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September 2009 
What could you never give up?
Posted on Mar 1st, 2009
by 
Eli
Eli
This is in Response to the Questions and Reflections for March 01, 2009:
Access: PublicHow the body, mind and soul are related
Posted on Mar 2nd, 2009
by Eli
Eli
Hindu Vedantic thoughts have repeatedly stated that the soul is pure, it is always free and immortal. The great Adi Shankaracharya in his immortal creation "Atma Shatakam" summarized this non-dualistic philosophy saying "Chidananda Rupa Shivoham Shivoham" (I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, Shiva, love and pure consciousness).
Yet, the same Hindu scriptures also speak of the fact that the soul keeps taking rebirths in various life forms (as embodied soul), not only on planet earth but also on other planets too, depending on the laws of karma.
What is this process? How do the mind, the thinking process, and the desires of the living form affect this cycle?
In this post it is my humble attempt to present a few verses from Srimad Bhagavatam which discuss this very important question. These verses explain how our thinking, desires, actions, and the body are inter-related. These verses also throw light on how and why the pure immortal soul takes up a physical form, and why it takes a specific physical form (not just human form...).
Readers who are already familiar with the verses of Bhagwad Gita would find it interesting to note that much of what has been stated in the following verses of ?r?mad Bh?gavatam can also be found in Bhagwad Gita.
Note :
Srrmad Bhagavatam (also known as Srimad Bhagavata, Bhagavatam, Bhagavata Purana or Bhagwat) is an authoritative exposition of Vedic knowledge. It covers subjects like the nature of the self, the origin of the universe, what is life, what is a human being's role in life, what is meant by cycle of birth and death, what is the relation between God and man, etc. It contains tales related to various incarnations of Lord Vishnu and mainly deals with the life and work of Lord Krishna.
One must not confuse Srimad Bhagavatam with Srimad Bh?gavat Gita. While Gita is a summary of the entire Vedantic Knowledge compressed in just eighteen chapters totalling only 700 verses, Srimad Bhagavatam is a massive work comprising of 12 sections called "Skandhas"(cantos), and a total of 18000 verses.
1. mrityur janmavatam vira dehena saha jayate
adya vabda-satante va mrityur vai praninam dhruvah
(Srimad Bhagavatam 10.1.38)
One who takes birth is sure to die, for death is born with the body. Someone may die today and someone may die or after hundreds of years, but it is sure that every living entity will die.
2. dehe pañcatvam apanne dehi karmanugo 'vasah
dehantaram anuprapya praktanam tyajate vapuh
(Srimad Bhagavatam 10.1.39)
When the present body dies and is reduced to five elements (earth, water, fire, air and ether) the indweller of the body (the embodied soul), automatically takes another physical body depending on his own karma.
3. vrajams tisthan padaikena yathaivaikena gacchati
́ yathā tṛṇa-jalaukaivam dehī karma-gatiḿ gataḥ
(Srimad Bhagavatam 10.1.40)
Just as a person walking rests one foot on the ground and then lifts the other foot, just as a catterpiller transfers itself to one leaf and then gives up the previous one, in the same way the living entity (the embodied soul) undergoing the karmic consequence takes shelter of another body and gives up the one he had before.
4. yenaiv?rabhate karma tenaiv?mutra tat pum?n
bhu?kte hy avyavadh?nena li?gena manas? svayam
(?r?mad Bh?gavatam 4.29.60)
The embodied soul physically acts in a gross body in this life. However, this physical body is guided to action by a subtle body which is composed of mind, intelligence and ego. After the gross body is lost, the subtle body is still there to enjoy or suffer.
5. ?ay?nam imam utsr?jya ?vasantam? purus?o yath?
karm?tmany ?hitam? bhu?kte t?dr??enetaren?a v?
(?r?mad Bh?gavatam 4.29.61)
Just as while dreaming, the living entity gives up the actual physical body and acts in another body (in dream), similarly the activities of his mind and intelligence in the present body will determine what will happen to the embodied soul after giving up this gross material body (after death). The living entity may enter either an animal body on one extreme or a demigod's body on the other extreme, either on this planet or on another planet to enjoy the results of the actions of his past life.
6. yato yato dh?vati daiva-coditam? mano vik?r?tmakam ?pa pañcasu
gun?es?u m?y?-rocites?u dehy asau prapadyam?nah? saha tena j?yate
(?r?mad Bh?gavatam 10.1.42)
At the time of death, according to the thinking, feeling and desires of the mind, one receives a particular body in the next cycle (the mind, not being liberated, becomes attached to the material qualities).
7. n?nam? pramattah? kurute vikarma yad indriya-pr?taya ?pr?n?oti
na s?dhu manye yata ?tmano 'yam asann api kle?ada ?sa dehah?
(?r?mad Bh?gavatam 5.5.4)
When a person considers sensual gratification as the aim of life, he madly runs after materialistic living and engages in all kinds of forbidden activities. He is unaware that due to his past misdeeds he has already received a body which, although temporary, is the cause of his misery. In reality, the pure immortal soul should not have taken on a material body, but he has been awarded the material body for sense gratification. Therefore, an intelligent man tshould not involve himself again in the activities of sense gratification by which he perpetually gets material bodies one after another, thus moving away from liberation.
8. mamaite manas? yad yad as?v aham iti bruvan
gr?hn??y?t tat pum?n r?ddham? karma yena punar bhavah
(?r?mad Bh?gavatam 4.29.62)
The embodied soul labors under the bodily concept of "I" and "My". "I am this, I am that. My duty is this, I shall do that, etc. etc." These are all mental impressions, in reality all these activities are temporary. However this load is carried forward as further karma and the soul gets another chance to execute all his mental images in another physical body.
9. n?nubh?tam? kva c?nena dehen?dr?s?t?am a?rutam
kad?cid upalabhyeta yad r?pam? y?dr?g ?tmani
ten?sya t?dr??am? r?jan li?gino deha-sambhavam
?raddhatsv?nanubh?to 'rtho na manah? spras?t?um arhati
(?r?mad Bh?gavatam 4.29.64-65)
Sometimes we suddenly experience something that was never experienced in the present body by sight or hearing. Sometimes we see such things suddenly in dreams. To a living being, this is the proof of life produced in a previous body, because not a single thing is able to manifest in the mind which hasn't been tried, experienced or understood before.
Photographs of Holi - the Hindu festival of colors
Posted on Mar 10th, 2009
by Eli
Eli
What message does your highest self have for the world?
Posted on Mar 18th, 2009
by Eli
Eli
This is in Response to the Questions and Reflections for March 18, 2009:
Love, Compassion
One Light Many Windows
Posted on Mar 28th, 2009
by Eli
Eli
Walking under the shadow of moonlight
Once I saw a naked man,
Standing with raised hands
Under a banyan tree
Whispering to himself "I am free".
That was eons ago,
When the rivers would flow,
And the heavenly birds singing,
For ever and ever ringing.
Time flowed down the river,
And the banyan tree had grown bigger,
When I saw him again, saffron clad,
Looking glad.
Monks, with yellow robes wandered all around,
People were kissing the ground.
Buddha, they gave him the name,
And bestowed him with all the fame.
Under the banyan tree,
He told them peacefully,
"You are free".
They called him "The Holy One"
But time waited for none,
Down the river it flowed away.
It was only the other day,
That I came across,
The same naked man, bearing a cross,
On his bleeding shoulders.
And they,
Who had called him "the holy one"
Spat on him, and made fun.
He, who had once said "I am free"
Under the banyan tree,
Looked up at me,
And said "Please make them free".
I stood stupefied,
As he was crucified,
And the river water turned red.
Today at sunset,
Once again I met,
The man,
Standing with folded hands,
Offering deep humble bows
As that One Light radiated bright,
Through Many Windows.
