The Elements or original essences, the basic differentiations upon and of which all things are built up. We use the term to denote the seven individual and fundamental aspects of the One Universal Reality in Kosmos and in man. Hence also the seven aspects in their manifestation in the human being—divine, spiritual, psychic, astral, physiological and simply physical. (TG)
The Eastern Teachings differ as to the number of principles and their subdivisions and combinations that have to do with the definition of the spirit and the soul. But in truth, it is difficult to separate the soul from the spirit, as all these divisions are actually varying aspects of one fundamental energy, which manifests itself on different planes and through various nerve centers or vehicles. In all the Teachings one finds the subdivision of the human being into three fundamental principles: spiritual, psychic, and physical—or spirit, soul and body. In the Eastern Teachings there is extension of these three basic principles, for special purposes, and we find the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh principles. This development was approved by the Mahatmas in The Secret Doctrine. Thus, the highest or fundamental principle, which contains potentially the synthesis of all the others, is the fiery energy of life or spirit, which is spread throughout the entire Cosmos. For this focus it requires the sixth principle, or Buddhi (often called ‘the spiritual soul’ as distinct from the human-animal soul). Thus the monad is formed, which is primary, unconscious, incarnated Ego. Then follows the fifth principle—the Manas, self-conscious, ‘the thinker’ (higher intelligence). These three principles form the higher triad, or the conscious, immortal Ego. In Devachan, this Ego survives after the dissolution of the other principles which form man’s earthly personality, or, as the Easterners would put it, man’s lower ego, or self. In the Teachings, this Higher Ego, or the triad, is often treated as the seed of the spirit, which is unable directly or independently to manifest itself on earth. In order to manifest, this triad needs a fourth principle, called Kama, through which desire is expressed in two aspects: Kama-Manas, or the lower intellect (literally, the intellect of desires), and Kama-Rupa, or the subjective form (the form of mental and physical desires and thoughts). This is the thinker in action. Kama, in connection with Manas (the higher) and Buddhi, forms the higher Subtle Body (the astral body, in order that it be not confused with its etheric double, is often called ‘the lower astral’), or the spiritual soul of the spiritually developed man. Kama-Manas is a sort of bridge which connects the higher Manas with Kama-Rupa, thus connecting Manas and Form to make the Kama-Manas body, or human soul. When this bridge between Manas and its lower aspect, Kama-Manas, has been established, i.e., when man begins to receive the impressions from the higher Buddhi-Manas, we can say that man is spiritually developed and approaches immortality. Thus, for the achievement of true immortality, in other words, for the maintaining of consciousness on all the four planes of existence, and for becoming an Arhat, it is essential to connect, precisely in the physical body, the fourth, fifth, and seventh principles and fuse them in the sixth—Buddhi. All the qualities of the basic energy, being separately transmuted by its fire, must be harmonized and expressed in the highest quality of psychic energy. (LHR I, pp 472-473)

Agni Yoga Encyclopedia

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