Alaoddawleh Semnani - the seven latif
A much more developed doctrine of lataif was formulated by the 13th/14th century Persian Sufi Alaoddawleh Semnani. Linking the seven prophets of the Koran with the mystical physiology of seven latifa, Semnani referred to seven grades of being which constitute the ascent of the soul to the Godhead. These are the latifah qalibiyya, the mould (= the theosophical "etheric body") or "Adam of one's being", black or dark-grey in colour; the latifah nafsiyya, the vital senses and animal soul, the "Noah of one's being", blue in colour; the latifah qalbiyya, the spiritual Heart, the "Abraham of one's being", red in colour; the latifah sirriyya, the Secret, the edge of superconsciousness and stage of spiritual monologues (c.f,. the Throat Chakra) or "Moses of one's being", white in colour; the latifah ruhiyya, the Spirit which is the vice-regent of God (c.f. Ajna = "Command" chakra), the "David of one's being", yellow in colour; the latifah khafiya or organ of spiritual inspiration, the "Jesus of one's being", luminous black in colour; and finally the latifah haqiqa, the Divine Centre or Eternal Seal, the "Mohammed of one's being", emerald green, this being the sacred colour of Islam.
It would seem that Semnani's latifa have a double meaning: they refer both to psychic centres (=chakras) and to a succession of subtle bodies (Sanskrit kosha, Greek okhema) or levels of self. It is interesting that some modern clairvoyant and theosophical writers, who are totally ignorant of this particular Sufi teaching, also match up the seven chakras with seven bodies or levels of self (e.g. according to Barbara Brennan the base or Muladhara chakra corresponds to the etheric body, the second or Swadhishthana chakra to the emotional body, and so on), and also to colours (usually a rainbow sequence from red through to violet). Even though the two sets of correspondences are quite distinct, the principle of their equivalence is nevertheless quite similiar.
