Body of Light. John Mann
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors owe varying debts to teachers, students, friends and colleagues they have known in their searches through various spiritual traditions.
In particular we wish to thank the following: Pandit Majrani Tigunait for several helpful conversations on the subtle body in Hinduism and prepublication access to his book Tantra Science and Practice (in preparation).
Master Mantak Chia for a number of enlightening discussions of Taoist Yoga.
Michael Winn for his helpful editorial suggestions on Chapter Four.
H. H. Dingo Khyentse Rinpoche for the inclusiveness of his being and the universality of his teachings.
And to our root guru Swami Rudrananda (Rudi).
John Mann
Lar Short
June 26,1988
INTRODUCTION
Individuals who are seriously interested in spiritual development are faced with a confusing situation. When they try to choose which teacher or teaching to follow, they discover that all of them claim to be best.
In part this situation arises from the fierce competition that exists in the spiritual marketplace. In part it arises from the egos of teachers, who really believe that they, and their teachings, are the best; a view that is greatly encouraged by their students.
If all teachers were similar, one would have a fairly simple situation, analogous to choosing one's physician. It would be a matter of personal preference and of estimating the general competence of the teacher. But they are not similar. Teachers have very different styles and methods.
For example, in one teaching the student is told that it is necessary to stop all thought. In another he is told to repeat a sacred word or phrase endlessly. In a third he will be encouraged to have an uncontrolled visionary experience. How can these varied approaches all be correct?
There are many ways to explain this confusing situation. It may be due to an honest difference of opinion. It may occur because each teaching specializes in cultivating different types of experience. It may be strategic; that is, by over-emphasizing the differences between teachings, they set themselves apart. As with automobiles, relatively minor distinctions can be blown out of proportion in the advertising process in order to sell the latest models. But whatever the reasons, a spiritual "Tower of Babel" exists.
One way to reduce this confusion is to examine various teachings using a general format that applies (in varying degrees), to all situations. In this book a three body model will be employed for this purpose. This approach has the advantage of being simple, relevant and widely accepted. In essence, it distinguishes between three fundamental levels of human experience: the physical (including sensation, thought and feeling); the subtle (which concerns the flow of patterned energies within the body); and the cosmic (where all experience is universalized). To refer to each of these levels as "bodies" may be confusing. Only the physical body has a clearly defined form and density. The subtle body has a form, but you can put your hand through it. It does not have density. And the cosmic body is essentially formless, that is, it is everywhere at once.
We can describe the relation of the individual to these three bodies in two ways. First, that they already exist, and the essential problem is to become aware of them. Second, that the physical body exists, but the other two must be developed through a conscious process of internal evolution.
Regardless of which of these assumptions a particular teaching follows, a tremendous commitment and effort is always required of the individual in order to attain their final objective—the conscious functioning of all three bodies in the liberated human being.
In pursuing this aim, the subtle or energetic body occupies a crucial position, falling as it does between the physical and the cosmic bodies. The physical body is the foundation for the subtle. And the subtle body, as it develops, becomes the foundation for the cosmic.
The title of this book, The Body Of Light, refers to two stages in this process of internal evolution. The first applies to the subtle body, which is typically described in terms of the radiance of its colors. The second concerns the final stage of development, when the physical level is totally transfigured and only a rainbow body—a distinct but nonmaterial entity that is free of all physical limitations—remains. That is the eventual goal. But to get there, the subtle body must be activated; a process which is the theme of this book.
All spiritual teachings have something to say about the nature of this process. This book was written to compare their viewpoints. Furthermore, specific practices from these varied teachings will be presented. They can then be tested by the reader who is interested in their relative effectiveness, and who wishes to take a further step in the cultivation of his or her own subtle body.
Part I
The Subtle Body:
Background, History
and Traditions
CHAPTER ONE
THE RECURRENT IMAGE
The physical body is the mediator of all our experience. If it seriously malfunctions, everything we perceive is distorted. If it is relaxed and in balance, many of our difficulties fade to insignificance. The impact of the body on our awareness is stronger than the influences of history, culture, or psychology, although it is, of course, affected by them. Individuals vary widely in the amount of attention that they devote to their body, but except in sleep, unconsciousness and death, they cannot escape its impact. Its importance is like water to fish—easy to overlook but obvious when it is disturbed.
Behind this fundamental aspect of our awareness lies a parallel concept that has shadowed man's development throughout history; of another, more radiant structure, that infuses the physical body but can function beyond it. Different names have been used to describe this concept; "the subtle body," "the energetic body" or "the body of light". Descriptions of human auras assume that this type of energy body is a normal expression of the life force within the individual. Systems of psychic diagnosis examine the quality of vibrations associated with various portions of the subtle body in order to detect imbalances, and to determine which psychic and mental approaches will restore health. But originally, interest in the subtle body was as a vehicle for human development. Matters of mental and physical health came later.
Fig. 1. TheChakras
THE CHAKRAS
Descriptions of the subtle body vary in detail, complexity and, in some cases, basic design. But the elements involved are universal. These elements are, in their simplest form, energy centers (chakras) and the connections between them.
Each energy center can be described separately as a kind of isolated organ, like the stomach or the liver. The major chakras are typically located at:
a. the base of the spine;
b.