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I picture it in layers. The soul is ever expansive whereas the mind is like an antenna. The ego is like a wire that plugs into the antenna. This image makes it easier to see how the soul is superior in scale yet is able to be consciously connected to body mind complex.
~Jason Skeie, U.S.
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You are welcome, dear blessed soul Jason Skeie.
We must know how the Soul dwells amidst nature through metaphysical vision of Bhagavad Gita.
Liberation from birth and death is to be had only after the cessation of the properties of nature which prompt them.
Lord Krishn sings in Bhagavad Gita:
,
“The nature-based Soul experiences nature-born objects
“The nature-based Soul experiences nature-born objects
which are characterized by the three properties,
and it is association with these properties.
that is the cause of his birth in higher or lower forms.”
But how the Soul dwells amidst nature?
Lord Krishn adds:
“Although residing in the body,
the Soul is transcendental and said to be the witness,
the granter, the enjoyer, and the great God and Supreme Spirit.”
The Soul dwelling in the sphere of the heart is even closer than one’s hands, feet, and mind.
Whether we do good or evil, he is unconcerned. He just stands as a witness-an onlooker (updrashta).
When the right course of worship is taken and the wayfarer rises a little higher, the approach of the witnessing Soul changes, and he becomes the granter (anumanta). Now he begins to grant and confer intuitions.
When the seeker is yet closer to the goal by further spiritual discipline, the Soul begins to support and sustain (bharta).
Now he also provides the propitious yog.
Now he also provides the propitious yog.
Then he turns into the enjoyer (bhokta) when the worship is even more refined.
He accepts whatever yagya or penance is performed, and at the stage after this acceptance.
he is transformed into the great God (Maheshwar). He is now master of nature,
but since he is master of nature it follows that nature yet abides in some part of him.
He accepts whatever yagya or penance is performed, and at the stage after this acceptance.
he is transformed into the great God (Maheshwar). He is now master of nature,
but since he is master of nature it follows that nature yet abides in some part of him.
At even a higher stage than this, after the soul is endowed with the attributes of the ultimate,
he comes to be known as the the Supreme Spirit. Thus, although dwelling in the body,
this soul or Purush is yet transcendental-quite beyond nature.
Witness at the beginning is transformed into the Supreme Spirit himself.
And then:
“In whatever manner he conducts himself,
the man who knows the truth of the Soul and nature
with its three properties is never born again.’’
This is salvation. Yogeshwar Krishn has so far spoken to Arjun on the freedom from rebirth which is the final outcome of the intuitive knowledge of God and nature. But he now stresses yog whose mode is worship, for attainment is impossible without the accomplishment of this action.
Lord Krishn sings:
“While some perceive the Supreme Spirit in their heart.
by contemplation with their refined mind,
some others know him by the yog of knowledge,
and yet others by the yog of action.”
Some men perceive the Supreme Spirit in the realm of their heart by inner remembrance and meditation.
Some others engage in the same task by Sankhya Yog or the Way of Discrimination and Knowledge
after a due appraisal of their strength.
And yet others see him by the Way of Selfless Action. The chief means pointed out in the verse above is meditation.
The Way of Knowledge and the Way of Selfless Action are the two modes of embarking.
on this deed of meditation and worship.
“But ignorant of these ways,
So, if we can do nothing else, we should at least seek the company of accomplished sage.
And then:
“Remember, O the best of Bharat,
On the state in which the final attainment is made, Sri Krishn has this to say:
Lord Krishn sings:
Lord Krishn adds:
“And that man knows the truth who regards all action
When a man sees the diffusion of God through all the various states of beings and regards them as
but an extension of the same God, he attains to him.
No sooner is this stage reached than he realizes God.
This, too, is an attribute of a sage-a great Soul-with a steady wisdom.
Lord Krishn concludes in Chapter 13 of Bhagavad Gita:
“Although embodied,
How it is so is illustrated in the following verse:
“As the all-extensive sky is unsullied because of its subtlety,
It is further said of him:
“The Soul illuminates the whole kshetr
Sages who know the difference between nature and Soul,
as also the way of liberation from mutable nature, realize God.
That is to say that knowledge is the eye with which one may see the reality of kshetr and kshetragya,
and that knowledge here is a synonym for intuitive perception.
Bow down in lotus feet of Revered Gurudev for such teaching to me.
ātmānagvaṁ rathinaṁ viddhi śharīraṁ rathameva tu
Some others engage in the same task by Sankhya Yog or the Way of Discrimination and Knowledge
after a due appraisal of their strength.
And yet others see him by the Way of Selfless Action. The chief means pointed out in the verse above is meditation.
The Way of Knowledge and the Way of Selfless Action are the two modes of embarking.
on this deed of meditation and worship.
Further HE adds:
“But ignorant of these ways,
there are yet others who worship by just learning the truth.
from accomplished sages and, relying upon what they hear,
they also doubtlessly steer across the gulf of the mortal world.”
So, if we can do nothing else, we should at least seek the company of accomplished sage.
And then:
“Remember, O the best of Bharat,
that whatever animate or inanimate being exists is born
from the coming together of the insentient kshetr
and the sentient kshetragya,”
On the state in which the final attainment is made, Sri Krishn has this to say:
“He alone knows the truth who steadily sees the imperishable God.
in all animate and inanimate beings that are destructible.”
That Soul alone apprehends reality who has a steady perception of the immortal God in the animate and inanimate beings.
that are annihilated in their own special ways.
In other words, he is of the state of the Supreme Spirit only after the characteristic destruction of that nature, never before it. The same idea was expressed in the third verse in Chapter 8 when Sri Krishn pronounced that.
the destruction of that condition of beings which generates good or evil impressions (sanskar) is the culmination of action. Action is then complete.
that are annihilated in their own special ways.
In other words, he is of the state of the Supreme Spirit only after the characteristic destruction of that nature, never before it. The same idea was expressed in the third verse in Chapter 8 when Sri Krishn pronounced that.
the destruction of that condition of beings which generates good or evil impressions (sanskar) is the culmination of action. Action is then complete.
Lord Krishn sings:
“He achieves the supreme goal because,
evenly perceiving the existence of the identical God in all beings,
he does not himself degrade his Self.”
He does not destroy himself because he constantly sees God as akin to his own Self.
So, he attains to the final bliss of salvation. Now the qualities of the accomplished Soul are pointed out.
So, he attains to the final bliss of salvation. Now the qualities of the accomplished Soul are pointed out.
Lord Krishn adds:
“And that man knows the truth who regards all action
as performed by nature and his own Soul as a non-doer.’’
Viewing all action as accomplished by nature implies that he sees the occurrence of action.
only as long as nature survives.
He also sees the Soul as a non-agent and thus he comes by awareness of reality.
only as long as nature survives.
He also sees the Soul as a non-agent and thus he comes by awareness of reality.
“He realizes God when he sees the whole variety of beings.
as resting upon and as an extension of the will
of that one Supreme Spirit.”
When a man sees the diffusion of God through all the various states of beings and regards them as
but an extension of the same God, he attains to him.
No sooner is this stage reached than he realizes God.
This, too, is an attribute of a sage-a great Soul-with a steady wisdom.
Lord Krishn concludes in Chapter 13 of Bhagavad Gita:
“Although embodied,
he imperishable Supreme Spirit is neither a doer nor tainted because,
O son of Kunti, he is without beginning or end
and transcending all properties.”
How it is so is illustrated in the following verse:
“As the all-extensive sky is unsullied because of its subtlety,
even so the embodied Soul is neither a doer nor tainted.
because he is beyond all the properties.’’
It is further said of him:
“The Soul illuminates the whole kshetr
just as the one sun lights up the entire world.’’
“They who have thus perceived the distinction.
between kshetr and kshetragya,
and the way of liberation from the maladies of nature,
with the eye of wisdom attain to the Supreme Spirit.”
Sages who know the difference between nature and Soul,
as also the way of liberation from mutable nature, realize God.
That is to say that knowledge is the eye with which one may see the reality of kshetr and kshetragya,
and that knowledge here is a synonym for intuitive perception.
Bow down in lotus feet of Revered Gurudev for such teaching to me.
Here is one more and most interesting content as described in “Kaṭhopaniṣhad”.
This is explained very beautifully in the Kaṭhopaniṣhad with the help of the model of a chariot:
ātmānagvaṁ rathinaṁ viddhi śharīraṁ rathameva tu
buddhiṁ tu sārathiṁ viddhi manaḥ pragrahameva cha
indriyāṇi hayānāhurviṣhayānsteṣhu gocharān
ātmendriyamanoyuktaṁ bhoktetyāhurmanīṣhiṇaḥ (1.3.3-4) [v21]
The Upanishads say there is a chariot, which has five horses pulling it; the horses have reins in their mouths,
which are in the hands of a charioteer; a passenger is sitting at the back of the chariot. Ideally,
the passenger should instruct the charioteer, who should then control the reins and guide.
the horses in the proper direction.
However, in this case, the passenger has gone to sleep, and so the horses are holding sway.
which are in the hands of a charioteer; a passenger is sitting at the back of the chariot. Ideally,
the passenger should instruct the charioteer, who should then control the reins and guide.
the horses in the proper direction.
However, in this case, the passenger has gone to sleep, and so the horses are holding sway.
In this analogy, the chariot is the body, the horses are the five senses, the reins in the mouth of the horses are the mind,
the charioteer is the intellect, and the passenger seated behind is the soul residing in the body.
The senses (horses) desire pleasurable things. The mind (reins) is not exercising restraint on the senses (horses).
The intellect (charioteer) submits to the pull of the reins (mind).
So in the materially bound state, the bewildered soul does not direct the intellect in the proper direction.
Thus, the senses decide the direction where the chariot will go.
The soul experiences the pleasures of the senses vicariously, but these do not satisfy it.
Seated on this chariot, the soul (passenger) is moving around in this material world since eternity.
the charioteer is the intellect, and the passenger seated behind is the soul residing in the body.
The senses (horses) desire pleasurable things. The mind (reins) is not exercising restraint on the senses (horses).
The intellect (charioteer) submits to the pull of the reins (mind).
So in the materially bound state, the bewildered soul does not direct the intellect in the proper direction.
Thus, the senses decide the direction where the chariot will go.
The soul experiences the pleasures of the senses vicariously, but these do not satisfy it.
Seated on this chariot, the soul (passenger) is moving around in this material world since eternity.
However, if the soul wakes up to its higher nature and decides to take a proactive role,
it can exercise the intellect in the proper direction.
The intellect will then govern the lower self—the mind and the senses—and the chariot will move.
in the direction of eternal welfare. In this way, the higher Self (Soul) must be used to control.
the lower self (senses, mind, and intellect.
it can exercise the intellect in the proper direction.
The intellect will then govern the lower self—the mind and the senses—and the chariot will move.
in the direction of eternal welfare. In this way, the higher Self (Soul) must be used to control.
the lower self (senses, mind, and intellect.
Humble Wishes.
~mrityunjayanand.
