Think of layers of reality like Russian nesting dolls around your genuine self, with each layer more subdued than the one before. At the heart of it is pure bliss, a condition of existence that goes beyond physical sensation, emotional responses, even conscious thought. This is the core of Hindu philosophy's Anandamaya Kosha, the innermost "sheath of pleasure."

The Five Koshas: A Road to Self- Understanding

According to Vedantic philosophy, particularly as described in the Taittiriya Upanishad, we have several levels of existence. These five sheaths (koshas) surround our real core (Atman):

1. Comprised of food, Annamaya Kosha is the physical body.
2. The energy body bearing life force is called pranamaya kosha.
3. The mental body of ideas and feelings is known as Manomaya Kosha.
4. Vijnanamaya Kosha: The wisdom body of knowledge and intellect
5. The bliss body, Anandamaya Kosha, closest to our real nature.

The Taittiriya Upanishad (II.5.1) says that the inner self, the bliss layer (anandamaya), is different from this self made of understanding. The former is filled with this one. Its shape is that of a human being.

Understanding Anandaamaya Kosha

The Anandamaya Kosha is our ability for unadulterated happiness divorced from outside events. This joy (ananda) is our inherent state, unlike happiness that results from enjoyable activities and then disappears.

The infinite is bliss, as the Chandogya Upanishad (VII.23.1) notes. The infinite only is joy; nothing finite has any bliss.

According to the Mandukya Upanishad, this condition is "Turiya," the fourth state of consciousness beyond waking, dreaming, and deep sleep whereby we encounter our most authentic nature. Its characteristics are:

- Full happiness not reliant on outside events
- Independence from fear and desire
- A feeling of connection to all life forms
- Transcending of the personal ego

Contemporary Applications in Positive Psychology

Modern psychology has started to acknowledge what Hindu sages knew millennia ago: our happiest times come when we go beyond our limited awareness of self. Positive psychologists like Mihaly Csikszentmihaly describe "flow states," where self-consciousness vanishes and time seems to halt - experiences remarkably comparable to descriptions of tapping into the Anandamaya Kosha.

Such a man, not bound to outer sensory pleasures, rejoices in the Self; being linked through yoga with Brahman, one experiences perpetual delight, the Bhagavad Gita (5.21).

Techniques for Reach the Bliss Sheath

For people who want to include these Hindu ideas into their daily activities:

1. Meditation (Dhyana): Regular meditation helps quiet the other koshas to reveal the bliss layer. According to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (1.2-1.3), yoga is "the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind" that enables one to "abide in one's true nature."
2. Repeatedly asking "Who am I?" as taught by Ramana Maharshi, aids in penetrating the outside sheaths via self-inquiry (Atma Vichara).
3. 3. Bhakti, the Bhagavata Purana stresses devotion as a straight road leading to divine pleasure.
4. Serving others without attachment to outcomes helps to go beyond ego-consciousness as described in the Bhagavad Gita (2.47):

Path Forward

The path to realizing the Anandamaya Kosha is removing the veils that conceal your innate state of happiness rather than adding something fresh to your life. One who knows Brahman becomes Brahman, the Mundaka Upanishad (3.2.9), promises, hence realizing our link to universal consciousness is the ultimate source of pleasure.

For the seeker drawn to Hindu wisdom, knowing the Anandamaya Kosha offers not just philosophical knowledge but also a workable framework for experiencing deep joy regardless of life!s changing conditions.

According the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (4.3.32): "This is the highest bliss. On a particle of this very bliss other beings live."

The Five Koshas: A Road to Self- Understanding

According to Vedantic philosophy, particularly as described in the Taittiriya Upanishad, we have several levels of existence. These five sheaths (koshas) surround our real core (Atman):

1. Comprised of food, Annamaya Kosha is the physical body.
2. The energy body bearing life force is called pranamaya kosha.
3. The mental body of ideas and feelings is known as Manomaya Kosha.
4. Vijnanamaya Kosha: The wisdom body of knowledge and intellect
5. The bliss body, Anandamaya Kosha, closest to our real nature.

The Taittiriya Upanishad (II.5.1) says that the inner self, the bliss layer (anandamaya), is different from this self made of understanding. The former is filled with this one. Its shape is that of a human being.

Understanding Anandaamaya Kosha

The Anandamaya Kosha is our ability for unadulterated happiness divorced from outside events. This joy (ananda) is our inherent state, unlike happiness that results from enjoyable activities and then disappears.

The infinite is bliss, as the Chandogya Upanishad (VII.23.1) notes. The infinite only is joy; nothing finite has any bliss.

According to the Mandukya Upanishad, this condition is "Turiya," the fourth state of consciousness beyond waking, dreaming, and deep sleep whereby we encounter our most authentic nature. Its characteristics are:

- Full happiness not reliant on outside events
- Independence from fear and desire
- A feeling of connection to all life forms
- Transcending of the personal ego

Contemporary Applications in Positive Psychology

Modern psychology has started to acknowledge what Hindu sages knew millennia ago: our happiest times come when we go beyond our limited awareness of self. Positive psychologists like Mihaly Csikszentmihaly describe "flow states," where self-consciousness vanishes and time seems to halt - experiences remarkably comparable to descriptions of tapping into the Anandamaya Kosha.

Such a man, not bound to outer sensory pleasures, rejoices in the Self; being linked through yoga with Brahman, one experiences perpetual delight, the Bhagavad Gita (5.21).

Techniques for Reach the Bliss Sheath

For people who want to include these Hindu ideas into their daily activities:

1. Meditation (Dhyana): Regular meditation helps quiet the other koshas to reveal the bliss layer. According to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (1.2-1.3), yoga is "the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind" that enables one to "abide in one's true nature."
2. Repeatedly asking "Who am I?" as taught by Ramana Maharshi, aids in penetrating the outside sheaths via self-inquiry (Atma Vichara).
3. 3. Bhakti, the Bhagavata Purana stresses devotion as a straight road leading to divine pleasure.
4. Serving others without attachment to outcomes helps to go beyond ego-consciousness as described in the Bhagavad Gita (2.47):

Path Forward

The path to realizing the Anandamaya Kosha is removing the veils that conceal your innate state of happiness rather than adding something fresh to your life. One who knows Brahman becomes Brahman, the Mundaka Upanishad (3.2.9), promises, hence realizing our link to universal consciousness is the ultimate source of pleasure.

For the seeker drawn to Hindu wisdom, knowing the Anandamaya Kosha offers not just philosophical knowledge but also a workable framework for experiencing deep joy regardless of life!s changing conditions.

According the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (4.3.32): "This is the highest bliss. On a particle of this very bliss other beings live."