A PSYCHOPHYSICAL FRAMEWORK

A person with an unsteady and uncontrolled mind becomes easily vulnerable to a matrix of psychophysical frameworks. That matrix envelops them in a transient sphere of illusory entrapment, distancing them from their original true Self, which is the eternal, inseparable, and undifferentiated essence of Brahman, or Cosmic Self: "Aham Brahmāsmi", or "I am Brahman" (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, 1.4.10); "Pragyanam Brahma", or "Consciousness is Brahman" or "Brahman is the Ultimate Reality" (Aitareya Upanishad, 3.3); "Tat Tvam Asi", or "Thou art That" (Chandogya Upanishad, 6.8.7); and "Ayam Atma Brahma", or "This Self is Brahman" (Mandukya Upanishad, 1.2). Srimad Bhagavad Gita (2.14-16) expresses this illusionary entrapment, as the contact between the senses and the sense objects gives rise to fleeting perceptions of happiness and distress. These are non-permanent and come and go, like the winter and summer seasons. Therefore, one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed. Of the transient there is no endurance, and of the eternal there is no cessation. This has verily been observed and concluded by the seers of the Truth after studying the nature of both. The Upanishadic revelation asserts that the Jivatma, or True Self, and Brahman, or Cosmic Self, the Ultimate Reality, are fundamentally and essentially one. It signifies the evanescence of the body-mind-centric ego. It is an expression of enlightenment or Self-realisation where a person realises his true essence. That the true essence is one's true self, or Atman, is Brahman—the infinite, unconditioned, and eternal ultimate reality that pervades the entire universe. It is transcendent as well as immanent. That Self can never be limited by ego, body, or mind. Srimad Bhagavad Gita (2.21-24) articulates It, this way: Atman, or the Self, is neither born nor It never dies, nor, having once existed, does It ever cease to be. It is without birth, eternal, immortal, and ageless. It survives the body's destruction. It is imperishable, eternal, unborn, and immutable. It cannot kill anyone or cause anyone to be killed. The weapons cannot shred It, nor can fire burn It. Water cannot wet It, nor can the wind dry It. It is unbreakable and incombustible; It can neither be dampened nor dried. It is everlasting, in all places, unalterable, immutable, and primordial. It is transcendent and eternal. When the material transient layers, or the body-mind and intellect complex, are peeled off, what remains is the eternal, uncaused, unchanged, pure witness consciousness, Atman, or Self, that dissolves barriers of attachment, division, and ego. He sees all beings in Himself, and all beings have become His Self (Ishavasya Upanishad, verses 6-7). The Upanishads describe the stage of realisation, where one stops seeing the world as a collection of separate, or discrete, entities. By recognising the same divine Self in all living things, the sage transcends prejudice, aversion, and hatred. When all beings in him are the culmination of this wisdom. When you experientially 'become' all beings, the boundaries between the Self and the 'other' vanish completely. Because this ultimate oneness is realised, sorrow and delusions disappear.

1. Outline
The encompassment of the psychophysical framework propels one to move towards the objective domain that is insentient to satisfy the psychophysical needs. Such movement toward the insentient dimension by forgetting the sentient essence is due to the veil of Avidya, or ignorance. The waking state (Vaishvanara or Vishva) is indeed the first of the four states of consciousness outlined in the Mandukya Upanishad (0.5.4, 0.5.6). In this state, the individual Self is outwardly conscious (Bahis-prajna) and experiences the gross phenomenal world through the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch to gather information about the phenomenal world. It is the foundation of our daily, objective reality. Sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda (Mandukya Upanishad, Section 3, The Universal Vaisvanara, Divine Life Society, Rishikesh) says this Atman, or Self, which is Brahman, is fourfold and can be approached and attained by a fourfold process of self-transcendence (Jagrat, or waking; Svapna, or dreaming; Sushupti, or deep sleep; and Turiya, or transcendental consciousness). The first stage of approach, naturally, is that which pertains to the degree of reality presented before the senses. All successful efforts commence with immediate reality. In the waking state, the individual Self is outwardly conscious (Bahis-prajna) and experiences the gross phenomenal world through the senses. It is the foundation of the daily, objective reality. The Upanishad describes this first condition using highly symbolic imagery of Seven Limbs representing the cosmic manifestation of the Self (the physical universe), including heaven, the sun, space, air, the sacrificial fire, water, and the earth. The Nineteen Mouths represent the tools through which the Self interacts with the external world. This consists of the five organs of perception of eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin; the five organs of action of hands, feet, speech, generative organ and excretory organ; the five Pranas, or vital energies, consist of Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana, and Samana; Manas, or mind; Buddhi, or intellect; Ahamkara, or ego; and Chitta, or subconsciousness. The Upanishad says the full progression of consciousness encompasses Vaishvanara, or Jagrat (waking), wherein the gross physical world is experienced. It is followed by Taijasa, or Svapna (dreaming), wherein experience is turned inward to experience the subtle mental world. The third state is Prajna, or Sushupti (deep sleep), wherein no desires or dreams are experienced. The fourth state is Turiya, or the transcendental, which is Pure Consciousness, neither inwardly nor outwardly cognitive, representing the Ultimate, Unconditioned Reality.

In the state of nature, everybody seeks security. The possibility of chameleon-like changes in the world, according to sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda, which could happen at any time and in any situation, makes one uneasy (Commentary on the Panchadasi, Swami Krishnananda, Divine Life Society, Rishikesh). Swami Krishnananda says in his commentary that the two main aspects of mortality are insecurity of death and tardiness. Mortality, he says, is the constant anxiety of losing this psychophysical identity, coupled with the terrifying uncertainty of what happens once life ends. We live as strangers to our ultimate destiny, fearful of being swept away by unseen cosmic forces. Tardiness, a psychophysical offshoot, refers to the ego's tendency to remain confined into that sphere that slows down its processes of awareness and consciousness in Self-realisation. Despite seeing others age and pass away, the finite mind remains sluggish in recognising the impermanent, "chameleon-like" illusions of worldly phenomena. Everyone has a subconscious fear of dying. It doesn't matter if he is the strongest or the weakest. Death is inevitable and cannot be prevented by any level of psychophysical support. Mortal beings live in a cycle of birth and death. Death always comes after birth. Familial, cultural, social, political, and economic values or networks influence a person's psychophysical relational environment, which provides apparent strength, security, recognition, and identity. The foundation of the whole sense of "I" is the systemic framework, which fosters the idea of "I" as ego and integrates it with the body-mind-intellect complex. The entity is compelled by the systemic fabric to grow in order to satiate the resulting insatiable desires. Humans perceive the body-mind-intellect complex as the ultimate reality, with all its related components equally real. Perception and sensual reception are equally legitimate. Ignorance resulting from the body-mind-intellect system, or avidya, creates a sensual appeal and an increased sense of security. As a result, the entity experiences the cycles of birth and death as essential elements of the process of reincarnation. One aspect of the belief in soul transmigration and reincarnation is the idea that we are our physical bodies. In this way, one submits to the life and death that make up the endless cycles of the material world. On the other hand, reincarnation serves to reveal to the soul the transient nature of material identification with the body-mind-intellect complex, or incarnation, so that transient stage can be identified by lifting the veil of ignorance and seeing it as an expression of Brahmān, the Cosmic Self, or Absolute Existence. The cycle of reincarnation is more due to the heightened movement of an uncontrolled mind more often due to the lack of Self-enquiry, Self-control and Self-knowledge.  Liberation from the cycle of birth and death is the realisation of Atman, or the Self. It is that all manifest and unmanifest are Self, or Atman, and correspondingly Brahman, the Cosmic Self, is all-pervading and transcendent as well as immanent. As He is transcendent and immanent, so He is omnipotent and omniscient. He is complete, full, uncaused, Self-effulgent, Self-luminous, eternal and infinite in infinitude. The Upanishads describe Brahman, or the Cosmic Self, or the Supreme Being, as not a finite nor a limited entity to comprehend by limited sense perception or organs. It is not this, nor a distant, external entity, but the fundamental substratum of all existence. It is pure consciousness, an eternal silent witness and Ultimate Reality. Kena Upanishad Bhāṣya (Vol. 1) explains the more profound meaning of the Upanishad’s opening verses. It focuses on the question, “By whom is the mind directed?" "By whom does life force function?” and shows that the supreme reality (Brahman) is the unseen source behind all mental, sensory, and life activities. It is the highest, and this highest is the all; there is none beyond It, and there is none other than it. It is Brahman, the absolute origin, the present sustainer, and the final dissolving point of the entire universe. Seek to know That, which is the source of all beings, their sustenance, and their final destination. Brahman, proclaims Katha Upanishad (1.5-8), is the essence and self of the eye, speech, the mind, and the rest. This essence, or Brahman, is Consciousness, the eternal and infinite Subject. That which cannot be expressed by speech, but by which speech is expressed; That which cannot be apprehended by the mind, but by which, they say, the mind is apprehended; That which cannot be perceived by the eye, but by which the eye is perceived; and That which cannot be heard by the ear, but by which the hearing is perceived—That alone is known as Brahman and not that which people here worship. The Upanishads describe in so many ways but with one anchor: that Brahman is eternal, infinite, all-pervading, and witness-consciousness. Brahman is formless, unmanifest, without attributes, and beyond the reach of human senses, speech, or intellect, an assertion by Mundaka Upanishad (2.2.11). It lucidly states, "Brahman indeed is this immortal universe. Brahman is in front; Brahman is behind, to the right, and to the left, below and above. Pervading all, Brahman alone exists. Brahman is Satyam-Jñānam-Anantam Brahma, or Truth-Knowledge-Infinity, Taittirya Upaniṣad (2.1.1); Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma, or All this is Brahman. From It the universe comes forth, in It the universe merges, and in It the universe breathes (Chandogya Upanishad, 3.14.1); Vijnanam-Anandam-Brahma, or Knowledge-Bliss-Brahman (Brihadāranyaka Upanishad, 3.9.28(7)); Satyasya Satyam, or 'the Truth of truth' (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.1.20); and in reality, realising Brahman is nothing more than identifying with everyone's Self. Because Brahman's realisation or non-realisation determines whether it is attained or not. Ātman (inner spirit or self) identifies with and attaches itself to the sheaths made of the mind, the speech and the vital force, or Prana, which are limited, external, and composed of subtle elements, even though they are fundamentally the same as Brahmān. This limitation confines Ātman to the boundaries of "I am none other than those non-selves composed of food...", an appropriate description by Adi Shankaracharya. He noted in his commentaries that human ignorance often leads us to mistakenly identify with these external sheaths by forgetting the inner one. He emphasises that to liberate oneself from this illusion, one must separate the Subject (the eternal witness) from the Object (everything that can be observed, including one's thoughts and speech). By systematically eliminating these sheaths through the process of Neti Neti ("not this, not this"), one uncovers one's true nature as the absolute, limitless Atman. This is how ignorance prevents consciousness of Brahman, the Supreme Self.

2. Scriptures

In the Upanishads, the psychophysical framework matrix, or the body-mind complex, is described as an impermanent, illusionary projection. This matrix is a projection of Maya, or cosmic illusion, with Nama and Rupa, or name and form. That matrix is ever-changing, as it is a veil of ignorance that obscures the unveiling of Atma-jnana, or Self-knowledge, in the realisation of Brahman, the Absolute Existence, or the Ultimate Reality. Kaushitaki Upanishad (3.1-8): "Know me only; that is what I deem most beneficial to man. . . . I am Prana (life force), the intelligent self (Prajnatman); meditate on me as life, as immortality. . . . And that Prana is indeed the intelligent self, blessed, undecaying, immortal.” It signifies the realisation that the vital life force (Prana) is identical to the Ultimate Conscious Self (Prajnatman). Swami Krishnananda, in his commentary on Brahmasutras (Chapter -1, Samanvaya Adhyaya, Section-1), says the word 'Prana', or vital force, in the passage of Kaushitaki Upanishad refers to Brahman because it is described as the most conducive to human welfare. Nothing is more conducive to human welfare than the knowledge of Brahman. Moreover, Prana is described as Prajnatma. The air which is non-intelligent can clearly not be the intelligent Self. The three layers of the psychophysical self that the Upanishads deconstruct the human individuality into are three interconnected bodies or layers, all of which are considered instruments rather than the true Self. Katha Upanishad (1.3.10-11) establishes a hierarchy that maps human consciousness to ultimate reality: The senses are transcended by Artha, or sensory objects. Artha is transcended by Manas, or the mind. Manas is transcended by Buddhi, or the intellect. Buddhi is transcended by the Mahan Atman, or the Cosmic Self. Mahan Atman is transcended by the Avyakta, or the Unmanifest. Avyakta is transcended by the Purusha, or Brahman. The Gross Body, or Sthula Sharira, is inert and serves merely as the temporary vehicle for the senses and actions. The subtle body, or Sukshma Sharira, encompasses the mind (Manas), intellect (Buddhi), ego (Ahamkara), vital life force (Prana), and the sensory instruments. It is the medium through which the true Self experiences the world. The causal body, or Karana Sharira, is the seed-state of ignorance (Avidya) that drives the illusion of separate existence and perpetuates the cycle of birth and death. It creates a fundamental error in perception, mistaking the non-Self (the psychophysical framework) for the true Self (pure consciousness). Maya is the dynamic illusionary power that creates the appearance of a manifold, changing universe. It deludes the individual into identifying with the changing mind and body instead of the changeless Atman. It is Avidya, or ignorance, that perpetuates the limitations by deluding one to identify with the transient phenomenal world of Nama-Rupa (Name and Form) as eternal, thus circumnavigating in the Samsara Chakra, or wheel of birth and death. It implies an ever-shifting projection of the one underlying reality, Brahman. Mandukya Upanishad deconstructs this illusion by mapping the Self across four states of consciousness: Vaisvanara, or Waking State, identifies with the gross physical body and external sensory inputs. Taijasa, or Dreaming State, identifies with the subtle body, where the mind creates internal worlds. Prajna, or Deep Sleep, is the cessation of the phenomenal experience, leaving only the causal body (the veil of ignorance). Turiya, or Pure Consciousness, is the transcendent Atman, or Self. It is unconditioned by the mind or body, existing as pure, non-dual consciousness.
Ultimately, the Upanishads teach that liberation (Moksha) is achieved by detaching from the psychophysical framework through deep inquiry and realising that one's true nature is the unchanging, eternal witness (Atman).

3. Remarks
Yoga-Vasistha (1.20.1-43) illustrates how the internal turmoil of youth is a much greater obstacle than the physical challenges of life. While one can physically navigate worldly dangers with relative ease, overcoming the arrogance, passions, and vices of youth requires immense spiritual maturity, making a truly virtuous youth incredibly rare. It is very rare to have persons of steadiness and wisdom that are fraught with humility and spent in the company of respectable men, which are distinguished by feelings of sympathy and are joined with good qualities and virtues. As a young person leaves behind the innocence of childhood, they fall prey to unchecked desires and worldly ambitions, eagerly pursuing fleeting pleasures that ultimately lead to their own spiritual and moral ruin. describes the mental and spiritual dangers of youth when one is led by uncontrolled desires. Yoga-Vasistha describes "youth" as not just a physical stage but a state of being where the mind is most vulnerable to worldly delusions. The vulnerability of the mind is one who, during his transient psycho-physical power, thinks of acquiring and possessing objects of pleasure to satisfy the egocentric vanity of "I" anchored in that structure. It moves along the loose and ungovernable mind without application of intellect or discrimination between Real and unreal, as the mind is not anchored by wisdom or self-control. This lack of stability causes him to fall from "one tribulation to another", as every new desire creates a new set of problems and mental sufferings. The suffering, Yoga-Vasistha asserts, is further aggravated by the power of hidden desires, referred to as 'delusive Cupid', that represents the biological and psychological urges that lie 'hidden in the cavity of the heart'. These desires are subtle and internal, often influencing actions before one even realises it. Voluptuous Thoughts: The comparison to "voluptuous women" in Yoga-Vasistha symbolises the seductive and distracting nature of worldly thoughts that draw the mind away from spiritual peace and toward sensory gratification.

-Asutosh Satpathy