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'''Kāma''' (devanāgarī: काम) is a [[Sanskrit]] term meaning "[[desire]]," "wish," "passion," or "pleasure of the senses."
#REDIRECT [[Kama]]
 
In [[Theosophy]] the terms refers to the [[fourth principle]] of human beings is "the seat of animal desires and passions. This is the centre of the animal man, where lies the line of demarcation which separates the mortal man from the immortal entity."<ref>Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, ''Key to Theosophy'', (London: Theosophical Publishing House, 1987), 91.</ref>
 
<blockquote>Kama-rupa [is] the principle of animal desire, which burns fiercely during life in matter, resulting in satiety; it is inseparable from animal existence.<ref>Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, ''The Secret Doctrine'' vol. II, (Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Publishing House, 1993), 593.</ref></blockquote>
 
Although frequently called Kama-rupa (''rupa'' meaning "form" or 'body"), kama does not form a body during life:
 
<blockquote>Metaphysically, and in our esoteric philosophy, it is the subjective form created through the mental and physical desires and thoughts in connection with things of matter, by all sentient beings, a form which survives the death of their bodies.<ref>Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, ''The Theosophical Glossary'' (Krotona, CA: Theosophical Publishing House, 1973), 172.</ref></blockquote>
 
<blockquote>It is no Rûpa, or form at all, except after death, but the Kâmic elements, animal desires and passions, such as anger, lust, envy, revenge, etc., etc., the progency of selfishness and matter.<ref>Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, ''Collected Writings'' vol. X (Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Publishing House, 1980), 608, fn.</ref></blockquote>
 
The combined term "kama-prana" is frequently used to refer to the animal life animated human beings:
 
<blockquote>For Prâna (or life) has, strictly speaking, two vehicles . . . Linga-Śarîra, or astral body, is the vehicle of the life principle, or spirit life; while Kâma-rûpa is the vehicle of the physical or material essence. In other words, the three higher principles of the septenary of Prâna reside in the astral body, while the four lower principles have their seat in Kâma-rûpa. . . . Therefore, as Kâma-rûpa is the vehicle of the grossest of that form, that Prâna the astral body has got, is a vehicle of the spirit of the life principle, because it is connected with the higher principles of the triad and not with the quaternary.<ref>Michael Gomes (transcriber), ''The Secret Doctrine Commentaries'' (The Hague: I.S.I.S. foundation, 2010), 493-494.</ref></blockquote>
 
Kama is also the vehicle of [[manas]], with which it forms the [[Ego#Lower_ego|lower ego]]:
 
<blockquote>During life the Lower Manas acts through this Kâma-Rûpa, and so comes into contact with the Sthûla-Úarîra; this is why the Lower Manas is said to be “enthroned in Kâma-Rûpa”<ref>Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, ''Collected Writings'' vol. XII (Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Publishing House, 1980), 708.</ref></blockquote>
 
<blockquote>Manas and its vehicle—the Kama rupa, or body of passions and desires [are] the two elements of Ahamkara which evolve individualized consciousness—the personal ego.<ref>Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, ''The Secret Doctrine'' vol. II, (Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Publishing House, 1993), 241.</ref></blockquote>
 
==Online resources==
===Articles===
*[http://www.theosophy.ph/encyclo/index.php?title=K%C4%81ma# Kāma] at Theosopedia
*[http://www.theosophical.org/publications/quest-magazine/2195# Desire and Spiritual Selfishness] by Edward Abdill
 
== Notes ==
<references/>
 
[[Category:Sanskrit terms]]
[[Category:Theosophical concepts]]
[[Category:Concepts in The Secret Doctrine]]
[[Category:Hindu concepts]]

Latest revision as of 23:00, 6 July 2017

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