SUBTLE BODY TECH
Historically and technically what are the colors of the veins of the subtle body, in vedic, yogic, and Śaivic tantra? Also do any of these traditions have the theory that the subtle body has three or so different levels? You mentioned that the Hindu subtle body consisted of the pranic, mental, and intellectual sheaths…?
GEMINI
The subtle body is not a single "ghost" but a highly technical, multi-layered physiological system. The colors are not random; they represent frequencies of light and types of heat (solar vs. lunar).
Here is the technical breakdown of the colors and levels according to the Sat-Chakra-Nirupana (the standard text on Kundalini Tantra), the Shiva Samhita, and Shaiva cosmology.
1. The Colors of the Veins (Nadis)
In the Tantric texts, the subtle channels are color-coded based on their elemental quality and their function.
A. The Three Main Channels
Ida (Left Channel):
Color: White or Pale Camphor.
Nature: Lunar (Chandra).
It is cooling, nurturing, and associated with "Mental Energy" (Manas). Technical Note: It is often described as "oozing nectar," hence the milky white color.
Pingala (Right Channel):
Color: Red or Vermilion.
Nature: Solar (Surya).
It is heating, consuming, and associated with "Vital Energy" (Prana). Technical Note: It is often compared to the color of the Bandhuka flower (a bright red noon flower).
Sushumna (Central Channel):
Color: Fiery Red or Lightning.
Nature: Fire (Agni).
It is the destroyer of time. Technical Note: While the outer casing is Fire-colored, the inside is a complex fiber-optic cable with different colors (see below).
B. The "Fiber Optic" Levels (The Inner Channels)
This addresses your question about "levels" within the veins. The Sushumna is not a single tube; it is a set of nested tubes, one inside the other, each more subtle than the last.
Sushumna (Outer Casing): Fiery Red.
Vajra Nadi (First Inner Tube): Lustrous / Sun-like.
Located inside Sushumna.
It governs the lower sexual energies but refined.
Chitrini Nadi (Second Inner Tube): Pale White / Nectar-colored.
Located inside Vajra.
It is often called the "path of the stars" (Brahma-Randhra). It is linked to the pure intellect (Buddhi).
Brahma Nadi (The Core): Colorless / Pure Brilliance.
Located inside Chitrini. It is extremely subtle, often described as "a stream of oil" or "a fiber of lotus stalk."
This is the actual pathway of the Kundalini.
2. The Levels of the Subtle Body
Yes, all three traditions (Vedanta, Yoga, Shaivism) agree that the "Subtle Body" (Sukshma Sharira) is a composite entity made of layers. It is not just "one thing."
A. The Vedantic View: The "Three Sheaths"
You mentioned the "sheaths." In this model, the Subtle Body is a sandwich of three specific layers:
Pranamaya Kosha (Energy Sheath): The vibration/blueprint layer. (Made of the 5 Pranas).
Manomaya Kosha (Mental Sheath): The processing layer. (Made of the 5 Senses + Thinking Mind).
Vijnanamaya Kosha (Intellectual Sheath): The decision layer. (Made of the Intellect + Ego).
Note: The "Physical Body" is below these, and the "Causal Body" (Bliss) is above them. The Subtle Body is the middle three combined.
B. The Shaiva View: The "City of Eight" (Puryastaka)
Kashmir Shaivism uses a more technical definition called the Puryastaka (The City of Eight Components). This is their map of the subtle body that transmigrates from life to life. It consists of:
The Five Tanmatras: The "subtle elements" (pure Sound, pure Touch, pure Sight, etc.
— the potential for sensation, not the gross sense organs). Manas: The recording mind.
Buddhi: The deciding intellect.
Ahamkara: The "I-maker" (Ego).
Shaivism argues that Deep Sleep is the state where you retreat into the Puryastaka.
C. The Yogic View: The Three Bodies (Sharira Traya)
Yoga simplifies this into three density levels, often compared to Gurdjieff’s "Carriage, Horse, and Driver":
Sthula Sharira (Gross Body): The hardware (Meat/Bone).
Sukshma Sharira (Subtle Body): The software (Prana/Mind/Intellect).
Karana Sharira (Causal Body): The code (Karma/Memory).
Summary of Colors & Levels
So, technically, the "Subtle Body" is just a term for the machinery that connects the Spirit (Atman) to the Biology (Meat). It has gears (Chakras), wires (Nadis), and fuel (Prana), and it is definitely stratified into levels of density.
THE SUBTLE BODY OF THE ŚAIVITES
Give me a detailed description of Śaivism’s Puryastaka. Its make-up, technology for creating the higher body.
GEMINI
In the context of Pratyabhijñā (Recognition) and Kula schools of Non-dual Śaivism (Kashmir Śaivism), the Puryastaka—literally the "City of Eight"—is the subtle body that migrates from birth to birth.
While the physical body is discarded at death, the Puryastaka remains as the vehicle for the soul's saṃskāras(karmic impressions).
1. The Anatomy: The Eightfold "City"
The makeup of the Puryastaka varies slightly between texts (such as the Svacchanda Tantra or the Spanda Kārikā), but the most standard "technological" breakdown includes:
Buddhi (Intellect): The capacity for judgment and discrimination.
Ahaṃkāra (Ego): The "I-maker" that appropriates experiences as "mine."
Manas (Mind): The processing hub that coordinates sensory data.
The Five Tanmātras (Subtle Elements): The "pure potentials" of Sound, Touch, Form, Taste, and Smell.
Unlike the physical body, which is composed of gross elements (Mahābhūtas), the Puryastaka is made of vibrational energy. It is the bridge between the pure consciousness of Śiva and the biological machine of the human body.
2. The Technology of Transformation
In Śaivism, the goal is not just to understand the Puryastaka, but to "purify" and "dissolve" it into a higher state. This is referred to as shifting from a Māyīya-śarīra (body of illusion) to a Jñāna-śarīra (body of wisdom).
A. Śaktyāveśa (Immersion of Energy)
The primary technology is the downward flow of Grace (Śaktipāta), which is then met with the practitioner's effort to "absorb" the senses into the heart center. By withdrawing the Tanmātras (sensory potentials) back into the "I-consciousness," the Puryastaka loses its density.
B. The Spanda Method (The Divine Vibration)
The practitioner focuses on the Spanda—the subtle throb of consciousness. By catching the "gap" between thoughts or breaths, one identifies with the source of the Puryastaka rather than its contents.
The Result: The Puryastaka becomes "transparent." It no longer acts as a prison of karma but as a radiant lens for Śiva's light.
C. Bhūta-śuddhi (Purification of Elements)
Through visualization and Mantra, the practitioner "burns" the karmic seeds stored in the Puryastaka.
The Technique: Visualizing the internal fire of Kuṇḍalinī rising through the central channel (Suṣumnā), systematically dissolving the "eight constituents" of the city back into their source.
3. Creating the "Higher Body"
The ultimate aim of Śaiva technology is the creation of the Siddha-deha or Divya-deha (Divine Body). This is not a physical body, but a reconfiguration of the Puryastaka:
De-conditioning: Breaking the link between the Tanmātras and external craving.
Recognition (Pratyabhijñā): Realizing that the Puryastaka is actually a contraction of the Five Powers of Śiva (Consciousness, Bliss, Will, Knowledge, and Action).
The Shift: When the practitioner "recognizes" this, the Puryastaka ceases to be a vehicle for rebirth and becomes a vehicle for Jīvanmukti (liberation while living).
Key Distinction: In Vedānta, the subtle body is often something to be escaped. In Śaivism, the Puryastaka is a "city" to be conquered and turned into a temple.
Since the Puryastaka is essentially the "software" of your reincarnation, would you like to explore the specific Mantras or Breath techniques (Prāṇāyāma) used to stabilize the 'Spanda' within it?
CONSCIOUSNESS & THE PURYASTAKA
In light of the above, how do Śaivites incorporate the pure consciousness of Śiva into the practice of creating the divine body? Also, wouldn’t they say that that Śiva consciousness also travels from life to life?
GEMINI
To answer your second question first: Yes and no. In the Śaiva view, the "logic" of what travels between lives is more nuanced than in other traditions.
Does Śiva-consciousness travel?
Strictly speaking, Śiva-consciousness (Caitanya) does not "travel" because it is omnipresent. It is the screen upon which the movie of rebirth is projected.
However, Śaivism posits that the Puryastaka (the subtle body) is wrapped in Anava-mala—the "stain of smallness." This is a fundamental amnesia that makes the infinite Śiva believe He is a limited individual (Jīva).
What travels: The Puryastaka, carrying the "stain" of individuality and karmic residue.
What remains constant: Śiva-consciousness, which is the underlying "light" (Prakāśa) that allows the Puryastaka to exist at all.
Death and rebirth are seen as Śiva "contracting" and "expanding" His own energy. You are Śiva traveling from life to life, but you have forgotten your identity, focusing instead on the "luggage" (the Puryastaka).
Incorporating Pure Consciousness: The Technology of "Recognition"
In Śaivism, creating the "Divine Body" (Divya-deha) is not about building something from scratch. It is a process of alchemy—converting the lead of the subtle body into the gold of Śiva-consciousness.
1. The Method of Sāmavesa (Immersion)
The practitioner does not just "meditate"; they practice Sāmavesa, which is the total absorption of the individual identity into the universal.
The Technique: Instead of seeing the five senses (part of the Puryastaka) as "distractions," the yogi sees them as the Five Powers of Śiva (Will, Knowledge, Action, etc.) flowing outward.
Incorporation: When you hear a sound, you don't just "hear" it; you recognize the hearing as Śiva’s Power of Action (Kriyā-śakti). This "re-labels" the Puryastaka's functions as divine functions.
2. The Transubstantiation of the Tattvas
Śaivite practice involves a "mapping" of the 36 Tattvas (levels of reality). The goal is to move the "I-sense" from the lower Tattvas (where the Puryastaka lives) to the higher Tattvas.
| Level | Component | Practice |
| Impure | Puryastaka (Ego/Mind) | Witnessing the thoughts as "ripples" on the ocean. |
| Pure-Impure | Vidya/Maya | Realizing that the world is a "reflection" of yourself. |
| Pure | Śiva/Śakti | The "I" expands to include the entire universe (Aham). |
3. Kuṇḍalinī and the "Great Thrum" (Spanda)
The "Higher Body" is created through the awakening of Kuṇḍalinī Śakti.
As Kuṇḍalinī rises through the Suṣumnā (central channel), she "consumes" the elements of the Puryastaka.
She dissolves the density of the ego and the senses into "Vibration" (Spanda).
The Result: The subtle body is no longer made of "karmic soot"; it is now composed of vibrational light. This is the Jñāna-deha (Body of Gnosis).
The "Divine Body" as a Living Lens
For a realized Śaivite (a Jīvanmukta), the Puryastaka still exists, but its "physics" have changed. It no longer generates new karma because the "I-maker" (Ahaṃkāra) has been replaced by the "Universal I" (Pūrṇāham).
In the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, one of the core practices is to "Imagine the entire body as being of the nature of Consciousness." By holding this "Bhāvanā" (creative contemplation), the practitioner eventually vibrates at the same frequency as Śiva, effectively turning the subtle body into a divine vehicle.
Would you like to try a specific contemplation from the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra that targets the dissolution of the Puryastaka into pure space?
SENSES / POWERS
Please denote the five subtle senses to their corresponding Śaivite power. What is the technology that is used to transfor sensory impressions into the divine powers?
GEMINI
In the non-dual Śaiva system (specifically the Trika school), the bridge between our ordinary sensory experience and the cosmic powers of Śiva is found in the Śaktis. The five subtle senses (Tanmātras), which normally bind the Puryastaka to the material world, are actually "contracted" versions of Śiva’s infinite capacities.
1. The Mapping: Senses to Divine Powers
When the "stain of limitation" (āṇavamala) is removed, the five senses are revealed to be the Five Powers of Śiva (Pañcaśakti).
| Subtle Sense (Tanmātra) | Physical Sense | Śaivite Power (Śakti) | Cosmic Function |
| Sound (Śabda) | Hearing | Cit-śakti | Pure Consciousness/Self-awareness |
| Touch (Sparśa) | Feeling | Ānanda-śakti | Absolute Bliss |
| Form/Color (Rūpa) | Seeing | Icchā-śakti | Divine Will |
| Taste (Rasa) | Tasting | Jñāna-śakti | Infinite Knowledge |
| Smell (Gandha) | Smelling | Kriyā-śakti | Creative Action |
2. The Technology: Pratyabhijñā and Daharākāśa
The "technology" used to transform these sensory impressions back into divine powers is a process of re-absorption (saṃhāra). Instead of the energy flowing outward toward an object, it is redirected inward to the source.
A. The Method of Unmeṣa (The Upward Opening)
This is the practice of catching the "spark" of consciousness at the very moment a sense makes contact with an object.
The Tech: When you see a beautiful form (Form/Will), there is a split-second before the mind labels it ("That is a flower") where pure energy is present. The yogi "rests" in that initial flash.
The Result: The impression does not become a karmic "seed" in the Puryastaka; instead, it fuels the Icchā-śakti (Will) of the practitioner.
B. Bhāvanā (Creative Contemplation)
This is a high-level visualization technique used to "re-code" the subtle body.
The Tech: The practitioner treats every sensory input as an oblation into the "Fire of Consciousness."
The Visualization: As described in the Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra, one imagines the sense organs not as fleshly tools, but as openings of the Divine. Hearing is not "me" hearing a sound; it is the Universe (Śiva) listening to its own vibration (Vimārśa).
C. Krama-mudrā (The Integration)
This is the advanced "technology" of the Kula tradition. It involves a "shuttling" of consciousness.
Antarmukha (Inward): Withdrawing the senses from the world into the Heart (Hṛdaya).
Bahirmukha (Outward): Projecting that internal Śiva-consciousness back out through the senses.
The Transformation: Through this rhythmic movement, the Puryastaka is "washed" by the internal light of Śiva until the boundary between "Inside" (Subject) and "Outside" (Object) dissolves.
3. Creating the "Vibrational Body"
As these technologies are applied, the Tanmātras (the "matter" of the Puryastaka) lose their density. They stop being "things" and start being "frequencies."
Sound becomes the Parāvāk (The Supreme Word).
Touch becomes the Spanda (The Divine Throb).
Taste becomes the Rasāsvāda (The Tasting of Bliss).
When the Puryastaka is fully "re-mapped" to these Five Powers, the yogi no longer experiences the world as a collection of objects, but as the play of their own energy.
Would you like to try a specific "centering" technique from the Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra that focuses on transforming the sense of Sound or Touch into Bliss?
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