Nature of the 5 Sheaths

The 5 sheaths have been looked upon as 5 bodies. 1) Food Sheath is the gross physical body 2) Vital Sheath is the etheric body 3) Mental Sheath is the astral body 4) Intellectual Sheath is the cosmic body 5) Bliss Sheath is the causal body. The physical body can be seen by the gross eyes and can be touched too. Surgery can be performed on it and it can be treated by medicines. Apart from this the other 4 bodies are made of such subtle principles which is although not  perceived by our senses yet can be experienced by the intellect.  Its existence can be felt via the reactions to the activities of these 4 bodies. The Vital Sheath is that body which is experienced as a ghost after death, which is light energy in form and which has electrical flow in a human being who is alive. The Mental Sheath consists of miraculous achievements due to intellectual greatness in the field of science, art, literature etc.

Prana (Vital Force) is electricity that functions in nerves and cells. Mind is attached to the atoms of the brain. Yet this Vital Force and mind are the independent levels of consciousness which manifest in the central region of the nervous and brain system. On the one hand we experience our soul through the medium of the body, yet the soul exists separately from the body. The Intellectual Sheath is like consciousness which is called Extra-Sensory-Potential (ESP) or sacred sentiments. When the Bliss Sheath is activated we attain self-realization or vision of God. One thus attains the divine eye of a Sthitha Prajna, Jeevan Mukta or Paramhans (saints).

Ordinarily the divine layers of consciousness lie in a dormant state. A very small portion of it is utilized by us in our day to day activities. The remaining portion is like a locked vault full of wealth. It is only when via spiritual practices we attain the necessary spiritual credentials can we avail of these divine glories. When a Father dies, his children inherit all his wealth. Yet this wealth is handed over to his heirs only after they mature and become adults. If these children are not adults, that wealth is kept under lock and key by an appropriate guardian. An entire tree is potentially present in a seed. Yet the tree manifests only after the seed is sown and watered regularly. A living being is like a seed which potentially harbors a gigantic wish-fulfilling tree. This divine glory manifests only when we execute sacred spiritual practices.

The aim of activation of the 5 sheaths is that these 5 intense streams overcome their unconscious state and instead evolve as intense potential and inspiration. The 5 sheaths are present within the 3 bodies. The Food Sheath is equivalent to the gross, physical body. The subtle body is equivalent to the Vital and Mental Sheaths. The causal body is equivalent to the Intellectual and Bliss Sheaths. Classification can be carried out in both ways. The 3 bodies and 5 sheaths are akin to 1 dollar and 100 cents. Twelve months and 1 year is one and the same thing. The same holds true for the 3 bodies and 5 sheaths. The body can be described either as one having head legs, hands etc. or as having blood, urine, heart etc.

According to spiritual seers these 5 bodily sheaths have extraordinary capacity. Just as each sperm can potentially give birth to a child, so too every sheath has the capacity to manifest a divine being. Aladdin along with his lamp had 5 Jinnas at his beck and call who carried out all his commands. In the stories of Vikramaditya there is a description of 5 divinely embodied valiant men. They carried out those tasks which cannot be carried out by ordinary human beings. This is a creation of the soul centre. These valiant men, Jinnas, or divine beings are children produced by our own consciousness. Regarding “Shadow beings” it is said that if our own shadow is activated by either standing under the hot sun or via a mirror, it carries out those tasks which an embodied servant is known to execute. “Shadow beings” is nothing but creation of a new personality of our own stature. Via the 5 sheaths we can create 5 shadow beings i.e. 5 powerful personalities. They are like skilled, trusted servants who steadfastly carry out all our commands.

In the above spiritual practice, these sheaths are activated by contacting special centres and entry of Savita energy in Chakras (plexus) via meditation. Every sheath is correlated to a specific Chakra. These Chakras have 2 special skills viz. attraction/imbibing and circulation/generation. Hence they are compared to eddies and cyclones. When any object enters an eddy, it is engulfed by the latter (attraction/imbibing). Any object entering a cyclone first rises up and then is taken away to far off regions (circulation). Due to the influence of Savita energy, both these capacities of the centres augment. On this very basis one can accept divine grace, circulate it in the soul centre, experience other’s emotions, spread one’s own taints etc. Hence while activating/unveiling these sheaths, it is most required that the energy and activities of these centres be included.

Meditate on the fact that due to Savita’s sacred light one’s inner world is experiencing a dawn – like state. Every organ, every sheath is getting activated. By “drinking” Savita energy, we are becoming radiant and powerful. A variety of divine streams are manifesting in our body.