Part I. Organism Of Soul
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"Brahma Knowledge", by L. D. Barnett, [1911],
18. Organism of Soul.--I. "Upanishads."--Every organic being is a soul, according to the Upanishads; and the degree of its organic development is directly proportioned to the merits of its former works. The highest therefore are the souls of gods and men. The soul in its human embodiment exercises three classes of functions: (1) the sense-organs "(indriya)", which in slumber or swoon become paralysed and merge themselves into (2) the organ of thought "(manas)", which converts the data of the sense-organs into conscious modes of thought and volition; and (3) the "breaths (pra)", a term originally denoting all the functions of physical life, then those higher functions upon which generally depends all life, whether conscious or unconscious, and into which during sleep or swoon are merged the "manas" and the sense-organs already absorbed in the latter.
The name "indriya" for the sense-organs appears first in Kah. and Kau. Other texts usually call them "pra" (a collective term, from the supremacy of the "pra," or breath), and comprise under the
p. 43
name ordinarily breath, speech, sight, hearing, and "manas" (e.g. B.A. I. iv. 7). The same ten "indriyas" as in the later system occur first in B.A. II. iv. 11, IV. v. 12, which adds "manas" and heart (cf. Pra. IV. 2). On "manas" as central function of cognition and action see B.A. I. v. 3, IV. i. 6, Ch. VII. iii f., Kah. VI. 7. The sense-organs are compared to horses drawing the car of the body, "manas" to their bridle, Kah. III. 3; in Maitr. II. 6 the organs of action are the horses, the organs of intelligence (see below) the reins, "manas" the driver. On the immersion of organs with "manas" in "pra" see especially B.A. IV. iii. 12, Ch. VI. viii. 2, Pra. IV. 2 f. The "breaths" are usually given as five, viz.: (1) "pra" in the strict sense, which in B.A. and Ch. denotes exspiration, and later exspiration and inspiration together; (2) "apna," in B.A. and Ch. the inspiration, later the wind causing digestion in the bowels or evacuation; (3) "vyna," respiratory action connecting "pra" and "apna," variously conceived; (4) "samna", sometimes the wind digesting food, sometimes connection between exspiration and inspiration; (5) "udna," which carries food and drink up and down (Maitr. II. 6) and guides the soul to Brahma in death and sleep (Pra. Iii. 7, Iv. 4).
Ii. \"Later Vednta."--In the system of ankara the gross body, subtle body ( 19), "karmraya" ( 20), and "pras" are classed together as the "determinations" or "updhis" by which the Self
p. 44
conceives itself as an individual soul (above, 12). Whereas the gross body is abandoned on death, the other organisms travel in a potential form with the soul throughout all its births. By the term "pra" ankara, following the old Upanishadic usage, designates not only the unconscious "breaths," but also the conscious "indriyas." The "indriyas" (the functional forces whence arise the material sense-organs) according to him comprise the five functions of action (viz. speech, grasp, locomotion, generation, and excretion) and the five of "buddhi" or intelligence (viz. sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell), with which is associated the "manas" as their centre. The "pras," or "breaths" in the strict sense are the five known in the Upanishads. ankara explains "pra" as exspiration, "apna" as inspiration, "vyna" as the force maintaining life when both exspiration and inspiration are checked, "samna" as the digestive force, and "udna" as the current leading the soul from the body on death (on II. iv. 8 f.). When death takes place, the "indriya"s sink into "manas," this into the "pras," these into the individual soul (lodged in the heart), this into the "subtle body" ( 19), which then starts on its wanderings. Thus ankara (on IV. ii. 1 f.) explains the statement of Ch. VI. viii. 6 that on death Speech is merged in "manas," this into "pra," this into Heat, this into the Higher Godhead. These words, he holds, mean that the potential functions of conscious sensation are
p. 45
merged into those of unconscious vitality, the latter into the individual soul, this again into the "Heat," i.e. the "subtle body," which conveys the soul through its wanderings. See also 12, 15.
The later Vednta (e.g. the Vednta-sra and the tma-viveka and Vkya-sudh ascribed to ankara) schematises the functions of empiric thought by dividing the "anta-karaa," its collective organisation, into "chitta, manas" (often loosely called "anta-karaa"), "buddhi," and "aha-kra." To "chitta" it ascribes the function of passing notice, to "manas" that of deliberation, and to "buddhi" that of determination. Sometimes also it uses "buddhi" as a general term denoting both "aha-kra," the conception of egoity, which is the agent in empiric mental action, and "manas," the instrument of egoity; in the false identification of these functions with the Self or Spirit lies the root of phenomenal illusion.
"Brahma Knowledge", by L. D. Barnett, [1911],
18. Organism of Soul.--I. "Upanishads."--Every organic being is a soul, according to the Upanishads; and the degree of its organic development is directly proportioned to the merits of its former works. The highest therefore are the souls of gods and men. The soul in its human embodiment exercises three classes of functions: (1) the sense-organs "(indriya)", which in slumber or swoon become paralysed and merge themselves into (2) the organ of thought "(manas)", which converts the data of the sense-organs into conscious modes of thought and volition; and (3) the "breaths (pra)", a term originally denoting all the functions of physical life, then those higher functions upon which generally depends all life, whether conscious or unconscious, and into which during sleep or swoon are merged the "manas" and the sense-organs already absorbed in the latter.
The name "indriya" for the sense-organs appears first in Kah. and Kau. Other texts usually call them "pra" (a collective term, from the supremacy of the "pra," or breath), and comprise under the
p. 43
name ordinarily breath, speech, sight, hearing, and "manas" (e.g. B.A. I. iv. 7). The same ten "indriyas" as in the later system occur first in B.A. II. iv. 11, IV. v. 12, which adds "manas" and heart (cf. Pra. IV. 2). On "manas" as central function of cognition and action see B.A. I. v. 3, IV. i. 6, Ch. VII. iii f., Kah. VI. 7. The sense-organs are compared to horses drawing the car of the body, "manas" to their bridle, Kah. III. 3; in Maitr. II. 6 the organs of action are the horses, the organs of intelligence (see below) the reins, "manas" the driver. On the immersion of organs with "manas" in "pra" see especially B.A. IV. iii. 12, Ch. VI. viii. 2, Pra. IV. 2 f. The "breaths" are usually given as five, viz.: (1) "pra" in the strict sense, which in B.A. and Ch. denotes exspiration, and later exspiration and inspiration together; (2) "apna," in B.A. and Ch. the inspiration, later the wind causing digestion in the bowels or evacuation; (3) "vyna," respiratory action connecting "pra" and "apna," variously conceived; (4) "samna", sometimes the wind digesting food, sometimes connection between exspiration and inspiration; (5) "udna," which carries food and drink up and down (Maitr. II. 6) and guides the soul to Brahma in death and sleep (Pra. Iii. 7, Iv. 4).
Ii. \"Later Vednta."--In the system of ankara the gross body, subtle body ( 19), "karmraya" ( 20), and "pras" are classed together as the "determinations" or "updhis" by which the Self
p. 44
conceives itself as an individual soul (above, 12). Whereas the gross body is abandoned on death, the other organisms travel in a potential form with the soul throughout all its births. By the term "pra" ankara, following the old Upanishadic usage, designates not only the unconscious "breaths," but also the conscious "indriyas." The "indriyas" (the functional forces whence arise the material sense-organs) according to him comprise the five functions of action (viz. speech, grasp, locomotion, generation, and excretion) and the five of "buddhi" or intelligence (viz. sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell), with which is associated the "manas" as their centre. The "pras," or "breaths" in the strict sense are the five known in the Upanishads. ankara explains "pra" as exspiration, "apna" as inspiration, "vyna" as the force maintaining life when both exspiration and inspiration are checked, "samna" as the digestive force, and "udna" as the current leading the soul from the body on death (on II. iv. 8 f.). When death takes place, the "indriya"s sink into "manas," this into the "pras," these into the individual soul (lodged in the heart), this into the "subtle body" ( 19), which then starts on its wanderings. Thus ankara (on IV. ii. 1 f.) explains the statement of Ch. VI. viii. 6 that on death Speech is merged in "manas," this into "pra," this into Heat, this into the Higher Godhead. These words, he holds, mean that the potential functions of conscious sensation are
p. 45
merged into those of unconscious vitality, the latter into the individual soul, this again into the "Heat," i.e. the "subtle body," which conveys the soul through its wanderings. See also 12, 15.
The later Vednta (e.g. the Vednta-sra and the tma-viveka and Vkya-sudh ascribed to ankara) schematises the functions of empiric thought by dividing the "anta-karaa," its collective organisation, into "chitta, manas" (often loosely called "anta-karaa"), "buddhi," and "aha-kra." To "chitta" it ascribes the function of passing notice, to "manas" that of deliberation, and to "buddhi" that of determination. Sometimes also it uses "buddhi" as a general term denoting both "aha-kra," the conception of egoity, which is the agent in empiric mental action, and "manas," the instrument of egoity; in the false identification of these functions with the Self or Spirit lies the root of phenomenal illusion.
