level of your being called manomaya kosha. The mind
cycles through different states of consciousness, and your
sensory experiences change with these changing states.
The impressions that enter your awareness during a wak-
ing state are different from those generated during
dreaming. Yoga reminds us that reality is different in dif-
ferent states of consciousness—different filters of the
mind layer.
The second layer of the subtle body is the intellect,
known as buddhimaya kosha.This is the aspect of mind
that discriminates. Whether you are trying to decide
what kind of toothpaste to purchase, which partner to
choose, or what house to buy, your intellect is at work,
attempting to calculate the advantages and disadvan-
tages of every choice you make. This layer integrates
information based upon your beliefs and feelings to come
to a decision. According to yoga, the ultimate purpose of
this intellectual layer is to distinguish the real from the
unreal. The real is that which cannot be lost whereas the
unreal is anything that has a beginning and end to it.
Knowing the difference is the essence of yoga.
The third layer of the subtle body is the ego. The ego
is known in yoga as ahankara, which means the “I-former.”
According to Shankara, the ego is that aspect of your
being that identifies with the positions and possessions of
your life. It is ultimately your self-image—the way you
want to project who you are to yourself and to the world.
The ego is the boundary maker that attempts to assert
ownership through the concepts of “I,” “me,” “my,” and
“mine.” The ego seeks security through control and often
has a deep-seated need for approval. Most emotional
pain is the result of your ego being offended because
18 The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga