husbands and wives living together either as householders or! if renunciates! as forest dwellers (indeed! the 'Pn.d.avas are all born in that way).  There are de"nitely no such reuirements in ainism or Buddhism. The Buddha left his family right after his wife had a baby! to the distress of his father! which would put him in the middle of his dharma as a householder (today there would be lawsuits). Buddhism and ainism thus developed monastic institutions! with mon$s and nuns. 3or a while! it loo$ed li$e something similar might develop in Hinduism. By the Qth century &=! a Brahmin might enter a monastery! a mat#ha! ; but such institutions seem to have died out! and the dharma authorities never recogni+ed a renunicatory way of life apart from mendicancy. Today! while wandering ascetics are rather li$e mendicant mon$s! we lac$ monasteries and nuns! and the Hindu ascetics are! ideally! supposed to have already lived something li$e a normal! lay life. Jf course! there is no certi"cation or enforcement of this! as historically it has been often disputed. hapter Three of the Bhagavad Gita embodies a debate of 1ust such an issue. Fhat if someone renounces the world and changes their mindR H aving abandoned caste and dharma! he does not get them bac$. The authorities regarded an ascetic apostate as an Jutcaste; and if he marries! his children will also be Jutcastes.