Higher manas

Causal body (5)

Higher manas — the causal body (kāraṇa śarīra in Theosophical usage), the abstract / formless mind. It is the vehicle that persists across incarnations and stores the karmic record; for Blavatsky and Besant it is the true 'individuality' of the human being, distinct from the transient personality of the lower four principles. Powell's The Causal Body (1928) treats the colour as a luminous gold-yellow sphere whose density and refinement are built up over the course of many incarnations.

Sthūla śarīraLiṅga śarīraKāma rūpaLower manasHigher manasHigher manasBuddhiĀtman

Point 5 of 7 in Theosophy — Seven Subtle Bodies

Cross-tradition overlaps

No overlapping points are registered for this point.

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Sources

Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine (primary_canonical)

Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, Adyar edition, vol. II, pp. 57–59, 'The Double Dragon' and 'The Bodies of Brahma,' treats manas as the principle that mediates individuality and personality; the higher/lower distinction is developed in the surrounding discussion of the human septenary.

Besant, The Ancient Wisdom (primary_canonical)

Besant, The Ancient Wisdom, ch. II, 'The Constitution of Man,' distinguishes the enduring individuality and its causal vehicle from the transient personality; this is the chapter-level basis for the higher-manas/causal-body entry.

A.E. Powell, The Causal Body (secondary)

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