Does not death dissolve the individuality of a person ?

[Guest guest]

> D: Does not death dissolve the individuality of a person ,

> so there can be no rebirth , just as the rivers discharged

> into the ocean lose their individualities ?

>

> M: But when the waters evaporate and return as rain

> on the hills , they once more flow in the form of rivers

> and fall into the ocean; so also the individualities during sleep

> lose their separateness and yet return as individuals

> according to their samskaras or past tendencies .

> Even so it is in death ; and the individuality of the person

> with samskaras is not lost.

>

> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

> Maharshi's Gospel

> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

Q. How can that be?

 

A. See how a tree whose branches have been cut grows again. So long as the

roots of the tree remain unimpaired, the tree will continue to grow.

Similarly, the samskaras which have mearely sunk in the Heart on death, but

have not perished for that reason, occasion rebirth at the right time. That

is how jivas [individuals] are reborn.

 

Q. How could the innumerable jivas and the wide universe which they produce

sprout up from such subtle samskaras sunk in the Heart?

 

A. Just as the big banyan tree sprouts from a tiny seed, so so the jivas and

the whole universe with name and form sprout up from the subtle samskaras.

 

(However) ...if the ego is dissolved by enquiry all this immediately

crumbles and the reality or Self alone remains.

 

(taken from Be As You Are, ed. David Godman; ps. 197/198/199)

[Guest guest]

*** forward from RamanaMaharshi ***

> D: Does not death dissolve the individuality of a person ,

> so there can be no rebirth , just as the rivers discharged

> into the ocean lose their individualities ?

>

> M: But when the waters evaporate and return as rain

> on the hills , they once more flow in the form of rivers

> and fall into the ocean; so also the individualities during sleep

> lose their separateness and yet return as individuals

> according to their samskaras or past tendencies .

> Even so it is in death ; and the individuality of the person

> with samskaras is not lost.

>

> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

> Maharshi's Gospel

> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

Q. How can that be?

 

A. See how a tree whose branches have been cut grows again. So long

as the roots of the tree remain unimpaired, the tree will continue to

grow.

Similarly, the samskaras which have mearely sunk in the Heart on

death, but have not perished for that reason, occasion rebirth at the

right time. That is how jivas [individuals] are reborn.

 

Q. How could the innumerable jivas and the wide universe which they

produce sprout up from such subtle samskaras sunk in the Heart?

 

A. Just as the big banyan tree sprouts from a tiny seed, so so the

jivas and the whole universe with name and form sprout up from the

subtle samskaras.

 

(However) ...if the ego is dissolved by enquiry all this immediately

crumbles and the reality or Self alone remains.

 

(taken from Be As You Are, ed. David Godman; ps. 197/198/199)