By Gautam Saha
EACH INDIVIDUAL APPEARS TO BE DIFFERENT
Each individual comes into this world as a separate entity, being physically, mentally and emotionally distinct and one off. The differences between individuals are of three types. Physical and mental differences are generally broadly based on inherited genetics. On the other hand, emotional differences which include spiritual proclivities of the individual, is dependent on the socio economic environment during the growth phase, conditioning by parents, relatives and peer influence, and most importantly, the carry over and cravings of the unrequited desires from previous lives which transmigrated with the soul, and works subconsciously. Since every individual undergoes a different set of these complex deciding factors, each person is naturally distinct in physical appearance as well as in his mental and emotional conditioning, ambitions and life profile, which appears to show that every individual is different, with a different destination or destiny. We shall now see how every living entity is identical in terms of its real identity, the soul.
THE PURE SPIRIT SOUL IN EVERY LIVING ENTITY IS IDENTICAL
The Gita (2.12-13) informs us that the true identity of the individual is the soul which moves from body to body at the end of each life experience. In the 1997 book by psychiatrist Ian Stevenson, “Where Reincarnation and Biology Intersect”, the author investigates birthmarks or birth defects and tries to link them to corresponding persons of the previous lives whose reincarnation the persons in the study group presumably are. Ian Stevenson examined reports of people in different parts of the world who claimed to remember past lives, mostly young children. He explored the idea that “birthmarks and other skin lesions and abnormalities may provide evidence of cutaneous injuries sustained in a previous life, thus supporting the notion of reincarnation. Excluding some unsolved and uncorroborated cases, in about 90 cases there is an irrefutable correspondence found between birth marks on the child and similar marks or distinguishing features present on the body of the reincarnating person during his previous lifetime, such as wounds, injuries and other stigmata.” Ihttp://books.google.co.in/books/about/Encyclopedia_of_Reincarnation_and_Karma.html?id=S_Leq4U5ihkCn his thesis, THE ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF REINCARNATION AND KARMA, Norman C McClelland features over 1,200 topical entries providing diverse and detailed coverage of the related subjects of reincarnation and karma, ranging across faiths and geographies.
The soul is eternal, sublime and imperishable, and cannot be destroyed in any circumstance ( Gita 2.20-25). Each soul is a fragment of the Supersoul or Paramatma. Hence each soul is qualitatively the same as the Supersoul, just as a droplet of water has the same characteristics as a drop of water taken from a great lake or ocean. But quantitatively the droplet of water does not have the same power or endurance as a great lake or ocean. Since the Lord is the controller of maya ( His external illusory energy ) and kaal ( time ), the Supersoul cannot come under the control of maya or kaal. However, the individual soul, being infinitesimal, is overwhelmed by the influence of both maya and kaal, and hence succumbs to the games played by material nature, and the impetus of time.
The spirit soul is originally pure. Each soul, under the influence of maya and its own karmic consciousness from previous lives, and thus encaged in a suitable material body, appears to be different in aspect and outlook. This is because external contaminations have overwhelmed the soul to forget its own pristine purity and its constitutional position as a loving subordinate of the Lord. This forgetfulness down previous lives condemns the living entity to materialistic and sometimes, abominable behaviour and consciousness. If, by good fortune, one is enabled to obtain the association of devotees or spiritual masters, and can, somehow or the other, climb onto the platform of Krsna consciousness, the very connection with Krsna will peel away the layers of ignorance which had hitherto covered the soul. This will enable the pure soul to shine through and purify its consciousness sufficiently to shed all the past accumulated karmic baggage ( Gita 10.10 & 11 ), and reconnect with Krsna, the living entity’s ultimate destiny and goal in life, as Krsna intended it to be. This process can only reach a successful conclusion if we are very, very fortunate to have received a human body during our present life, wherein we enjoy the freedom and have the intelligence to make a considered and unforced choice. The choice we make and exercise is the cause of our own destiny.
CAUSE AND EFFECT
The behavior and consciousness of the individual during each lifetime is influenced partly by his own unforced actions and partly by the allurements and enticements maya places in his path, deviating him from his best interests. The senses are so strong that, if uncontrolled, can force a man to act against his best interest, sometimes even within his conscious knowledge. For instance, a person addicted to alcohol or tobacco knows that it is bad for him, but he persists in consuming it, because he lacks the mental strength or will power to deny his senses their perceived enjoyments. This is elaborately explained in the Gita (2.60-63). This is the reason man commits blunders and crimes in this world. This is the reason man sins, and spoils his karma irrepairably, with dire consequences for his future lives.
The sage Jadabharata has stated ( Srimad Bhagavatam 5.11.4 ) : “As long as the mind of the living entity is contaminated by the three modes of material nature ( goodness, passion and ignorance ), his mind is exactly like an independent, uncontrolled elephant. It simply expands its jurisdiction of pious and impious activities by using the senses. The result is that the living entity remains in the material world ( life after life ) to enjoy pleasures and suffer pains due to material activity.”
When a human being sins excessively in a given lifetime, the Lord arranges for him ( through His trusted representative Yamaraj or Dharmaraj, and His subordinates ) to be cast into lower and lower species of life, into the most abominable types of existence, as insects, worms, or even lower, from which it is near impossible to rise again to higher species. Thus by their own independent and unforced actions, these living entities condemn themselves to reside permanently in the lowest or bottom rung of material existence. This condemnation is not caused by the Lord’s envy or hatred, but rather, the envy or hatred of the individual living entity towards the Lord’s other creatures and towards the Lord Himself ( Gita 16.13-20). The Lord is impartial and the laws of karma are also impartial. Those who wish to avoid this self destructive behaviour, should accept the shelter of a bonafide spiritual master who speaks on the basis of authorized scriptures such as the Srimad Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam, teachings that can never lead one astray.
The unthinking and gross materialistic behaviour of many living entities is the reason there are so many species of life in the material cosmos, each material body being a kind of jail or cell imposed on the living entity on account of, and matching with, its own karma. This is also the reason persons deeply influenced by the knowledge of the Gita, do not see different living beings differently. The present body or material covering is only a function of its karmic evolution, at a particular stage in the soul’s eternal journey, and is a temporary designation.
HOW TO TAKE THE RIGHT DECISION
Most of us have distinct material goals when we start off in life, not necessarily about amassing money or personal property : like wanting to achieve some professional milestone or making a scientific breakthrough, or doing good for humanity or other living entities. Sometimes we manage to reach those milestones and sometimes not. In any case, we should saturate this activity with the most potent consciousness of the Lord ( Krsna Consciousness ), and offer the results of our activities to the Supreme Lord Krsna, or Visnu, Who is the only One that can deliver the living entity from the material condition. This will ensure that our activities will not be adulterated by rajah gunn and tamah gunn ( the material modes of passion and ignorance ). If the individual is not connected to Krsna, but dwells purely on a material platform, he will be condemned to continuation in the material cycle, irrespective of whatever hard work or goodwill he might have invested in his lifetime. He will be destined to be born repeatedly in the material world without hope for deliverance. If one is on the purely material level, one’s life becomes a fruitless struggle with maya, the Lord’s powerful external potency, which we can never overcome by ourselves.
During the course of a lifetime, we work hard to collect property or palatial houses, excellent spouse(s), loving children, relatives and friends, fame, huge bank balance, knowledge of material sciences or the fine arts, a body made constantly strong and beautiful by regular gym and parlour attendance, and whatever else one can imagine. All these so called assets are fully jettisoned at the time of death, when our consciousness and unrequited longings alone accompany the soul on its onward journey. Furthermore, if we continue to harbor materialistic longings at the time of death, we shall be reborn in appropriate bodies to enable us to satisfy those unsated desires. Can this be construed as creating a good destiny for ourselves ?
If, instead of contaminating our consciousness and karma by sense enjoyment of various kinds, or collect things meant for sense pleasure and possibly have sinful leanings which are bound to be energized by these sensory pursuits, we learn to engage our minds and consciousness in the name, teachings, pastimes, glories and fame of the Lord, who is our only true friend and well wisher ( Gita 5.29 ), associate with His devotees, chant His holy name, or serve Him in one of innumerable ways, our senses become engaged in higher tastes and the temptations thrown at us by maya become tasteless and insipid or even repulsive, in course of time. Nature abhors a vacuum, and when a person willingly keeps his mind in blank / neutral / faithless mode, other propensities will creep in ( an idle mind is the devil’s workshop ) and gradually capture his senses. On the other hand, Krsna is so immensely potent that any association with Him in whatever way, is bound to sterilize us from temptations and sinful propensities, and clear our consciousness of all the accumulated garbage of previous materialistic or sinful karma, whilst providing both great pleasure to the senses as well as peace of mind in this life.
THE UNLIMITED PLEASURE AND EASE OF ASSOCIATING WITH KRSNA
Besides the need to come out of the material cycle and hence to cultivate our relationship with Lord Krsna to secure our destiny for everafter, we should not underestimate the sheer pleasure enjoyed by our body and soul, that comes from associating with the Lord or remembering Him. Any service performed for Krsna, such as offering Him a glass of water, a tulasi leaf, or much more, everyday, cleaning the place of worship, bowing down before Him or singing for His pleasure, preparing tasty food for Him, offering it to Him first, and then eating the remnants afterwards as delicious prasadam, are all activities that give the practitioner unlimited pleasure that does not come from similar ordinary dealings with others. Since all these activities are tinged even somewhat with love for Krsna, this connection with Him, makes these activities sublime and fully satisfying to the body as well as satisfaction of the soul, which had been hitherto longing for Krsna down previous lives. Since we had forgotten our love for Krsna, our souls had been unhappy and unfulfilled, leading to a miserable, somewhat fruitless and futile existence.
Krsna is so kind that whatever relationship we want to forge with Him, He is willing to take on the role of willing partner, playing by the rules we set ourselves, fully obliging and respecting our desires. The Lord not only respects but also loves such of His servitors ( Gita 9.13-14 ). The theme of love is overriding over all other facets of this relationship. In fact, towards those who worship Krsna with sincerity, He is very humble and deals with the devotee at a personal level, discounting fully and sometimes hiding His own position as the Lord and Master of the Universe. His dealings with the simple and illiterate cowherd girls and boys of Vrindavan, as well as with His foster mother Yashoda, show fully that Krsna can be conquered by nothing but pure and simple love. Krsna makes it so simple for us to love Him by dealing with us in small and simple ways, so that that we sometimes tend to forget His irrefutable status as the Lord and Master of the Universe……..
KRSNA IS MY SHEPHERD
Any unwillingness on the part of the individual to submit to Krsna, is summed up by Himself ( Gita 18.60 ) : “Under illusion, you are declining to act according to My direction. But compelled by your own nature, you will act all the same, O son of Kunti”. Once our senses and consciousness are fully engaged in the pastimes, teachings and glories of Krsna, even while conducting our day to day material affairs, our senses become fully satiated in transcendental thoughts, and all other sensual engagements become tasteless and detestable. Maya then becomes powerless to entice us into indiscretions or blunders, and in course of time, will leave us altogether, enabling us to create transcendental karma for ourselves due to our continuous contact with and service to Krsna, and also for those we are able to influence into Krsna consciousness, due to our goodwill for fellow humans.
Those who think that due to socio economic circumstances they are forced to lead highly materialistic or sinful lives, and hence are denied a chance to create good karma for themselves, need not become despondent. Even if they think of the Lord while performing their actions or professions, the Lord, being magnanimous and most merciful, and Who is present in the heart as the Supersoul, will show them the way to come out of their temporary unfortunate situations. Since Krsna’s opulence and potencies are innumerable and unfathomable, there is nothing He cannot accomplish. The individual only needs to assert his independent choice by willingly accepting Krsna as his Lord and Master. If the individual is sincere, the Lord will light the lamp of knowledge within his heart ( Gita 10.8 -11 ) and lead the way for him to follow. While following his own profession or calling, if any one, in whatever position he is presently placed, worships Krsna and tries to sincerely connect with Him and serve Him, such a person can gradually become perfect ( Gita 18.46 ).
We must follow Krsna or His bonafide representative as sheep follow the shepherd. If a sheep leaves the flock due to its own folly or waywardness, and wanders away, it is bound to meet with misfortune sooner or later. But if it assiduously follows the good shepherd, it will reach its haven sooner rather than later. Krsna promises that if we follow Him to the end, we can reside with Him forever after, in His spiritual planet Golaka Vrindavana, as His loving associates and servants, where there is no anxiety, misery or strife, and from which, once reached, one never comes back. “Though engaged in all kinds of activities, My devotee, under My protection, reaches the eternal and imperishable abode by My grace” (Gita 18.56).
Gautam Saha
Mumbai