r--or Mula-prakriti or undifferentiated
cosmic essence--it has, since it is one with it and identical.

The Atma Bodha, or "knowledge of soul," a tract written by the great
Sankaracharya, speaks distinctly of the seven principles in man (see
14th verse). They are called therein the five sheaths (panchakosa) in
which is enclosed the divine monad--the Atman, and Buddhi, the 7th and
6th principles, or the individuated soul when made distinct (through
avidya, maya and the gunas) from the supreme soul--Parabrahm. The 1st
sheath, called Ananda-maya--the "illusion of supreme bliss"--is the
manas or fifth principle of the occultists, when united with Buddhi;
the 2nd sheath is Vjnana-maya-kosa, the case or "envelope of
self-delusion," the manas when self-deluded into the belief of the
personal "I," or ego, with its vehicle. The 3rd, the Mano-maya sheath,
composed of "illusionary mind" associated with the organs of action and
will, is the Kamarupa and Linga-sarira combined, producing an illusive
"I" or Mayavi-rupa. The 4th sheath is called Prana-maya, "illusionary
life," our second life principle or jiv, wherein resides life, the
"breathing" sheath. The 5th kosa is called Anna-maya, or the sheath
supported by food--our gross material body. All these sheaths produce
other smaller sheaths, or six attributes or qualities each, the seventh
being always the root sheath; and the Atman or spirit passing through
all these subtle ethereal bodies like a thread, is called the
"thread-soul" or sutratman.

We may conclude with the above demonstration. Verily the Esoteric
doctrine may well be called in its turn the "thread-doctrine," since,
like Sutratman or Pranatman, it passes through and strings together all
the ancient philosophical religious systems, and, what is more,
reconciles and explains them. For though seeming so unlike externally,
they have but one foundation, and of that the extent, depth, breadth and
nature are known to those who have become, like the "Wise Men of the
East," adepts in Occult Science.

--H.P. Blavatsky

Personal and Impersonal God

At the outset I shall request my readers (such of them at least as are
not acquainted with the Cosmological theories of the Idealistic thinkers
of Europe) to examine John Stuart Mill's Cosmological speculations as
contained in his examination of Sir William Hamilton's philosophy,
before attempting to understand the Adwaita doctrine; and I beg to
inform them befo