- In the beginning was emptiness (shunyakasha), containing latent potential energy. As creation began, divine consciousness manifested as the primordial vibration of the sound "OM". - From OM emerged two primordial forces - Purusha (consciousness) and Prakriti (primordial nature). From Prakriti emanated the three gunas (qualities) and five tattvas (elements) that form the basis for all manifestations. - The interactions between the tattvas and gunas influence all forms of life physically, psychically and spiritually. They allow for the complex human form, mind and consciousness to emerge and evolve.

1. Tattvas and Gunas
The Origin of the Universe
In the beginning was SHŪNYĀKĀSHA –
“emptiness” or “the void”.
Shūnyākāsha is more than “nothingness”,it is
an immensepotency of dormantenergy in which
“everything” exists in a latent state of
potentiality. Everything conceivable can be
broughtinto existence, just like text written, or
pictures drawn,on an empty sheet of paper.
As creation began, the divine, all-encompassing
consciousness took the form of the first and
original vibration manifesting as the sound
“OM”.
Just like light, sound is vibration, energy. Light
and sound are the forms that the Divine Self
takes in the Universe. OM is the reflectionof the
absolutereality. OM is “Ādi Ānadi” - without
beginning or end.
In the Vedas it is said:
NĀDA RŪPA PARA BRAHMA – The form of
the Supreme is sound.

2. The vibration of OM symbolises the
manifestationof God in form. The silence
between two OM-sounds reveals the formless,
divine principle.
OM embraces “all that exists” – past, present
and future, all spheres of the Cosmos,the world
and its underlying reality, mind and matter,
cause and effect, the path and the goal.The
Mantra OM is the “name of God”, the vibration
of the Supreme, the all-encompassingMantra.
The essence of all wisdom has its roots in this
sound.In the triad A-U-M the divine energy
(Shakti) is united in its three elementary aspects
as:
BRAHMĀ SHAKTI – the creative power that
manifests the Universe
VISHNU SHAKTI – the preserving power that
sustains the Cosmos
SHIVA SHAKTI – the liberating power that
brings about transformationand renewal .
At the beginning of creation as the sound of OM
divided the unity of Shūnyākāsha,two powers
emerged from it:
PURUSHA– original consciousness
PRAKRITI – primordial nature

3. Prakriti is the eternal stream of divine energy
and Purusha is the divine Self, the unchanging,
omnipresentand omniscient witness of all
events and mutations of Prakriti. To ensure that
nature (Prakriti) would always maintain a
connection to the divine (Purusha)the force of
attraction developed as an aspect of Prakriti.
The desire for unionand the striving for
expansion are “natural”; they are intrinsic
impulses of nature. Why does the seed that was
planted in the lap of the earth sprout? Because
the impetus for growth and duplication lies in its
nature - uniting, unfolding,growing,
multiplying,protecting, preserving and
nourishing;put concisely, “loving” is the
fundamental characteristicof Prakriti. Love
contains the impulsefor development and
expansion,and this love is part of the Divine
Being.
In a progressive sequence the three GUNAS
(essential qualities)and the five TATTVAS
(elementary principles) emanated from Prakriti.
These form the basis of all manifestations,of all
subtle and gross forms.
The five Tattvas are:

4. PRITHVĪ – Earth
ĀPAS – Water
TEJAS – Fire
VĀYU – Air
ĀKĀSHA – Space
However, without some impetus the Tattvas
cannot unite. For that they require the
participation of the Gunas,which are
characterised by the following qualities.
Gunas:
RAJAS – activity, movement, restlessness,
passion
TAMAS – rigidity, laziness,darkness, ignorance
SATTVA – harmony,light, purity, knowledge
Tattvas and Gunas are the primordial forces that
have an effect on both the physical and astral
planes. They influenceall forms of life
physically, psychically and spirituallyfrom the
beginning of their earthly existence to their end.
Through the multi-layered combinationsof
these basic powers the humanbody, with its
highly complex organ, nerve and brain
functions,comes into existence and the psyche
and mind are formed.
The diverse interactions between the five gross
Tattvas, which form the physical body, are

5. known as Prakritis (natural forces). There are
twenty-five Prakritis that influence and regulate
the systems of the body.
The Tattvas that are flowing aimlesslyaround in
space are independent forces withoutvisible
effect. It is not until several of these primordial,
undirected forces are concentrated at one point
that something qualitativelynew is produced.
However, first an assembly point must be
formed so the energy can be focused and
assimilated.The most highly developed and
most powerful centre on earth is the human. So
just as bees collect around the queen bee, all
forces and Tattvas follow when the Ātma enters
the embryo. In order for a humanform to be
constructed the orderly combinationof an
immensenumber of effects is necessary. In the
same way, but at a lower intensity, animal and
plant life come into being.
The Cosmic forces are collected within the
human body at certain central points, the
CHAKRAS. Thesefunction like powerful power
stations. They draw in cosmic energy, transform,
store and distribute it, and then radiate it out
into the Cosmos again.
The Tattvas that combined to form the body as a
dwelling for the soul again detach from one

6. another at death and return to the Cosmos.The
soul then continues to wander, waiting to
produce a new form again undersuitable
conditions.This cycle is known as CHORASI KĀ
CHAKRA , “The Wheel of Rebirth and Death”.
According to Indianphilosophythere are 8.4
million types of living beings that are divided
into three categories:NABHA CHARA, THALA
CHARA and JALA CHARA – living beings that
exist in the air, those that live on or under the
earth and those that live in the water. They are
further divided into four differentclassifications
according to their method of birth in these three
earthly spheres:
JARĀYUJA – in the womb (humans and
mammals)
ANDAJA – in an egg that is hatched (birds,
reptiles, fish, etc.)
SVEDAJA – through division(lower forms of
life, bacteria, etc.)
UDBHIJJA– through seed (vegetation)
Each of these groups has certain aptitudes and
abilities called KALĀ in Sanskrit. Plants possess
one Kalā, lower life forms two, egg-laying
animals three, and mammalsand humans four.
While plants and animals remain at the level of
their genesis,humans can develop up to sixteen

7. Kalā through exercises, concentrationand
following the principles of Yoga.They can
acquire twelve supernatural powers in addition
to their four natural aptitudes.
Therefore,the attainment of a humanbirth is
the greatest stroke of luck for the soul.To enable
this, with God’s grace, innumerableCosmic
powers act in combination;and this joining is
comparableto a great fire. Qualitativelythe
souls of all beings are the same: they are
differentiated only in the degree of their
development. A small candle flameis “fire”, but
when several flames are combined a brighter
light, a stronger power, results.A humanlives
more intensively and more consciouslythan an
animal,and is distinguishedfrom all other life
forms through the gift of the intellect
(BUDDHI).
Without faltering the wheel of rebirth keeps
turning, and the soul wanders through the circle
of existence driven by God’s plan and KARMAS
(actions) . Human life offers the only possibility
of ending this cycle. The cyclic laws of nature
also bind humans,but with the help of the
intellect they are capable of exploring the world,
themselves and also the supernaturalpowers.
Only humans are capable of understanding

8. “What is God”. Only humans can realise God.
That is why it is possiblefor them to emerge
from the cycle of rebirth and, as a consequence,
also help others to do so.
The practice of Yoga supports and accelerates
the developmentof humans as it imparts to
them knowledgeof the true dimensionof earthly
life, its purpose and potential.
The evolution of consciousness attains fulfilment
in the divine state of SAMĀDHI where Knower,
Knowledgeand the Object of Knowledgebecome
one. Since the beginning of its existence the
individual self has soughtto gain knowledge
about “the Self”. While in Samādhi the self
recognises that it and the one soughtfor are one
and the same – therefore also “the Knower”and
“the object of knowledge”are the same – and so
begins the blissful experience of unity,
displacing the wronglycherished illusionof
duality.
This supreme knowledgeis transmitted to us
through two spiritual Tattvas, ANUPADA
TATTVA and ĀDI TATTVA . Anupada Tattva
(also called Guru Tattva) is the universal,divine
principle that leads the creation from “darkness
into light” – from unconsciousexistence to
conscious existence. Ādi Tattva is the divine Self,

9. ĀTMĀ . Thereforeit is also called ĀTMA
TATTVA or ĀTMA GYĀNA.
Self-RealisedYoga Masters are known as
BRAHMANISHTASHROTRIA,the knowers of
Brahman,and TATTVADARSHI, the knowers of
the Tattvas. Their knowledgeand experiences
are unlimited;they transcend time, space and
intellect. One who possesses self-knowledgeand
knowledgeof the Tattvas has acquired the
highest knowledgerealisableby a human – with
this one becomes the “knower of God”
(BRAHMA GYĀNI)and the Self merges into the
divine consciousness and becomes one with
God.
Jīvātmā, Ātmā and Paramātmā
Soul, Self and God
In Yoga we differentiatebetween
 JĪVĀTMĀ– Soul
 ĀTMĀ – Self
 PARAMĀTMĀ - God
Jīvātmā is the individual,and Ātmā and
Paramātmā are Universal.

10.  PARAMĀTMĀ is the Supreme Principle,
whatever we call it: God, Supreme Self,
Divine Self, Love, Truth or Reality.
 ĀTMĀ may be described as God’s ray of
light, which exists as the “light of life” in
every living being. It is part of
PARAMĀTMĀ and is therefore identical in
nature with it. Just as the seed of a tree
contains all the qualities of the tree, the
Ātmā also carries the qualities of the
Supreme Self.
 JĪVĀTMĀ, the individualsoul,is the
reflection of the Ātmā within an individual;
a “wave” that emerges from the ocean of
existence and wanders from embodimentto
embodiment,and after a long process of
developmentand experience again returns
to the unity of the Ātmā. The soul that has
manifested itself in a form, however, does
not identify with its divine essence but
rather with its attributes, the physical body,
the mind, the thoughts,etc. The aim of the
path of Yoga is to dispel this illusion.
What is the reason that the individualsoul
separates from God? The cause lies in the
principle of Ahamkāra,the ego. Here ego means

11. ‘the will to exist’; it is the aspirationfor
manifestationand self-expressionin the sense of
“I want to exist”. Ahamkāra is the seed from
which the variety within nature comes into
existence. The differencein form is relevant only
to the external manifestationand to the
expression of consciousnessand intellect – the
essence, however, is the same within all, Ātmā.
Just as the water in clouds only appears to be
different to the water in the ocean, in the same
way the individualonly ‘appears’ to be different
to God. In reality there is no division – it only
exists externally, in the form and in the qualities.
The individual followsthe path set downby
cosmic law, which has the same validity for all
life forms. The aim and purpose of life is in the
ongoing developmentand enlightenmentof the
consciousness,which achieves its ultimate
expression in the conscious unionof the
individual soul (Jīvātmā)with the divine Self
(Ātmā). The opening of the individual
consciousness of the Jīvātma to the all-
conscious-existenceof the Ātma is called
enlightenmentor realisation.
Enlightenment means that there is no
longer any corner of the consciousness
remaining in darkness.

12. One cannot explain or describethe Ātmā. The
closest comparisonis with light or space. Space
cannot be cut, burnt or otherwisedestroyed.
Space always remains space. One can divide
space by fences or walls to create “individual”
spheres that can be shaped or decorated
differently, but as soonas the demarcationsare
removed the undivided,unified space again
emerges.
Just as walls divide space, the body, mind,
intellect, disposition,qualities and experiences
assembled as the “person”, mark the boundaries
of the Self for a while. The body dies, the person
changes,but not the Ātmā. Our true Self is
unborn, unchangingand immortal;it is the
“king” around whom the cosmic forces gather in
the royal household,and again disperseafter he
has left his palace (the body).
The philosophical schoolsof India,particularly
Yoga philosophy,have examined the essential
question regarding our existence - “Who am I?” -
and given us an answerto this.
Examineyourself:Are you the body? The mind?
Your qualities,thoughts or feelings?Or are you
something else? As you continue to search more
deeply you realisethe more subtle aspects of
your being, right up to the level of the elements.

13. Then finally you recognisethat you are not the
Tattvas or Gunas either, and experience yourself
as:
 SAT – truth
 CHIT – consciousness
 ĀNANDA – bliss
Sat-Chit-Ānanda is the essence of the divine Self
that lives within you, the eternal, infinite and
immutableĀtmā.
The only true reality within us is the Ātmā.
Everything else is unreality. Ātmā is
TRIKĀLADARSHI , the knower of past, present
and future, and also CHAITANYA,the conscious
witness of everything that happens.
………………………………………
Pānchakosha
The Five Sheaths
Our body does not just consist of the visible
physical form; we also possess fourother subtle

14. sheaths.Altogether each person consists of five
“bodies”or KOSHAS.
These five Koshas are:
 ANNAMAYAKOSHA - the Body of
Nourishment- Physical Body
 PRĀNAMAYA KOSHA - the Energy Body-
Astral Body
 MANOMAYAKOSHA - the Mental Body -
Astral Body
 VIGYĀNAMAYAKOSHA - the Intellectual
Body - Astral Body
 ĀNANDAMAYAKOSHA - the Body of Joy -
Causal Body
Our KARMAS (actions)and SAMSKĀRAS
(memories and experiences) are stored in the
Koshas.They form the partitions between the
individual soul and the universal Self. Liberation
– MOKSHA – therefore means to releasethe
Ātmā from the limitations of the Koshas.In
order to become one with something we must
develop the same qualities as that with which we
wish to unite. Until we have released ourselves
from the Koshas,while we still hang onto our
personal ego and continueto identify with the
little “i”, we cannot become one with the Infinite.

15. On the other hand,however, all five Koshas are
indispensableforour existence on the earthly
plane. Without them we cannot exist here. To
surmountand detach from the Koshas is
primarily an extensive process of mental
purification and development. When there are
no more impurities,no more “shadows”
remaining,then at the end of our life the astral
body also dissolves and our soul’s spark unites
with the infinite, divine light.
ANNAMAYAKOSHA is the physical body. It is
influenced by the food we eat as well as by our
environment and society. Thereforethe Yoga
teachings emphasisehow important positive and
beneficial human interactions, as well as a
healthy, sattvic diet, are for our physical and
mental development. The consumptionof meat,
alcohol and drugs weakens our vitality and fills
us with negative vibrations. A wholesome,lacto-
vegetarian diet, however, provides nourishment
for the body in an optimal way.
PRĀNAMAYA KOSHA is the subtle sheath of
cosmic energy that penetrates and surrounds the
physical body. It forms our “aura”, the radiance
that emanates from us. PRĀNA is the subtle
“nourishment”that is as necessary to life as food
and drink. With each breath we not only absorb

16. oxygen, but also Prāna. All foods not only supply
us with nutrients, but also with Prāna. The
quality of our Prāna is decisivelyaffected by
external influences as well as by our own
thoughts and emotions,and impacts upon the
other Koshas.
MANOMAYAKOSHA, the mental energy
sheath, is even more extensive and powerful
than the Prānamaya Kosha.Its scope is infinite.
The mind and thoughts can reach anywhere
without any loss of time. Therefore, it is very
difficultto control the thoughts.
Vedanta philosophycoined the saying:
MANO MĀTRA JAGAT – “The whole world
exists in your mind.”
Innumerablelevels and worlds exist in the mind
of each individual.Every thought, every idea and
every feeling forms a separate world for itself.
Only through controlling the mind can we gain
control over our destiny! The best method of
mastering the mind is to foster good thoughts
and qualities.Following the rules of YAMA and
NIYAMA, understanding,giving, praying and
practising Mantra purify our karmic phänomen.
VIGYĀNAMAYAKOSHA is the intellectual body.
It can also be positively or negatively orientated.

17. This depends on the society we keep, together
with the sensoryimpressions that we absorb
from our environment. It is formed by the
experiences, upbringing and educationin this
lifetime, and represents the sum total of all of
these. The intellect, though,is not always our
best adviser. All too often it is deaf to the truth
and judges egoisticallyin line with our desires.
The intellect can be a very useful tool, but it can
also be a great hindrance.That is why we should
always employ both BUDDHI (reason) and
VIVEKA(correct discrimination).
ĀNANDAMAYAKOSHA is the “body of bliss”. It
is the subtlest of the five sheaths and the most
difficultto overcome. This is becausethe
aspiration for the fulfilmentof our desires and
for comfort and pleasureis a powerful motivator
and a decisive power within us.
There are two types of joy:
 the transitory, limited elation,and
 the eternal, unlimited feeling of supreme
joy.
The first depends on certain conditions,the
fulfilmentof our desires and other favourable
circumstances,whereas the latter is
unconditional,and is totally independent of

18. external conditions.Lasting contentment and
MAHĀ ĀNANDA (infinite bliss) are bestowed
upon us only in unionwith the Self; all other
joys are limited and transitory.
Only through GYĀNA(wisdom)can we free
ourselves from the Ānandamāya Kosha.BHAKTI
(devotion to God) takes us close to this goal;but
the final step can only be mastered through the
knowledgeof the truth. Only then can we finally
attain MOKSHA (liberation).
The five bodies that encase the Jīvātmā can be
compared with the skin of an onion - the
“essence” of the onionbeing neither chemically
nor physicallyderived from its skin.
It is the same with our identity. When we
observe our body we say: “This is my body; this
is my arm and my leg, my head ……” When we go
a little deeper within ourselves,we recogniseour
thoughts and feelings.And we still say: “These
are my thoughts,experiences....”, and so forth.
This actuallymeans that everything belongs to
us, but is not identical to us. The “Self” is
apparently something else. The body, thoughts,
emotions and intellectual knowledgeare merely
skins that cover the nucleus of our existence. We
can only experience this when we go deeply

19. within ourselves and penetrate the numerous
layers that cover it.