panchamayakosha

the five sheaths of human existence, as understood in yogum, constitute the pancha maya koshas - 5 appearances of coverings/sheaths.

these five are described in the upanishads, and referenced by the vednatists i listen to, as being likened to a matryaoshka doll, or russian nesting doll.

the five are the physical body, the breath body, the mental/ego body, the intellect body, and the bliss-body. they grow from grossest to most intangible, from surface to depth.

the deeper we go within ourselves, the less clarity there is on substance. afterall, if the basic structure of existence, is the atom, and the atom itself is lacking clear form, as illustrated by the erratic nature of electrons that come in and out of valences, appearing, disappearing, then matter is itself, at this great depth, questionable.

but, the vedantists say that, according the upanishads, none of these bodies constitutes you, me, i. this is due to the fact that all of these forms occupy impermanence.

then, that which is i is that which is permanent. what is always?

in buddhist thought, the triage of concepts that resound are - annicha, dukha, and annata - impermanence, sorrow based on identifying with that which is impermanent, and non-self, which also is a cause of suffering, if one understands them-self as that which is not them.

annata touches a similar ground to anandamayakosha - the bliss body - that even here, is not you.

then who are you?