The Seven Bodies
Swamiji in his discourses has spoken about the awakening of the Kundalini and the seven bodies in brief in his discourses. Here we will try and examine what these bodies are. The first body is the Physical Body — this body is also known as the Sthul sharir — we are all aware of the physical body and most of us do not progress beyond this level in our spiritual journey. This develops in the first seven years after birth. The progress starts once a living Guru plants the seed of self-realisation within you.
In the next seven years from ages 7 to 14 one develops the second subtle body which is the Etheric Body or the bhava sharir. Here, the emotional development and maturity takes place. Sexual maturity which is the most wanton of emotions is developed by the age of fourteen. Some people’s growth stops here and they cannot progress beyond this stage at all and get stuck with the physical and etheric bodies.
After this is the Astral Body or the sukshma sharir — in this seven-year phase till the age of twenty-one, the power of reasoning, thinking and intellect are developed as the individual reaches adulthood — but here too it is just the adulthood of sex. The astral body, where thinking, reason, intellect, etc develop, is a sequel to tradition, civilization, culture, education, and company. It is natural that the usual range of seven years for the development of each body is becoming less and less with more and more evolution of man. Girls reach puberty as early as twelve years now, so the time for development is decreasing, another indication of hastening maturity is the decrease in voting age to 18 years for adults. The majority of people do not rise beyond this stage.
Between the ages of twenty-one and twenty-eight the Mental Body or the manas sharir is developed. The Kundalini, dream, siddhis (spiritual accomplishment) mentioned in yoga, etc are the parts of the mental body. Imagination and thoughts are also underlying areas of the fourth body. When the kundalini awakens it becomes impossible to take intoxicants. A simple test to know whether the fourth body is active or not is to check whether you have to suppress the emotion of rage or violence, if this is so then the kundalini is not awakened. Still, this body is not the final aim, there are three more bodies that have to be passed.
The next body is the Spiritual Body or the atma sharir which is of great significance. The entry into the fifth body is possible only if the kundalini awakens in the fourth body.
Very few seekers reach the fifth body and once they do they get stuck here and feel that attaining the soul is reaching the ultimate goal, but that is not so as the journey still continues. At this stage the boundaries of the body are surpassed and liberation is experienced in this body.
The sixth body is the Cosmic Body or the brahma sharir. The natural development of this body occurs from age 35 to 42 years. There is very little to describe this stage as words are ineffective in offering any kind of description. This has to be experienced, but very few and far between people reach this stage.
The final frontier is the Nirvanic Body — this is the stage where the flame dies out and everything disappears, even brahman evaporates. When Gautam Buddha was asked what happens there? Buddha replied. “The blaze dies out.” Then what happens? — “When the blaze dies, the question dissolves.” Where has the question gone? Where is it the blaze now? It is dissolved and that is final — nirvana.
When one grows beyond his soul, when he desires to leave it, he pierces the cosmic body. The fifth body is the gateway of liberation, and if he accesses up to the sixth, there he achieves the God-realization stage. Then the question of liberation disappears. Now he declares Aham Brahmasmi — I am God — is of this superficies. Yet one step is more, which is the final leap — where there is nothingness or just emptiness; there is no aham and no Brahman, here I and thou are completely non-existent, — there is complete and utter void. This is known as Nirvana.
