Physical, Astral & Causal Bodies
March 11, 2011 4 Comments
Lets talk about our three bodies today. We have the physical body, a dynamic subtle energy body called the astral body and a very fine subtle energy body called the causal body.
The physical body is the one we are familiar with. It is the one in which we experience the waking state. Just so we remember from the verse we talked about yesterday the waking state of consciousness is called Jagrat in Sanskrit.
The astral body is the one that holds the chakras. The Sanskrit name is Swapna. This means that the astral body has the ability to connect with the Source. It has thought power, emotional power, vital power; can manifest sexual power and can ground itself in the physical body.
In the waking state sometimes we are not able to tune into the experience of the astral body. But when we go into dream state we experience the predominance of the astral body. In a dream we see how we use the subtle sense of touch, taste, hearing and seeing. If I dream I am eating a mango the pleasure of the taste and touch of the mango is more subtle that if I eat a mango in the waking state. So the dream of a mango has a different kind of reality to that of a mango in the waking state.
We can also see how our thought power comes alive. What ever the thoughts we’ve had during our waking state, they take on life in the dream state. This where reflection on our dreams can be very useful. It’s a very good idea to create the intention to expand the awareness of what is happening in the dream state.
The astral body goes to rest when we go into deep sleep. Thoughts are not active. Emotions are not active. In that space there appears to be nothing. No activity. No movement. Hence it is deep sleep which provides rest. The Sanskrit name for deep sleep is Sushupti. The body associated with deep sleep is the causal body. It is in this body that all information is stored. Can you imagine that we have a body that stores all our experiences, our thoughts, our emotions, our impressions, fears, desires? This causal body naturally influences both our waking and our dream state.
There is the possibility of purifying casual, astral and physical bodies by seeking to hold ourselves in the rapturous “I”. Jagrat-swapna- sushupta- bhede Turiya-bogasambhava in the different states of waking, dreaming and deep sleeping; the rapturous “I” consciousness of the fourth state is constant.
Notice the feeling of lightness from yesterday’s practice intensifies with the awareness of the different bodies. Check it out.
Chanmadhavi's Blog 
Very interesting and informative post that is in general agreement with my eastern philosophy reading. However based on my 40+ yrs of meditation/purification it has been my observation that the experiences of a ‘body’ are likely stored there as well!? I’ve purified countless feelngs, toxins, overpowering sensations, etc. from the physical body whereas from the subtle body have released sublte thoughts and repressed emotions from the past, etc. Notice that the emotions of the heart chakra lead to instant physical feelings in the nervous system ex. hurt in the heart leads to sadness in the head, joy in the heart results in happiness and we all know what lust in the heart leads to…. .
However the meditator cannot hold themselves in the deepest level of meditative samadhi since impurities of varoius forms will force one to a more shallow level (4 levels or Jhanas). The more pure the bodies the longer one can maintain the deepest level.
As the individual passes from one body to the next there is moment where it is possible to glimpse the innermost nature or buddha nature behind all 3 bodies. This also occurs in the four levels of meditative samadhi where the meditator also passes between bodies. Imagine 3 large screens and when the curtain closes on onescreen the other curtain opens up to another bodily realm. However sleep does not offer one the advantages of the “non-experience” of pure consciousness (4th state). Remember to have an experience u need an object of experience, process of experience and experiencer. In pure consciousness the other two elements do not exist so in a sense it is emptiness (ie. no duality, no suffering, no objects) just pure awareness.
For a more exact description of the bodies read Ch. 43 of ‘autobiography of a Yogi’ a spiritual classic in Hindu mysticism.
Thanks Dave!
Congrats Dave on sustaining good practices for so long and for the lucid reply…I think the two are inter-related. 🙂
In your post today, Madhavi, you say that the causal body (that stores all our experiences, thoughts, emotions, impressions, fears and desires) ‘naturally’ influences both our waking and our dream state. Since the causal body is associated with deep sleep and is at the level of our subconscious (as opposed to the conscious state of the astral body), I am curious to know more about how it ‘naturally’ influences our waking and dream states. And how do we know when something is coming from our causal body and influencing our astral body? I am hoping you can share some insights on that with us.