According to yoga, Vedanta, and theosophy, a spiritual hierarchy can be clearly seen.
- Physical body (Stula Sharira)
Annamanya Kosha: Food sheath
- Astral body (Sukshma Sharira)
Pranamaya Kosha: Prana energy sheath, life energy sheath
Manomaya Kosha: Mental sheath
Vijnanamaya Kosha: Intellect sheath
- Causal body (Karana Sharira)
Anandamaya Kosha: Bliss sheath
These are activated in order from the bottom up.
Adding my recent interpretations to the general interpretations of these hierarchies, it would be something like this:
1. Annamanya Kosha: Physical health. Dominated by Tamas.
2. Pranamaya Kosha: Health as vitality. Dealt with in yoga's pranayama. Ojas. Dominated by Rajas.
3. Manomaya Kosha: Mental stability. Emotional joy. Dominated by Sattva. Kundalini (below Manipura).
4. Vijnanamaya Kosha: Intellect sheath
- (Lower): Knowledge, wisdom, Kundalini (above Anahata)
- (Upper): Silence, tranquility, Kundalini (Sahasrara)
5. Anandamaya Kosha: Bliss sheath.
- (Lower): The beginning of the inflow of the higher self, which is consciousness of creation, destruction, and preservation. Reduction of the ego.
- (Upper): The beginning of love, gratitude, compassion, and a sense of oneness.
I feel that these hierarchies make sense.
These are still classifications and hierarchies for the "individual" existence. After the individual hierarchies are complete, there is another stage of a higher-level individual (Atman or Purusha), and beyond that, there is a stage of regional consciousness. However, for the time being, I think the challenges that arise in living and practicing in this world are limited to this.
In reality, these hierarchies generally follow this order, but there are opinions that they do not necessarily follow this order. For example, love may come before logic, or there may be cases where physical vitality is lacking and it comes later. There are also cultural differences in which one is considered superior.
To supplement this further (this is a detailed explanation, so you can skip this part if you like), the hierarchies vary slightly depending on the school of thought. In theosophy, Buddhi corresponds to the bliss and love of the Anandamaya Kosha and is a stage in the hierarchy. However, in yoga, the meaning of Buddhi is different, and Buddhi is a part of Manas (mind), and Buddhi is not a hierarchy. Regarding the term Buddhi, some definitions in theosophy are similar, but it is also treated as a hierarchy, and it seems that the term Buddhi is being treated specially. This seems to reflect a culture that emphasizes Western logical thinking. Originally, Buddhi is a part of Manas, so it is basically a part of the Manomaya Kosha (mental sheath), and it also corresponds to the Vijnanamaya Kosha (intellect sheath). This classification is more common. It is better to apply the five sheaths directly in a yoga or Vedanta way and position "bliss" as the Anandamaya Kosha, rather than using the term Buddhi in a way that specially emphasizes logical thinking, as in theosophy. Although Buddhi is generally considered a function of Manas (mind) in yoga and Vedanta, and the theosophical meaning is quite different, I think it is better not to use the term Buddhi in a theosophical sense to avoid confusion, even though it may provide hints for the hierarchy. However, empirically and practically, Buddhi is already functioning effectively by the time of the Anandamaya Kosha, so there is a feeling that one would like to position Buddhi higher, but that seems to be a Western value. After all, there is originally a Vijnanamaya Kosha (intellect sheath), so it is more appropriate to say that it is the latter when talking about Buddhi. In yoga, it is generally considered a part of Manas (mind). However, in reality, even in yoga and Vedanta, the position of Buddhi varies slightly depending on the school of thought, although it is generally included in Manas, there are schools that consider Vijnanamaya Kosha as Buddhi. Just as the stage of love and affection that is dominant and different from the bliss of Anandamaya Kosha corresponds to each stage of the astral body, if one mistakes this affection for Anandamaya Kosha, the hierarchy may appear different, and one may mistakenly consider the Vijnanamaya Kosha (intellect sheath), which corresponds to Buddhi, as Anandamaya Kosha. It seems that this is understandable to some extent, considering the background of the time when theosophy was created, but I sometimes refer to it for clues. I think it is quite helpful to refer to theosophical interpretations, as long as one does not take them at face value.
In this way, although there may be some variations depending on the school of thought, it is generally better to understand it based on the five sheaths (panchakosha) of general yoga.