The Subtle Body - Mind, Intelligence, and Ego
The material body is a combination of two external energies of Śrī Kṛṣṇa: the gross body (earth, water, fire, air, and ether) and the Subtle Body. The subtle body is the combination of the mind, intelligence, and ego. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that these three subtle elements form the invisible psychological encasement of the spirit soul, acting as the primary agents of transmigration and conditioning.
The Inferior Energy Cocktail
The three subtle elements—mind, intelligence, and false ego (Ahankāra)—are described by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā as part of His eightfold inferior (aparā) material energy. They are the root of all psychology and are often referred to as the "finer dress" of the soul.
- In the Bhagavad-gītā it is explained that the five elements earth, water, fire, air and ether constitute the gross energy of the Absolute Truth and that there are also three subtle energies, namely, the mind, intelligence and false ego.
- The garments are the mind, intelligence and false ego. False ego means the misconception that I am matter, that I am a product of this material world. This misconception makes me localized.
Materialistic scientists, who cannot see the mind, intelligence, or ego, remain ignorant of this fundamental composition, leading them to falsely conclude that consciousness is merely a product of the gross combination of matter.
The Agent of Transmigration
The subtle body is the critical carrier of the soul at the time of death. Although the gross body stops working and decomposes, the mind, intelligence, and ego continue, carrying the living entity to its next destination based on its final mental condition (bhāvam).
- At death the process of changing bodies takes place due to the subtle body; the mind, intelligence and ego carry the soul from one gross body to another. This is called transmigration of the soul.
- The great sage Nārada continued: The living entity acts in a gross body in this life. This body is forced to act by the subtle body, composed of mind, intelligence and ego. After the gross body is lost, the subtle body is still there to enjoy or suffer.
This constant activity of the subtle body, even when the gross body is asleep (resulting in dreams), proves that the soul is not destroyed but merely changing its outer material dress.
Purifying the Subtle Dress
The core problem of conditioned life is that the subtle body is perpetually engaged in the attempt to dominate material nature, creating an atmosphere of unfulfilled desires and ambitions. The solution is not the annihilation of the mind, intelligence, and ego, but their complete spiritualization.
- By bhakti-yoga we can directly transcend both the subtle body (mind, intelligence and ego) and the gross material body. Then we can be situated on the spiritual platform in our original, spiritual body.
- When the mind, intelligence and ego are purified, all the active senses of the living entity become spiritual. Thus the living entity attains his sac-cid-ānanda form.
The devotional process allows the subtle body to be educated and purified in such a way that it becomes a spiritual asset, no longer contaminated or a source of bondage, allowing the soul to attain its eternal sac-cid-ānanda form.
Conclusion
The Mind, Intelligence, and Ego are the essential elements of the subtle body, which binds the soul to the cycle of birth and death. By understanding that these elements are energies of Kṛṣṇa and engaging them directly in His transcendental service, the devotee effectively purifies the "finer dress," transforming the subtle body from a carrier of suffering into a component of spiritual realization and eternal service.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Mind, Intelligence and Ego. We invite you to click the link above to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.