REINCARNATION-2
duhkham sukham vyatiriktam ca tivram
kalopapannam phalam avyanakti
alingya maya racitantaratma
sva dehinam samsrti cakra kutah
tavan ayam vyaharah sadavih
ksetrajma saksyo bhavati stula suksmah
tasman mano lingam ado vadanti
guna gunatvasya paravarasya
"The materialistic mind covering the living entity's soul carries it to different species of life. This is called continued material existence. Due to the mind, the living entity suffers or enjoys material distress and happiness. Being thus illusioned, the mind further creates pious and impious activities and their karma, and thus the soul becomes
conditioned."
"The mind makes the living entity within this material world wander through different species of life, and thus the living entity experiences mundane affairs in different forms as a human being, demigod, fat person, skinny person and so forth. Learned scholars say that bodily appearance, bondage and liberation are caused by the mind." (1)
The spirit soul is the life factor within the body. It is the soul alone that gives the inert body life. Consciousness is the perceptible manifestation of the soul. "Death" means that the soul has left the body. "Birth" indicates the soul's acceptance of a new body.
Etymologically, "reincarnation" means "to return" or "to come back." At the time of death, the body decays or is burned and becomes one with the material elements. What is it then that returns? Obviously, it is not the body, it is the soul. Unless and until we understand the nature of the soul and how it becomes conditioned, and freed the science of reincarnation will remain a mystery.
The conditioned soul has two types of material bodies the subtle and the gross. The subtle body consists of the false ego, intelligence and mind. The gross body is made up of five elements earth, water, fire, air and ether. Both the gross and subtle bodies impinge on the conditioned soul. However, it is the subtle body, and in particular the mind, which keeps the living entity "coming back" or reincarnating.
Prabhupada, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami "Srimad Bhagavatam" Canto 5 Chapter 11 Verses 6 7.
The gross body has a specific duration of existence. However, the subtle body will continue, in different permutations, for as long as the soul remains in ignorance. At the time of death the soul leaves the gross body. However, the subtle body remains with him. In fact, the living entity is carried by the subtle body to the womb of an appropriate mother to develop his next gross body. The subtle body and in particular the mind, provides the nexus
The living entity will reincarnate and be bound to the material realm, for as long as he has a subtle body. If he is to become free from the bondage of material nature, he must become free of the subjugation of the subtle body. A lucid understanding of how the living entity becomes liberated from the subtle body is facilitated by explanation of how the soul initially becomes bound. Constitutionally, the soul resides within the spiritual nature. He is essentially eternal and replete with bliss and knowledge. To maintain that position, the soul must be favourably inclined towards the Supreme Personality of the Absolute Truth (Sri Krsna). If a living entity projects his consciousness away from Sri Krsna, it will be attracted to the material energy the realm of repeated birth and death.
This material energy is inferior to both the spiritual energy and the soul. It is the natural tendency of the superior to dominate the inferior. Hence, when the soul comes in contact with the inferior, material energy his tendency is to attempt to dominate it. This proclivity is unfortunate because the soul's constitutional position is one of loving service and exchange with the Supreme Personality of the Absolute Truth. The living entity's position is servant not master. Bewildered, he develops a misconception of identity. This misconception is called false ego. It is the first stage of bondage of the soul. Then the living entity begins to plan how to dominate the material nature. His intelligence evolves. Then his consciousness begins to flow towards the material nature through the mind. Original personality becomes completely obscured and distorted. In this way the subtle body (false ego, intelligence and mind) becomes fully manifest and the gross body is generated. The soul thus becomes bound up by the illusion that his happiness or distress is dependent on his attempts to manipulate his environment.
At this point, he becomes fully subjugated to the inferior material energy and is forced to suffer repeated birth and death.
It is obvious that the soul's designation, the mind, is the cause of all tribulations in the material world. As long as this fact is unknown to the conditioned living entity, he is forced to accept the miserable condition of an inferior material body and continue to reincarnate and to wander within the material realm. Because the mind absorbs itself in such things as birth, death, disease, illusion and attachment, it creates bondage for the soul and a false sense of identity with this world. It can be conclusively stated that the mind is the cause of material existence and suffering. This is substantiated by Sri Krsna in Bhagavad gita.
mamaivamso jiva loke
jiva bhutah sanatanah
manah sasthanindriyani
prakrti sthani karsati
"The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which includes the mind." (2)
Obviously, the primary concern of a living entity attempting to free himself from reincarnation, is to control the mind. The mind can be the cause of both material bondage and liberation. The material mind thinks `I am this body.' The spiritual mind knows that he is spirit soul, not the body. The living entity must free himself from the association and contamination of the mundane mind if he is to step beyond the shackles of this material world. The soul can be compared to a tiny spark. When it is situated in the fire a spark manifests the qualities of heat and light. However, if it is removed from the source it is easily extinguished. Similarly, the soul becomes oblivious of its spiritual identity because of constant association with matter. This association is the cause of his miserable bondage. Freedom is possible only through developing awareness of spiritual reality. Different impetuses can be utilized to engender such awareness. The use of mantra is a potent process. The sound vibrations remind us supraconsciously of the spiritual reality. The Hare Krsna mantra reminds us of the Supreme Personality of the Absolute Truth Sri Krsna. The spiritual nature is replete with spiritual variety. The central point of that spiritual reality is Sri Krsna Himself. From the sound vibration of His name His form manifests. Then consecutively His qualities, pastimes, associates and abode become assessable.
Prabhupada, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
"Bhagavad gita As It Is" Chapter 15 Verse 7.
Sri Krsna, in Bhagavad gita states:
'janma karma ca me divjam
ejam yovetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti mam eti so 'rjuna'
"One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna."
It is possible to know the Absolute Truth through the simple practice of Nama mantra. When the mind becomes absorbed in the sound vibration of this mantra, it becomes spiritualized and the living entity becomes free from the false designations of the subtle body. Although he is still residing within a gross material body he is considered liberated. When by the arrangement of nature and time he leaves the gross body, he is free of all bondage of matter. At that time he assumes his original personality and returns to the spiritual energy. He has stepped beyond the tyranny of reincarnation.
kalopapannam phalam avyanakti
alingya maya racitantaratma
sva dehinam samsrti cakra kutah
tavan ayam vyaharah sadavih
ksetrajma saksyo bhavati stula suksmah
tasman mano lingam ado vadanti
guna gunatvasya paravarasya
"The materialistic mind covering the living entity's soul carries it to different species of life. This is called continued material existence. Due to the mind, the living entity suffers or enjoys material distress and happiness. Being thus illusioned, the mind further creates pious and impious activities and their karma, and thus the soul becomes
conditioned."
"The mind makes the living entity within this material world wander through different species of life, and thus the living entity experiences mundane affairs in different forms as a human being, demigod, fat person, skinny person and so forth. Learned scholars say that bodily appearance, bondage and liberation are caused by the mind." (1)
The spirit soul is the life factor within the body. It is the soul alone that gives the inert body life. Consciousness is the perceptible manifestation of the soul. "Death" means that the soul has left the body. "Birth" indicates the soul's acceptance of a new body.
Etymologically, "reincarnation" means "to return" or "to come back." At the time of death, the body decays or is burned and becomes one with the material elements. What is it then that returns? Obviously, it is not the body, it is the soul. Unless and until we understand the nature of the soul and how it becomes conditioned, and freed the science of reincarnation will remain a mystery.
The conditioned soul has two types of material bodies the subtle and the gross. The subtle body consists of the false ego, intelligence and mind. The gross body is made up of five elements earth, water, fire, air and ether. Both the gross and subtle bodies impinge on the conditioned soul. However, it is the subtle body, and in particular the mind, which keeps the living entity "coming back" or reincarnating.
Prabhupada, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami "Srimad Bhagavatam" Canto 5 Chapter 11 Verses 6 7.
The gross body has a specific duration of existence. However, the subtle body will continue, in different permutations, for as long as the soul remains in ignorance. At the time of death the soul leaves the gross body. However, the subtle body remains with him. In fact, the living entity is carried by the subtle body to the womb of an appropriate mother to develop his next gross body. The subtle body and in particular the mind, provides the nexus
The living entity will reincarnate and be bound to the material realm, for as long as he has a subtle body. If he is to become free from the bondage of material nature, he must become free of the subjugation of the subtle body. A lucid understanding of how the living entity becomes liberated from the subtle body is facilitated by explanation of how the soul initially becomes bound. Constitutionally, the soul resides within the spiritual nature. He is essentially eternal and replete with bliss and knowledge. To maintain that position, the soul must be favourably inclined towards the Supreme Personality of the Absolute Truth (Sri Krsna). If a living entity projects his consciousness away from Sri Krsna, it will be attracted to the material energy the realm of repeated birth and death.
This material energy is inferior to both the spiritual energy and the soul. It is the natural tendency of the superior to dominate the inferior. Hence, when the soul comes in contact with the inferior, material energy his tendency is to attempt to dominate it. This proclivity is unfortunate because the soul's constitutional position is one of loving service and exchange with the Supreme Personality of the Absolute Truth. The living entity's position is servant not master. Bewildered, he develops a misconception of identity. This misconception is called false ego. It is the first stage of bondage of the soul. Then the living entity begins to plan how to dominate the material nature. His intelligence evolves. Then his consciousness begins to flow towards the material nature through the mind. Original personality becomes completely obscured and distorted. In this way the subtle body (false ego, intelligence and mind) becomes fully manifest and the gross body is generated. The soul thus becomes bound up by the illusion that his happiness or distress is dependent on his attempts to manipulate his environment.
At this point, he becomes fully subjugated to the inferior material energy and is forced to suffer repeated birth and death.
It is obvious that the soul's designation, the mind, is the cause of all tribulations in the material world. As long as this fact is unknown to the conditioned living entity, he is forced to accept the miserable condition of an inferior material body and continue to reincarnate and to wander within the material realm. Because the mind absorbs itself in such things as birth, death, disease, illusion and attachment, it creates bondage for the soul and a false sense of identity with this world. It can be conclusively stated that the mind is the cause of material existence and suffering. This is substantiated by Sri Krsna in Bhagavad gita.
mamaivamso jiva loke
jiva bhutah sanatanah
manah sasthanindriyani
prakrti sthani karsati
"The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which includes the mind." (2)
Obviously, the primary concern of a living entity attempting to free himself from reincarnation, is to control the mind. The mind can be the cause of both material bondage and liberation. The material mind thinks `I am this body.' The spiritual mind knows that he is spirit soul, not the body. The living entity must free himself from the association and contamination of the mundane mind if he is to step beyond the shackles of this material world. The soul can be compared to a tiny spark. When it is situated in the fire a spark manifests the qualities of heat and light. However, if it is removed from the source it is easily extinguished. Similarly, the soul becomes oblivious of its spiritual identity because of constant association with matter. This association is the cause of his miserable bondage. Freedom is possible only through developing awareness of spiritual reality. Different impetuses can be utilized to engender such awareness. The use of mantra is a potent process. The sound vibrations remind us supraconsciously of the spiritual reality. The Hare Krsna mantra reminds us of the Supreme Personality of the Absolute Truth Sri Krsna. The spiritual nature is replete with spiritual variety. The central point of that spiritual reality is Sri Krsna Himself. From the sound vibration of His name His form manifests. Then consecutively His qualities, pastimes, associates and abode become assessable.
Prabhupada, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
"Bhagavad gita As It Is" Chapter 15 Verse 7.
Sri Krsna, in Bhagavad gita states:
'janma karma ca me divjam
ejam yovetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti mam eti so 'rjuna'
"One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna."
It is possible to know the Absolute Truth through the simple practice of Nama mantra. When the mind becomes absorbed in the sound vibration of this mantra, it becomes spiritualized and the living entity becomes free from the false designations of the subtle body. Although he is still residing within a gross material body he is considered liberated. When by the arrangement of nature and time he leaves the gross body, he is free of all bondage of matter. At that time he assumes his original personality and returns to the spiritual energy. He has stepped beyond the tyranny of reincarnation.
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