Causal body
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Causal body - originally Karana-Sarira - is a Yogic and Vedantic concept that was adopted and modified by Theosophy and Neo-Theosophy, and from the latter made its way into the general New Age movement and contemporary western esotericism. It generally refers to the highest or innermost subtle body that veils the true soul.
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[edit] Hinduism
The Mandukya Upanishad refers to the Self having four "feet" or states of consciousness. These are: waking, dreaming, dreamless sleep, and the transcendent (Turiya). Each of these is associated with both an individual state of consciousness and a cosmic state. Dreamless sleep corresponds to prajna. In Advaita Vedanta, this is associated with the Anandamaya kosha or "sheath" (kosha) made of bliss, and with the causal principle or causal body (karana sarira).
[edit] Theosophy
In Blavatsky's synthesis of eastern philosophy with western esotericism, the union of the higher Manas with the Buddhi (i.e. the essential nature of the fifth, along with the sixth, of the seven principles)) is referred to as the Causal Body (Blavatsky, Key to Theosophy, pp. 121, 174). This higher principle is contrasted with the lower, the Kama-Manas, which is the seat of lower passions.
[edit] Neo-Theosophy
In the Neo-Theosophy of Annie Besant and C. W. Leadbeater, the "Causal Body" refers not to the "Buddhi-Manas" but to Blavatsky's "Higher Manas" alone. This is also referred to as the "Higher Mental", "Abstract Mind" (as opposed to Lower Mental or "Concrete Mind"), or "Causal Body". It is considered the highest subtle body, beyond even the mental body. As with all the vehicles of consciousness, the Causal Body is associated with an objective or cosmic plane, in this case the Causal plane. A detailed definition of the Causal Body, is provided by A. E. Powell, who has brought together information in the works of Besant and Leadbeater in a series of books on each of the subtle bodies.
[edit] New Age thought
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[edit] See also
[edit] References
- H. P. Blavatsky, Key to Theosophy
- Arthur E. Powell The Causal Body and the Ego online part 1, Part 2
[edit] External links
- Karana Sarira and Causal Body - quotes of essays from Global Oneness
- Causal Body - Theosophical and Neo-Theosophical interpretations.
