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Three
bodies
How do we know whether we have three bodies?.
Well we do not need any proof of the gross body and the subtle body
of mind and intellect. We know we have a physical body (gross body)
and also the mind and intellect (subtle body). To know the
third causal body, it is necessary to analyze all three
states of our existence, the waking state, the dreaming state and
the deep sleep state.
We are awake for a certain period of time, then we sleep in which we
are in either two states, the dreaming state and or in deep
sleep state. Without accounting for all the three states we will not
get a complete picture of own life. If we calculate we sleep more
than awake while we are young and then more in waking state when
grow up. But in the net result we are in these three states almost
equally.
These three states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep represent the
three aspects of our body, the gross physical body, the subtle mind
and intellect body and the causal body. In the waking state we are
more aware of the gross physical body. In the dreaming state we lose
awareness of our physical body totally but our mind and intellect is
active but is very hazy and not very clear. In the deep sleep
state we are in causal body and both the physical and mind are
completely unaware. In the causal body there is only awareness
in the form of impressions. This is the source of all our thoughts
or in other words the "Thought -bank". This third state of
existence, the deep sleep state is also called as Pragna in sanskrit.
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| Waking |
Gross body |
Physical organs |
Unaware of our hidden impressions |
| Dreaming |
Subtle body |
Mind/Intellect |
Unaware of our physical body |
| Deep-sleep |
Causal body |
Impressions/awareness |
Unaware of our body/mind |
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Important note to avoid mis-understanding
Here we have to be very clear
about the three states of existence. We should not literally take
that we are discussing here about dreams and deep sleep states. We
literally go into these three states everyday, but the point is
that, we are in these three states even in the waking state.
We have
our gross physical body, subtle body of the mind and intellect and
also awareness, the causal body. The problem is that you
are not aware of the awareness (Causal body) while you are awake. Since
in awaken state you
are not aware of the causal body, we are using the analogy of the deep-sleep state
to make you understand about the causal body. This causal body is
like "nothingness" that you experience similar to deep sleep state.
With this clarity please go ahead,
otherwise it will breed only confusion.
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