Linga-Sharira

Linga-Sharira es una palabra Sanskrita compuesta de liṅga (लिङ्ग), en este contexto interpretada como "marca, imagen"; y śarīra (शरीर) "cuerpo". En la literatura Teosófica este termino se usa para nombrar el segundo (a veces tercer) principio del ser humano. Este es "el doble" del cuerpo físico, llamado frecuentemente cuerpo astral por H. P. Blavatsky, y luego renombrado como "doble etérico" een la tradición Adyar. Este principio no debe confundirse con el Linga sharira Hindú, que es usado frecuentemente en una forma general para todo el conjunto de cuerpos sutiles, o como sinónimo de Sūkṣma Śarīra, el cuerpo sutil que acompaña al alma individual en todas sus transmigraciones y no es destruido por la muerte, hasta que el alma individualizada finalmente se fusione en lo Universal.

Descripción General

Mme. Blavatsky escribió:

Este termino designa el döppelganger o el “cuerpo astral” del hombre o del animal. Es el eidolon de los griegos, el cuerpo vital y prototípico; el reflejo de los hombres de carne. Nace antes y muere o se desvanece, con la desaparición del último átomo del cuerpo; .

Astral Body, or Astral “Double”. The ethereal counterpart or shadow of man or animal. The Linga Sharira, the “Doppelganger”. The reader must not confuse it with the ASTRAL SOUL, another name for the lower Manas, or Kama-Manas.

This subtle body "is composed of highly etherialized matter; in its habitual passive state, the perfect but very shadowy duplicate of the body; its activity, consolidation and form depending entirely on the kama rupa."

One of its functions is to be the vehicle through which the universal life or jīva is assimilated in human beings as prāṇa:

The Liṅga-Sarîra, as often said before, is the vehicle of Prâṇa, and supports life in the Body. It is the reservoir or sponge of life, gathering it up from all the natural kingdoms around, and it is the intermediary between the kingdoms of Prâṇic and physical life. Life cannot pass immediately and directly from the subjective to the objective, for nature passes gradually from sphere to sphere, overleaping none. The Liṅga-Sarîra serves as the intermediary between Prâṇa and Sthûla-Sarîra, drawing life from the ocean of Jîva, and pumping it in the physical Body as Prâṇa. For life is, in reality, Divinity, Parabrahman, the Universal Deity. But in order that it may manifest on the physical plane it must be assimilated to the matter of that plane; this cannot be done directly, as the purely physical is too gross, and thus it needs a vehicle––the Liṅga-Sarîra.