hindu-selfWe're still mapping where this idea was first discussed. Key passages and related ideas below.
The Mental Sheath (Manomaya-Kośa)
The layer of thought and feeling — the busy mind whose moods we so easily take for ourselves.
The manomaya-kośa is the 'sheath made of mind' — the layer of thoughts, emotions, and the constant processing of what the senses bring in. It is the busy, reactive mind where thinking and feeling meet. Most people identify strongly with this layer, so their sense of self rises and falls with passing moods and ideas. The teaching is to recognize this mental layer as something awareness moves through, not something to be identified with.
Key passages(3)
Vivekacūḍāmaṇi 167↗explains
Vivekacūḍāmaṇi · Śaṅkara (traditionally ascribed; authorship doubted)
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