Chapter 1
The Subtle Bodies
Although our physical bodies appear to be dense and solid, at the most fundamental level they are composed of trillions of molecules and atoms, or energy in constant transformation. In addition to the physical body, the soul (the indwelling pure spirit – the essential reality of who we really are) has several interdependent nonmaterial, subtle bodies or energy fields, surrounding and interpenetrating the physical form, each of which is a luminous field of energy vibrating at a particular frequency. These human energy fields are the manifestation of Universal Energy.
We are spiritual beings, immortal spirit-souls temporarily embodied in both material and nonmaterial fields of energy. These nonmaterial fields of energy or subtle bodies interpenetrate and surround each other in successive layers. Each succeeding subtle body is composed of finer substances and higher vibrations than the preceding body that it surrounds and interpenetrates. The abode of the conscious ātman or puruṣa (soul), in this body composed of material elements, is likened to a castle. There are three parts of this castle – the physical, astral, and causal bodies. Each of these bodies conditions the soul-consciousness to a varying degree. The individual soul-consciousness expresses itself through five sheaths (kośas), which are divided between the three bodies.
The physical, astral and causal bodies serve respectively as mediums for our daily experience in the three states of mind – the waking, the dreaming and the dreamless deep-sleep states. The soul is beyond these three states, being a witness to them.
The five kośas and three bodies are inert modifications of matter; they have no permanent reality. They appear to have consciousness because they reflect the consciousness of the Self (ātman). The entire antaḥkāraṇa (internal instrument of cognition, consisting of consciousness, intellect, ego and mind) is the centre of energy for the soul (jīvātman or puruṣa). Although inert, the citta (field of consciousness) receives consciousness from its contact with the soul. Thereby it becomes active and goes on generating life every moment in the form of subtle prāṇa; with the help of the ego it infuses life in the causal, astral and gross bodies. Essentially, this citta generates the energy of knowledge and action, rather like positive and negative electrical energy. So much energy is generated that it is difficult to measure it, and because it is so subtle it is very difficult to visualize it with the general light of meditation. Rising from the field of consciousness, and coming out of the orb of ego, this process appears in the form of subtle prāṇa.
Out of these currents, the positive current of knowledge nourishes citta and buddhi (intelligence: the first hierarchical derivative of Prakṛti [Nature] and an integral component of the antaḥkāraṇa [inner instruments of cognition]). The negative current of activity continues offering the energy of action to the ego (ahaṁkāra) and mind (manas). The essence of the life-principle is sūkshma prāṇa (subtle vital air) which shines like luminous vapour outside the orb of ego; it mixes with the astral body which is seated in the brain, wrapped in the five tanmātrās (subtle forms of the elements); it sustains, nourishes and irrigates the physical body that is constituted of five gross elements.
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God encased the human soul successively in three bodies – the idea, or causal body; the subtle astral body, seat of man’s mental and emotional natures; and the gross physical body. On earth a man is equipped with the physical senses. An astral being works with his consciousness and feelings and a body made of prāṇa. A causal-bodied being remains in the blissful realm of ideas.
Swami Śrī Yukteswar, from Paramhansa Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi
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The Physical Body
The annamāyā kośa (the food sheath) is the physical sheath of the gross body, which is subject to birth, growth, disease, decay and death. It is called the food sheath because of its dependence on gross prāṇa in the form of food, water and air. Prāṇa is the vital life-energy, which sustains life and creation. Prāṇa permeates the whole of creation and exists in both the macrocosmos and the microcosmos. Without prāṇa there is no life. Prāṇa is the essential link between the astral and physical bodies. When this link or supply is cut off, then death takes place in the physical body. Both the prāṇa and the astral body depart from the physical body.
Using the analogy of the castle, the physical body is the main gateway for approaching the soul. This physical body is made up of five material elements (ether, air, fire, water and earth), and is born of past actions (karma). It offers gross services to the individual soul or jīvātman, lord of the castle.
The Astral Body
The subtle or astral body (sūkshma sharīra) is composed of five subtle elements – ākāśa (ether), vāyu (air), tejas (fire), apās (water), and pṛithvī (earth) – which produce the five gross elements on the physical plane.
The physical body does not have the energy to serve the soul. This energy comes from another body that pervades the whole physical body. This is the subtle or astral body, which is the conductor of the physical body. All actions of the physical body take place by the energy and the prompting of the astral body.
The subtle or astral body has three parts: manomāyā kośa (mind sheath) and vijñānamāyā kośa (intellect or intelligence sheath), and the prāṇamāyā kośa (vital air sheath).
The Manomāyā Kośa
The mind sheath is more subtle than the vital air sheath. It holds the food sheath and vital air sheath together as an integrated whole. The mind sheath functions as a messenger between each body, communicating the experiences and sensations of the external world to the intelligence sheath, and the influences of the causal and astral bodies to the physical body.
The real Self, being identified with the mind sheath, experiences the world of duality. It is the mind that is the cause of bondage, but also the means to liberation. The mind is subject to change and various modifications so it cannot be the real Self.
The Vijñānamāyā Kośa
The intelligence sheath, or discriminating faculty, functions as the knower and the doer, and being the subtlest of all the aspects of the mind, it reflects the radiance of soul-consciousness or the Self. It appears conscious because it reflects the intelligence of the Self. The focus of this reflection is the ego (I-consciousness).
This sheath is composed of the cognitive mind (manas), the intellect (buddhi) and ego (ahaṁkāra) conjoined with the five subtle sense organs of perception.
Both the manomāyā kośa and the vijñānamāyā kośa are especially important, because they are the means of individual as well as universal knowledge of all objects of creation, from the grossest to the most subtle.
The intellect sheath also cannot be the real Self, since it is subject to change – the fluctuations of ideas.
The Prāṇamāyā Kośa
This prāṇic body (the vital air or etheric sheath) provides energy and vitalizes the physical body. It is a channel for the manifestation of cosmic energy. It is approximately the same size and shape as the physical body. The vital sheath is a vehicle for the Self, but is not the real Self, since it too is subject to change and has a beginning and an end. The vital sheath is composed of five prāṇas (life-energies), which have distinct functions in the working of the physical body.
Prāṇa is a specific manifestation of cosmic prāṇa (the cosmic life-energy that pervades both the macrocosmic universe and the microcosmic unit of the body). This vital energy enters the body after its conception and leaves it at the time of its dissolution. The cosmic prāṇa enters the body through the medulla oblongata at the base of the brain. It then descends and ascends through the astral spine, where it is modified by the chakras and differentiated into the vital airs (vāyus – prāṇic air currents).
Vyāna, ‘outward moving air’, is the vital air that regulates the overall movements of the body, co-ordinating the other vital airs. It permeates the whole body.
Udāna, ‘upward moving air’, functions between the throat and the top of the head, activating the organs of sense: eyes, nose, ears, tongue. It has an upward movement that carries the kuṇ ḍalinī śākti (a person’s potential spiritual energy or vital energy force, lying dormant at the base of the spine, in the mūlādhāra chakra or base energy centre). When awakened, this creative, vital energy force passes through the main subtle nerve channel (suṣumnā nādi) in the centre of the spinal cord, ascending to the crown chakra (sahasrāra).
At the time of death, udāna separates the astral body from the physical form.
Prāṇa, ‘forward moving air’, functions between the throat and the top of the diaphragm, activating the respiration. It also raises the kuṇ ḍalinī śākti to udāna.
Samāna, ‘balancing air’, functions in the abdominal area between the navel and the heart, activating and controlling the digestive system, the heart, and the circulatory system.
Apāna, ‘air that moves away’, functions from the region of the navel to the feet, activating expulsion and excretion. It has a downward movement, but carries the kuṇ ḍalinī upwards to unite with prāṇa.
These five airs (vāyus) are conjoined with the five subtle organs of action (speech, hands, legs, organs of evacuation and procreation), which have their counterparts in the physical body.
The Causal Body
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When the gross physical receptacle is destroyed by the hammer of death, the other two coverings – astral and causal – still remain to prevent the soul from consciously joining the Omnipresent Life. When desirelessness is attained through wisdom, its power disintegrates the two remaining vessels. The tiny human soul emerges, free at last; it is one with the Measureless Amplitude.
Swami Śrī Yukteswar, from Paramhansa Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi
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The causal body is known as the kāraṇa śarīra or the linga śarīra. It is even more subtle than the astral body. It has a finer and higher vibration and pervades the astral body, giving life to it. Although it gives energy to the astral body, its own vitality has a different abode, called the ānandamāyā kośa (bliss sheath). This is a body of light that reflects the blissfulness of the Self. It is the cause of both the subtle and gross bodies. Like the other sheaths, it too is a product of matter and is subject to change, and therefore cannot be the real Self.
The Soul
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The soul is not inside the body. The soul projects itself as the body and the mind. It finds a location in space-time and broadcasts or telecasts itself through the body.
Deepak Chopra, Power, Freedom and Grace
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The human being is a soul wearing a physical body. The soul is extremely subtle. It is even subtler than ether, mind and energy. Consciousness and intelligence are attributed to the soul not the gross body. Consciousness is evidence of the existence of the soul.
The bodies or sheaths obstruct true spiritual knowledge about the concealed soul or the kingdom of God within. When the obstruction veils are removed, the Self is realized. Knowledge of the soul is already present within us, but because of the entanglement into the twenty-four categories of prakṛti (material nature) due to avidyā (ignorance), it is forgotten. When these categories of prakṛti that bind the soul are transcended through the systematic practices of yoga, the true nature of the Self is realized and liberated from all suffering and bondage.
The individual soul or spirit resides within all three bodies, witnessing all of their activities. The soul is the ever-shining consciousness, perfect and complete, having no limits and without beginning or end. It is infinite and eternal. The light of knowledge that flows through manas (mind), citta (field of consciousness), buddhi (intellect), ahaṁkāra (ego) and then through the indriyās (senses) is called consciousness. The source of knowledge and intelligence, by which we know, exist and act, is our true Self. The realization of God’s existence is inseparable from the knowledge of our Self. From this centre of consciousness the life-force flows in varying degrees. When a lamp has many shades, the light is very dim, but after removing the shades one by one, finally you find the centre of light whose radiance illumines them all. Similarly, the soul, the centre of consciousness, is covered by the three bodies.
The individual soul (jīvātman) is an image or reflection of the Supreme Soul (Paramātman). Just as the Sun can be reflected in different bowls of water, so also the Supreme Soul is reflected in different minds of different persons. All souls are the radiance of God, the one Self. All forms are God’s expressions. The one consciousness has expanded and extended itself from its eternal pure-mind state to appear as countless individual living beings in a temporal universe of myriad forms. Each form possessing consciousness relates to the world as a subject to an object: ‘I am the seer, and what I experience is the seen.’
These conscious soul-beings are forgetful of their true essential nature, identify with their body, ego-mind and senses, and regard themselves as being separate entities with specific desires and goals. Through lack of memory and unawareness of our true soul-identity we suffer unhappiness and feel there is something missing or incomplete in our life. Eventually we must all awaken to our true divine nature.
In the second chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā, Lord Krishna reminds us of our immortal and eternal true nature.
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As we observe in life the change of a youthful body to an old one, so too after death, the soul adopts another body. Those who have understood the true nature of life are not deluded by these changes.
Bhagavad Gītā, 2: 13
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The indwelling Self never takes birth and will never die. It has always existed and shall never cease to be. For it is birthless, eternal, immortal and unchangeable. It is not slain when the body is killed.
Bhagavad Gītā, 2: 20
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As a person discards worn-out clothes and acquires new clothes, so also the embodied soul abandons a worn-out body and enters into another one which is new.
Bhagavad Gītā, 2: 22
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The Self is beyond the power of any weapon to injure or of fire to burn it. It neither becomes moistened by water, nor dried by the winds.
Bhagavad Gītā, 2: 23
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The Self is indivisible and indissoluble and cannot be transformed by fire or air. The soul is everlasting, omnipresent, unwaveringly steady and ever-existent.
Bhagavad Gītā, 2: 24
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Realize that the soul, the spirit-self, is unmanifested, it is beyond the mind’s ability to conceive and cannot be changed. Therefore, knowing this, transcend your unfounded anxieties and grief.
Bhagavad Gītā, 2: 25
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