Q. What are the seventeen?
A. The five channels of knowledge (Jnanendriyas), the five organs of
action, the five vital airs, beginning with prana, and manas and buddhi.
-------
* The five subtile elements thus produce the gross ones--each of
the five is divided into eight parts, four of those parts and one
part of each of the others enter into combination, and the result
is the gross element corresponding with the subtile element,
whose parts predominate in the composition.
** These six changes are--birth, death, existence in time, growth,
decay, and undergoing change of substance (parinam) as milk is changed
into whey.
--------
Q. What are the Jnandendriyas?
A. [Spiritual] Ear, skin, eye, tongue and nose.
Q. What is the ear?
A. That channel of knowledge which transcends the [physical] ear, is
limited by the auricular orifice, on which the akas depends, and which
is capable of taking cognisance of sound.
Q. The skin?
A. That which transcends the skin, on which the skin depends, and which
extends from head to foot, and has the power of perceiving heat and
cold.
Pages:
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548