Deepak Chopra - Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment - Part 2 - a podcast by www.integralnaked.org

After discussing the presentation and criticism ofBuddhain detail in Part 1 of the conversation, Deepak and Ken move on to explore some of the most central tenets of the Buddhist tradition, as well as Vedanta Hinduism. Mentioned first is thetrikayaor "three body" doctrine, whereby all sentient being are said to have anirmanakaya(gross body),samboghakaya(subtle body), anddharmakaya(causal body). These threebodiesare said to literally support, respectively, gross-waking consciousness, subtle-dreaming consciousness, and causal-deep-sleep consciousness—all of which arestatesof consciousness, which everyone experiences every single day, because everyone wakes, dreams, and sleeps (it is through contemplativepracticethat these states reveal their deeper nature, and one can begin to Witness all states, and then find nondual Union with all states). In addition tobodiesandstates, Ken reminds us that both Vajrayana Buddhism and Vedanta Hinduism positsheaths—orkoshasorstructuresorlevels—of consciousness, such asannamayakosha(material),pranamayakosha(emotional-sexual),manomayakosha(middle mind),vijnanamayakosha(higher mind), andanandamayakosha(bliss mind). Together,states,bodies, andsheaths/structurespaint a very sophisticated picture of what contemplative,trans-rational spiritualityis all about (and to which we would add, in an AQAL and Integral Approach,quadrants,lines, andtypes.

"Once you realize the world is a dream of creative play, you can do as this Zen koan suggests: If you see a boat on the horizon, pick it up…."