The Temple Of The Mind

“The wise who have wanted to know have understood that all regulative principles are meant to lead to one result - having Shri Rama standing in the temple of the mind, holding His bow and arrow.” (Dohavali, 90)

saba sādhana ko eka phala jehiṁ jān'yo so jāna |
jyoṁ tyoṁ mana mandira basahiṁ rāma dhareṁ dhanu bāna ||90||

Download this episode (right click and save)

It’s not surprising to see so many rules and regulations in spiritual life. The outsider sees many of them as pointless. Why stay home from work on a given day? Is wearing a specific hat going to bring any real benefit? Why intentionally starve yourself for a period of time? Nutrition is important; the body needs proper fuel in order to operate optimally. Each rule of spiritual life has a specific, designated purpose, but the end goal should never be forgotten. Goswami Tulsidas kindly shares the perspective of the enlightened.

You’re travelling to a foreign destination. You’ve been there several times before, within the same year in fact. You’re aware of the rules beforehand. Don’t drink water from the tap. Eat only cooked foods for the first few days. You haven’t had problems before, so this time you’re not worried. Only on this trip things take a bad turn. You’re not really sure what happened, but now there is this horrible pain in your stomach. You can’t throw up and it’s not like you’re running to the bathroom; the pain is steady.

You take an anti-anxiety pill and that helps you sleep through the night. No more pain. But when you wake up, the problems return. The cycle repeats for a few days. Prescriptions there are many. Some people say to lay off solid foods. Others tell you that it will get better very soon; no need to worry. Then you read that one of the side effects of the anti-anxiety medication is nausea, which is what you feel after waking up, when the effect of the pill has worn off.

The prescriptions given to you in this situation don’t match what is advised for healthy people. Each situation is different, after all. If you’re having stomach problems, you’re supposed to take it easy. But if you’re feeling weak, you’re supposed to eat more. If you have a fever, you should starve it. If you have a cold, feed it. In this way there are so many rules, each with a different objective in mind.

Spiritual life seems similar. Follow this thing and that. In bhakti-yoga, the primary recommendation is the chanting of the holy names. Take your mantra of choice and repeat it a set number of times each day. Just keep saying, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare,” over and over again. In the meantime, stay away from four dangerous behaviors: meat eating, gambling, intoxication and illicit sex.

There are so many other regulations, as well. One who follows sees changes gradually, over time. Pretty soon there is less stress. There is enhanced ability in dealing with difficulty. There is universal affection. No more is love reserved for only those who reciprocate. No more is compassion limited to just the human species. Austerity, cleanliness, compassion and honesty are the ideal characteristics of a religious person.

Tulsidas says there is further room ahead. The goal of regulative principles, sadhana, is to make the mind a temple that houses the Supreme Lord. For Tulsidas, the worshipable deity of choice is Shri Rama. He is God the person, appearing on earth in the family of kings descending from the sun-god, the Surya-vamsha. Rama defends the innocent, taking care of His citizens. The whole world is under His protection, but those who forget this and take matters into their own hands run a great risk. Rama protects His devotees, and that protection defends against the aggression coming from the non-devotees.

Rama defends with His bow and arrow. This vision is extremely beautiful. It is known as saguna, since it has features distinguishable to the human eye. It is still nirguna, or without material qualities. This is because Rama’s arrow can take the form of sound. His name itself penetrates the heart and purifies it. His bow carries an endless supply of such arrows, ready to reach the targets that are the pious souls seeking to fulfill the destiny of the human birth.

Without welcoming the Supreme Lord in the mind and worshiping, the sadhana isn’t complete. This truth presented by Tulsidas supports the idea of deity worship. If you’re going to worship God, why not make a replica form to look at and honor each day? Not that the Supreme Lord only resides in that particular statue, but the process helps to reach the goal of creating the mind’s temple. Rama can also appear as Shri Krishna, holding a flute in His two hands. He can appear as Vishnu, with four hands. The idea is to worship God the person, not God the abstract. Keep Him in your mind for the mature fruit of sadhana to find.

In Closing:

Welcoming in temple of the mind,
For full fruit of sadhana to find.

Rama with arrows and bow,
Truth the wise saints know.

Not that for regulations only meant,
And in this and that austerity spent.

Further to go, towards ultimate end,
Bhagavan interests of devotees to defend.

Four Miseries The Animal Community Doesn’t Have To Deal With

“I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.15)

Download this episode (right click and save)

The Sanskrit aphorism athato brahma-jijnasa applies to the human being. Indeed, Sanskrit and other languages are meant for communication among the classes with higher intelligence.

The animals have intelligence. Every living being does, to some degree. This is due to the presence of the Supersoul, which is an expansion of God. The human being is unique because of the higher potential that intelligence can reach. The elevation is in terms of consciousness, and lacking specific training the human existence is inferior to animal life in many ways.

1. Potential loss of job

The animals are not worried about losing of job. They don’t have a boss since there are no corporations. One or many persons join together to form a corporation, which then acts as a single entity. There is someone at the top, and they may hire employees to help improve the margin and scale of the profits.

Since there is competition in the job market, the success of the corporation is not guaranteed. Even with successful businesses there is the chance of going south. Loss of profits leads to loss of jobs. The animals don’t have this concern. The tiger does not think what will happen if no animals come its way over a certain period of time. Everything is provided for by nature, which even the haughtiest of human beings would never dare think can be controlled.

2. Panic attacks

In childhood flights were not a problem, but things are different now. With increased intelligence there is remembrance. There is knowledge of just how much time will be spent on the airplane and how that specific mode of transportation operates.

Panic attacks are episodes of concern to the highest degree. It gets so bad that a person thinks they may no longer be able to breathe. There may be physical issues compounding the problem, such as high blood pressure. Sometimes tranquilizing drugs are the only option.

Animals don’t have these issues because they can’t think that far into the future. The dog may run away in fear at the prospect of taking a bath, using intelligence gathered from past experience, but they do not spend the entire day worrying if the bath will take place.

3. Meeting the mortgage payment

This misery can tie in with the worry over the loss of employment. For adults so many obligations need to be met on a monthly basis. If the mortgage isn’t paid on time, there won’t be a place to live. The bank will seize the house. In a renting situation, the landlord will evict.

4. Unrequited love

The pain from rejection of a desired companion can be so great that it leads to suicide. The feeling of despair is so strong that it looks like things will never turn around, that nothing will make the pain go away.

Animal life is marked by the strong urge for sex desire, as seen with monkeys and dogs. If a potential partner declines, there is no issue. Simply move on to someone else. There is the pain of separation from loved ones for sure, but the sting of rejection simply isn’t there. In human life it can ruin a person’s existence.

The human being meets their potential in intelligence when they understand God. No matter which religion a person inherits from their parents, there are ways to understand the Divine. One is through the singular energy that runs through everything, an energy which remains past the cycle of birth and death, an energy which is the same within every kind of living thing, human and non-human.

“And I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is the constitutional position of ultimate happiness, and which is immortal, imperishable and eternal.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 14.27)

A further realization is seeing the expansion of the Supreme Spirit living within every living thing. He is the source of intelligence and forgetfulness. The complete realization is Bhagavan, which is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Seeing any of these three features means success in the human life, advancing past the animal instincts. Anything less means not using the potential accompanying the valuable human birth, having to wait for the unpredictable future to see if another opportunity arises.

In Closing:

Only from intelligence advanced,

For understanding God the chance.

Otherwise animals better situated so,

Not crazy from rejection to go.

Nor dwindling bank balance tracking,

Or contemplating future panic attacking.

Understand Divine in any of features three,

And benefits of higher existence see.

Four Parties Arjuna Was Worried About

“When there is increase of unwanted population, a hellish situation is created both for the family and for those who destroy the family tradition. In such corrupt families, there is no offering of oblations of food and water to the ancestors.” (Arjuna, Bhagavad-gita, 1.41)

Download this episode (right click and save)

The Vaishnava is known as para duhkha-duhkhi. They feel pain at the suffering of others. This is not strictly from the material sense. A good parent does not mind if the child is crying for a lousy reason. Perhaps they didn’t get the toy they wanted. Maybe they desired to stay up past their bedtime. The short duration of unpleasantness will end up doing them good in the long run.

The devotee of the personal God, Vishnu, is concerned over the rampant lack of spiritual life. They see others engaged in the futile search for happiness through material accumulation. Work a little harder. Get a little more money. Buy more stuff. As quickly as things arrive, they vanish. That is the way of the world.

The Vaishnava is so renounced in spirit that they don’t mind suffering themselves. This amazing compassion was on display one time with the great bow-warrior Arjuna. Though he thought his concern was properly placed, his good friend Krishna was there to set him straight.

1. Bhishma and Drona

These were respected people. They happened to be fighting on the other side. War was inevitable. It was the grim manifestation of time, which destroys everything. The person speaking to Arjuna was indeed time Himself. Krishna had arranged for the mass destruction to take place, to lessen the burden on the earth of the sinful population.

Arjuna should have proceeded with the war, as he was on the side of justice, which is known as dharma in Sanskrit. His elder brother Yudhishthira was a direct descendant of the god of justice, Yamaraja. There was no reason to fear. Arjuna and his brothers, known as the Pandavas, were doing the right thing. The other side, the Kauravas, had gotten away with crimes for too long.

As part of his compassionate nature, Arjuna was worried about what would happen to Bhishma and Drona. The first was the respected elder in the family and the second the teacher of the military science during youth. Why fight against people whom you respect? Better to leave them alone.

2. The opposing side in general

During his moment of doubt, Arjuna was concerned with bodily welfare. He did not want to win and enjoy the fruits of victory without the people on the other side. They were cousins, which is family. Why go through a fratricidal war just to live in a grand palace and take possession of important land? Why carry the burden of having killed so many people? Arjuna was not attached to material opulences.

3. Widowed women

Arjuna was such a great bow warrior that he had a feeling his side would win. They had Krishna with them, after all. He is the greatest well-wisher to every living entity, even those of bad character. The difference between the good and the bad is the relationship to Krishna. The bad ignore Him completely, thinking that God does not exist. The good know that He is directing the wanderings of all beings, who are seated as on a machine.

“The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.61)

Arjuna’s compassion extended to the families of the fighting soldiers. He worried that if they died, the wives would become widows. Who would take care of them? A good person takes interest in the protection of women. If they are left unprotected, society degrades.

4. Future generations

One immediate negative impact to society is unwanted population. The term in Sanskrit is varna-sankara. This is a mixing of the class divisions, which are based on qualities and work. If marriages are based on dharma, then the family traditions likely survive. Those traditions carry good culture, passed on to the wanted children.

For marriages based in kama, or sense gratification, there is the chance for unwanted population. When the family traditions break, man becomes more like the animals, who are not civilized. Society slowly degrades from there. Arjuna was worried this would happen if the widowed women had nowhere else to go.

Though the sentiments were nice to see, that they potentially led Arjuna astray was not good. Krishna set Arjuna straight, through a conversation now famously known as the Bhagavad-gita. Concern for spiritual welfare is properly placed. There was duty to uphold. Arjuna was not in the wrong. He could not singlehandedly save the world, either. There were many negative consequences to not fighting, to letting the other side win. Krishna was there to guide, and so Arjuna moved forward with the devotional spirit.

In Closing:

Not so much how personally fared,

Arjuna for other groups cared.

Like Bhishma and Drona the guide,

Without family over kingdom to preside.

When widowed women left unprotected,

Rise in population unwanted expected.

Despite concern, Krishna setting straight,

Fight with devotion, be instrument of fate.

Four Kinds Of Interaction Between Krishna And Arjuna

“Although Krishna is manifested before Arjuna in His universal form, Arjuna remembers his friendly relationship with Krishna and is therefore asking pardon and requesting Him to excuse him for the many informal gestures which arise out of friendship. He is admitting that formerly he did not know that Krishna could assume such a universal form, although He explained it as his intimate friend.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 11.41-42 Purport)

Download this episode (right click and save)

There is sufficient room for interaction with Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. At the start there is worship of the deity, which gives the appearance of lacking animating properties. The origin is a statue, made of stone, wood, resin, or some other material substance.

The magic is in the authorized way the deity is worshiped. The methods are passed on in a chain of disciplic succession, from people who understand that the Divine is impossible to comprehend fully, that He showers His mercy in many ways to help the conditioned souls.

The deity of Krishna is the same as the person Krishna, who once showed different potential moods of interaction in a short period of time. The people interacting were the same.

1. Friends

This was on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. There was Krishna, and with Him was the bow-warrior Arjuna. They were friends from a long time back. They were also related. Arjuna’s mother was the sister of Krishna’s father.

Friendship was seen in the earlier pastimes, as well. The Supreme Lord descends to earth from time to time. The gap in between may be thousands of years, but in the grand scheme that is insignificant. The word “occasionally” to someone who really knows time can even be billions of years, as that is the length of one day of Lord Brahma, the creator.

2. A task needing completion

Krishna and Arjuna weren’t at the battlefield of Kurukshetra merely touring. It’s a historical site today precisely because what was about to happen. Prior, it was still a special place, having spiritual significance. Another name for Kurukshetra is Dharmakshetra, or the field of religiosity.

The task at hand was war, a grand one at that. Arjuna was the leading warrior for his side, the Pandavas. Krishna was helping, but only subtly. He was serving as Arjuna’s charioteer. Arjuna would say where to go, and Krishna would oblige.

Such a relationship is possible with God, because He is endless love. He is already within us, ready to direct in the same way. His presence is through the expansion known as Supersoul. The bona fide spiritual master gives us the knowledge on how to tap into the Supreme Consciousness for direction in life.

3. Guru and disciple

They were friends. They were partners in a great task. In a moment the relationship changed. Arjuna needed guidance. Not on military tactics. Not on which arrows to fire and when. Not on which location was the most strategic.

He wanted to know the meaning to it all. What was winning a war going to accomplish? Why is killing necessary? Isn’t it better to just let the other side win? Throw down the weapons, retreat to the forest, and don’t be party to mass killing.

Just as He was there to fulfill the roles of friend and charioteer, Krishna became the guru in an instant. It is not an unusual role for Him, as He is the adi-guru, or the original teacher of the world. A sampradaya is bona fide when it worships and takes Krishna as the origin.

4. Awe and reverence

During the subsequent question and answer session, Arjuna felt remorse. He viewed Krishna as He is, God. The mood changed to awe and reverence. This was when Krishna displayed the virata-rupa, which is the universal form. Just as someone would be in awe when approaching the sun and seeing its magnificence and size up close, a person naturally gets awestruck when witnessing the entire creation put into a single image.

Quickly, the relationship returned to what it was before. Krishna became the expert driver and Arjuna directed where to go. The underlying consciousness was a little different. Now Arjuna would proceed without doubt. He would work, but with detachment. He would work to please the Supreme Lord.

This was his mindset all along, but the sudden case of self-doubt helped to ignite the discussion that would help countless future generations of seekers of the Truth. The Almighty is all-attractive and worship of Him is full of bliss-filled interaction that can continue into the infinite future.

In Closing:

Worship of statue at start taking,

Slowly the bhakti spirit overtaking.

Where God as the well-wisher seeing,

Who helped Arjuna’s ignorance freeing.

Who as the best friend saw,

Then in virata-rupa awe.

Moods many available to get,

When in devotion’s path set.

What Does It Mean That God Is Originally A Person

“The impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth is also a form of the Lord called avyakta-murti. Murti means ‘form,’ but because His impersonal feature is inexplicable to our limited senses, He is the avyakta-murti form, and in that inexplicable form of the Lord the whole creation is resting; or, in other words, the whole creation is the Lord Himself, and the creation is also nondifferent from Him, but simultaneously He, as the original Personality of Godhead Shri Krishna, is aloof from the created manifestation.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 2.6.39 Purport)

Download this episode (right click and save)

Friend1: What is the preferred translation for the Sanskrit word “Bhagavan”?

Friend2: You really don’t know or is this setting me up for something?

Friend1: The latter.

Friend2: Okay. There is bhaga and van. The first means fortunes or opulences. The second refers to the person who possesses.

Friend1: And I’m assuming such a definition can only accurately apply to God. But I know there is another translation that is commonly used.

Friend2: Bhagavan is also used for devotees, sometimes. They inherit the trait from the person they serve. And yes, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada translates Bhagavan as “Supreme Personality of Godhead.”

Friend1: The fact that it is more verbose is intentional, right?

Friend2: Absolutely. I didn’t know that at first. If you read books written by the impersonalists, you’ll see they often describe the Almighty as the “Supreme Formless Absolute.” The corresponding Sanskrit words are nirguna, avyakta, advaita and the like.

Friend1: They wouldn’t agree with the personality comparison?

Friend2: Who cares if they agree? It’s the truth. They can’t stand the fact that God is a person. It means that there is a superior being, a person that no one can become. Avyakta is just a feature. Originally, God is a person.

Friend1: Yes. I finally got it out of you. That’s what I wanted to ask. I often find that word included.

Friend2: Which one?

Friend1: Original. Krishna is the original Personality of Godhead. I’ve almost taken it for granted. What does that mean, really?

Friend2: You’re asking me what original means?

Friend1: Take it from this angle. Sometimes I hear that God is originally a person. How does that make sense? He’s no longer a person today? Back at some point in time He was, but now He is impersonal? Doesn’t that validate the impersonalist’s point of view?

Friend2: The original in this case is for our understanding from the point of view of time. There is infinity in both directions, but we can’t fully comprehend that. We understand God to be the one person without a birth. That means He is originally present, before the creation. There are other features you can analyze. God is Paramatma, which expands to reside within every heart in this material world. He is also Brahman, which is the impersonal energy. We don’t say that either one of those features are the original. That is because they come from something. That something is a person; hence originally God is a person.

Friend1: Ah, I see.

Friend2: That one person expands into other personalities, as well. They are identical, but there is always an original; at least from our understanding. Acharyas say the original is Krishna. Some say it is Vishnu. Other say it is Rama. There is really no point to debating, since the personality aspect is acknowledged. It’s like one candle lighting other candles.

Friend1: Okay.

Friend2: One more thing I will add. The material world is compared to a reflection or shadow. Any reflection is dependent on the real object. The impersonalists say that everything is maya, or illusion, but in order for the fake aspect to be there the real thing must exist, also. That is another way to understand what original means in terms of God. He is the person from whom everything is reflected. He is the reality in the otherwise dreamlike experience that is repeated birth and death.

In Closing:

God originally a person so,

But how that concept to know?

If meaning impersonal now,

The transformation occurring how?

Comparison for only understanding ours ,

Bhagavan same through time’s years and hours.

The original one from whom everything reflected,

Greatest work done but never affected.

Four Ways To Characterize The Demigods

“May Indra protect you on the East, may Yama protect you on the South and Varuna on the West and Kuvera on the North.” (Sita Devi speaking to Lord Rama, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 16.24)

Download this episode (right click and save)

It is a colorful panorama. The altar is beautifully arranged. One figure has an elephant-like head. Another is seated on a lotus flower, where gold coins fall from her hands, which are four in number. Another is dark in color, with a snake around his chest. One person has four faces, and another looks like a bird.

In the Vedic tradition there are many devas, or gods. Since there is an original source, a supreme who is worshiped by everyone else, another translation for deva is “demigod.” There are different ways to understand exactly who they are.

1. Conditioned souls

Birth and death. Coming and going. Living and dying. Arriving and leaving. Every spark of spirit in the manifest world participates in this cycle. The devas are no different. They are prone to be victim of the duality of attachment and aversion.

“O scion of Bharata [Arjuna], O conqueror of the foe, all living entities are born into delusion, overcome by the dualities of desire and hate.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.27)

The devas are unique, though. Their duration of life is quite long when compared to the residents of the earthly region. The demigods live in the heavenly planetary system, which has enhanced material enjoyment.

They are still conditioned souls, but living in the mode of goodness. Human beings live in a combination of the three modes: goodness, passion and ignorance. Animals are in the mode of ignorance. Goodness leads to the heavenly realm, but that is not the end of the evolutionary chain nor the highest achievement. Even Lord Brahma, the original deva, eventually has to leave his body; though he lives for an incomprehensibly long time.

2. Guardians

The earth has a predominating deity. So do the sun and the moon. There is a god of fire and a god of air. In this respect the devas are also guardians. One time the prince of Ayodhya was preparing to leave for the royal palace, as He had been summoned by the father Dasharatha. The prince’s wife, wishing Him well at all times, prayed to different devas to protect her husband in the different directions.

3. Benefactors

One political party likes to emphasize that people don’t build things on their own. There are the roads that government provides. There is the protection from the police and the military. The opposition party says that these statements are meant to be excuses for increasing taxes. They also point out that nothing gets done without personal effort. The successful business didn’t come together randomly. There was hard work, risk, and sacrifice.

The proper understanding incorporates aspects of both sides. The living entity is inside of the body, and they make the choice to act. The outcomes are not guaranteed, however. In this respect nature must cooperate to generate outcomes. I am not the doer, and neither are you.

If I want help in seeing favorable outcomes in material life, I can pray to the devas. They are empowered to grant different benedictions. What is the limit? As much as a person can hold in a material existence, possessed for as long as the hourglass of time allotted for their temporary existence runs. There are the examples of Hiranyakashipu and Ravana. They both received tremendous benedictions from the devas. There was great strength, proprietorship over the entire world, and protection nearing the point of immortality. Others pray for and get basic things like good health, wealth and learning.

4. Glorifiers of God

This is actually the original position of every living thing, but the devas are uniquely situated due to their close association. They are like God’s deputies. They are something like His entourage. In places where the Supreme Personality of Godhead is celebrated for His pastimes, the devas are prominently featured, as well.

For instance, in the sacred land of Vrindavana there are places of importance relating to Lord Shiva, Lord Brahma, and Indra, the god of heaven. The devas are like God’s family, and so they are to be respected. The Vaishnavas worship the personal and original God directly, but if they ever do seek the favor of the devas, the objective is to get help in the practice of devotion, in putting a smile on the face of the all-attractive Supreme Personality of Godhead.

In Closing:

Colorful the panoramic view,

Four heads, elephant and birds too.

What all the gods to mean,

Why collected in single scene?

As deputies, benedictions giving,

Help in favorable outcomes living.

Family, associates close by to stay,

Glorifying Lord in most wonderful way.

Three Things The Scientists Can’t See

“The air enters into water, mud, stool and whatever else is there; still it does not mix with anything. Similarly, the living entity, even though situated in varieties of bodies, is aloof from them due to his subtle nature. Therefore it is impossible to see with the material eyes how the living entity is in contact with this body and how he is out of it after the destruction of the body. No one in science can ascertain this.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 13.33 Purport)

Download this episode (right click and save)

Observation and experiment. Form a hypothesis and conduct the experiment to reach a conclusion. Incorporate past results into the study. Make progress. Something which held true for centuries can be turned upside down. Progress can only occur when the starting point is flawed to some degree.

As an example, there is no progressing from two plus two equals four. It is a truth of the absolute nature. There is no research that can nullify the outcome. Taking two of something and adding two more always results in four of that something.

Why can’t similar experiments be conducted into the nature of everything? That is, why can’t science determine if God exists? Why can’t the scientific community reach a firm conclusion on what was there at the beginning of time and what will be there in the future?

Since modern science is based on empirical evidence, the spiritual element is automatically disqualified from study. Only that which can be seen with the eyes is accepted. In this regard so much valuable information presented in the spiritual science that is the Vedas gets perpetually ignored.

1. The living entity coming into contact with the body

The comparison is made to something known, which in this case is air. The exact Sanskrit word is akasha, which really means “sky.” The reference is to the container that is a subtle element. It holds everything else.

The planets are within the sky. Within the planets are earth and water. Sound is present, as well. Sky interacts with everything, but at the same time is not affected. You cannot say that the sky gets dirty, since the earthly element can simply be removed.

In the same way, the living entity comes in contact with the body. This event is known as birth. Scientists get an indication of the birth event through the presence of the embryo within the womb, but from where that spark of life came remains a mystery.

2. The same living entity leaving the body

This event is known as death, but what actually happens cannot be seen. The same living entity that previously entered the body now exits. The body stays behind. It immediately begins to decay, as there is nothing to give it life.

The individual is not phased, either way. There are tendencies with the body. There are certain external features. The individual is conscious, and the same individual gives consciousness. The various parts of the body become animated due to the presence of the individual.

3. The spirit soul

There is no scientific instrument that can see the soul. Nor is there one that can precisely determine where it resides. In the house there is electric power distributed throughout, but there is still an original source. That same source powers the entire community. A person may not know where the utilities company is located, but this doesn’t mean that a source doesn’t exist.

In the same way, just because there is no scientific proof of the soul doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist. The external symptoms are sufficient evidence of its presence. Knowledge of the soul, how it enters the body, how it subsequently leaves, and how it remains untainted through contact with the material elements is known only through consulting authorized sources.

Authority here is determined by participation in a link of teachers. The link always starts at the purported original person, the one who most commonly goes by the name “God.” In Sanskrit there are countless names for Him. He is Krishna due to His beautiful complexion. He is Rama since He holds all transcendental pleasure. He is known through many names that are negations of attributes that are otherwise limiting.

He is unlimited knowledge, and He is also beyond the measurement of blunt instruments. Proof of His existence can only be found through serving Him in a proper way. After all, the range of perception with the human being is limited to the duration of life, which is not constant across the population. One aspect to God would have to be the lack of death, and this feature can never be confirmed through observation since the time is limited.

The Bhagavad-gita and other works of Vedic literature give vision beyond the power of modern science. A window to the spiritual world gives a glimpse into the eternal, blissful life that is the original situation of every living entity.

In Closing:

Certain of so many things to be,

But science aspects never to see.

Like spirit soul entering body how,

And departing at death, lifeless now.

The soul itself, from where it came?

How powering child and adult the same?

Ignorant of key concepts resulting,

Known only through parampara consulting.