Ananda is the secret source and support of all existence; it is ecstasy and beatitude, from the verb-root nand = to rejoice. SAT CHIT ANANDA is the Divine in humans and the universe, and is also the fountain-source of all the lower manifested life. The Upanishads divide the human being (as archetype) into Atman, the Divine Self of All, its five Purushas (spirits), and their five Koshas (sheets). The Atman becomes the material consciousness of the physical Purusha (sheet built of food). The Atman becomes the vital and nervous consciousness of the Purusha (sheet of life force). The Atman becomes the mental consciousness of the Purusha (sheet built of mind). The Atman becomes the Super-mental or Truth-Conscious Purusha (sheet built of discrimination, or Wisdom). The Atman becomes the Blissful Purusha (sheet of infinite beatitude). Above these five sheets and their consciousnesses are: * The Atman, in a state of infinite divine self-awareness and infinite all-effective Will, exists in the sheet built of CHIT, or Divine Consciousness, and becomes the Absolute Consciousness. * The Atman, in its pure divine state, exists in the sheet built of SAT and becomes Pure Divine. Within the manifested human (called Jivatman), the Divine Self (Atman) expresses Itself in three bodies: The Physical Body, the Astral (or Subtle Body), and the Causal Body (or Bliss sheet). During human life there are four different states of consciousness: * The waking state: the condition of being awake. * The sleeping/dreaming state: the condition of consciousness which the inner intelligence experiences during sleep; a state of perceiving subtle things. * The deep-sleeping state: a state of unconsciousness for the human ego, but a conscious state for the soul and higher intelligence. * The fourth state is Turiya: the pure, divine-spiritual conscious self-aware at-one-ment, called Samadhi. In Turiya-state, the Causal Body may be perceived as Bindu, or central point. Sri Aurobindo interprets the Upanishads, saying that Brahman is the Absolute Divine, the ONE. Atman is the Highest Self, one with Brahman. Jivatman is one of the Divine Many and dependent on the ONE; the Atman is the ONE (human archetype) supporting the Many. The Chakras The Chakras, or Wheels of Energy, are seven psychological centres in the Subtle (Astral) Body. These are considered as centres of mind of the Jivatman (or Soul Personality): Sahasrara chakra: the higher consciousness centre, that which centralizes the three minds spiritual, higher, and intuitive.and acts as a receiving station for the intuition and over-mind. This centre links the brain with greater mind-planes above. (This is the final goal of the seeker. It corresponds to Samadhi, called Turiya-state in other traditions). Ajna chakra: the centre of will or inner mind and dynamic thought, in the middle of the forehead. Visuddhi chakra: the centre of expressive, outgoing mind, at the throat centre. Anahata chakra: the heart-centre, the emotion-centre. Manipura chakra: the psychological centre at the navelthe dynamic vital centre commanding the larger life forces, passions, and desires. Svadhishthana chakra: the centre in the abdomen below the navel commanding the smaller vital movements of greed, lust, and the senses. Muladhara