Manomaya Kosha, the Mental Sheath, consists of the Manas (mind) and the five Jnanendriyas (organs of perception). It is the third of the Pancha Kosha (five sheaths) and is inside Pranamaya Kosha.
The mind is the seat of all thoughts, emotions, feelings, desires, aversions, moods, attitudes, opinions, beliefs, etc. The mind is greatly influenced by our personality traits which in turn is shaped by our environment, education and experiences.
When we say “I am happy”, “I am sad”, “I am angry”, etc. we are referring to the Manomaya Kosha which is the seat of thoughts, desires, emotions and moods.
It is really not the mind that is responsible for the generation of thoughts. It is the self-centered Ego that makes the mind restless with self-centered thoughts. Through enquiry and reasoning, we need to constantly keep the Ego under check, discipline the mind, nurture purity and develop a distaste for selfish thoughts and desires.
The ever turbulent Manomaya Kosha cannot be the Self, the Atman. The Ego is nothing but thoughts about ourselves which we call as Personality. Unfortunately we strongly identify "I" with these thoughts generated by the mind. Thoughts are just mental actions. Just like we do not identify "I" with our physical actions, in the same way we should not identify "I" with our mental actions which are nothing but our thoughts.
All we need to do is ask a simple question "How are these thoughts generated?". The answer is because of our "Thinking Ability". Thus we need to turn inwards and identify "I" with our Thinking Ability, Concentrating Capability, Awareness, Consciousness, Self, Atman. I am using different words to mean the same thing which should help one grasp what Self or Atman refers to.
Atman, the Life Energy when it powers the eyes they get the seeing ability. When it powers the ears they get the hearing ability. When it powers the mind it gets Thinking Ability, Consciousness. Thus Atman shines as Thinking Ability, Pure Consciousness in the mind.
Every day we need to take few minutes, identify "I" with our Thinking Ability, Consciousness by sitting silently with great concentration firmly holding on to just one thought that "I am Thinking Ability", "I am Consciousness", "I am Atman".
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