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body are described as part of tejas body, although they have independent functions. Depending on the state of conscious mind the prana body supplies the requisite amount of energy to enable the material body to function in the designed way. The conscious mind and prana body are intimately connected and mutually influence each other. The conscious mind can be controlled by operation of prana body through exercises of pranayama. On the other hand full benefits of pranayama are derived when the conscious mind is kept in control during such exercises. The conscious mind and prana body pair to form a working unit like husband and wife, who also maintain individual identity and independent role.
The function of conscious mind is linked to the neuron activity in the brain. A developed conscious mind means higher neuron activity and a large mind field. The field of conscious mind must coincide with the nervous system. There are other fields, the karma field of the karma body, the prana field of prana body and the thermal field due to thermal emissions from the material body. All the three fields must extend the entire length of material body. The prana field is also known as etheric field. The field of conscious mind may be supposed to consist of two parts, the astral field and mental field. The karma field can be compared to the causal field. The composite field constitutes the aura of the organism. The size of the aura is mainly determined by the conscious mind, it is large in pious souls and still larger in spiritually advanced personalities. The colour composition of aura reflects the thoughts and emotions, which are described by lesya.
The transmission of information through adhyavasaya and lesya is in two ways, information can flow from the karma body to material body or to conscious mind or vice versa, and from conscious mind to material body and vice versa. This flow of information makes the system an integrated whole. The karma on the expiry of maturity period is not immediately dislodged but it can wait up to a certain period for a suitable occasion to arise. For example in case of physiological karma, the activities of body, mind and speech present suitable occasions for the mature physiological karmas to become active. If we overeat or eat or drink something that is not fit for consumption, or enter into a state of anger, or emotionally interact with some one, the corresponding physiological karma which are waiting after maturity (or sometimes even the premature karma) rise and show their influence which we experience as reaction to our actions. On the expiry of the waiting period the matured karmas will either necessarily show their influence or be elimenated without giving fruits depending on our action. In the former case we experience some unexpected event to which we are unable to assign any reason. The later possibility holds when we exercise care and restraint in our actions and conduct and do not react to unfavourable states. 58
Arhat Vacana, 23 (4), 2011
