Subtle Bodies

Mme. Blavatsky's teachings

H. P. Blavatsky refers to three subtle bodies:

• Liṅga-śarīra - the Double or Astral body
• Māyāvi-Rūpa - the "Illusion-body."
• Kāraṇa-śarīra or Causal Body - the vehicle of the Ego.

The Linga Sharira is the invisible double of the Sthūla-śarīra or physical body. The Mayavi Rupa is not regarded as a permanent body in human beings but one created through the power of thought (kriyāśakti), that serves as a vehicle both of the manasic thought and the kamic passions and desires. The Causal Body is the vehicle for the higher Ego.

A further subtle body could be the Kāmarūpa, although in Blavatsky's teachings this is not a body during life but becomes one after death in Kāmaloka.

According to Besant and Leadbeater

Annie Besant and C. W. Leadbeater described the subtle bodies as follows:

• Etheric Double
• Emotional Body
• Mental Body
• Causal Body

The Etheric Double is the subtle counterpart of the physical body. The Emotional body, also called "Astral body by them, is the vehicle for the emotions, both the lower or kamic, and the higher emotions. The Mental body is the vehicle of the lower mind, built with matter from the four lower subplanes of the mental plane. The Causal body is the vehicle of the Ego, and is made of matter from the three higher subplanes of the mental plane.

The Māyāvi-Rūpa could be added as a subtle body which is artificially created through the power of thought or kriyāśakti.

Online Resources

Articles

• Dialogues Between The Two Editors - On Astral Bodies, Or Doppelgangers by H. P. Blavatsky and Mabel Collins

Books

• Man and His Bodies by Annie Besant