Part 5/10:
The Taittiriya Upanishad outlines a layered model of existence, where the gross physical body is just the outermost layer, subjected to decay and change. Beneath it lies the life force (prana), the mind (manomaya), the intellect (vijnanamaya), and the blissful essence (anandamaya). This final layer represents the truest, most unadulterated part of our existence.
As expressed in various teachings, the Atman transcends individual bodies—a concept that echoes the ideas of reincarnation and karma. Actions in one life carve the path for the next, a historical assertion encapsulated in the Upanishadic understanding of our eternal essence navigating through various lives.