Inquiries Into the Absolute: Digest 135, How is the nitya-baddha

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Digest 135, September 13th, 2005. Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami

Maharaja

**You are welcome to send in your questions to HH Romapada Swami at

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How is the nitya-baddha soul considered to be not entangled?

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Question:Can you please help me understand how these verses/purports do not

contradict each other?

 

Bhagavad-gita As It Is 7.14 p http://vedabase.net/bg/7/14/

"The living entities belong to the eternal superior nature of the Lord, but due

to contamination by the inferior nature, matter, their illusion is also

eternal. The conditioned soul is therefore called nitya-baddha, or eternally

conditioned. No one can trace out the history of his becoming conditioned at a

certain date in material history. Consequently, his release from the clutches

of material nature is very difficult."

"Another meaning of guna is rope; it is to be understood that the conditioned

soul is tightly tied by the ropes of illusion. A man bound by the hands and

feet cannot free himself."

 

Bhagavad-gita As It Is 13.32 http://vedabase.net/bg/13/32/en

"Those with the vision of eternity can see that the imperishable soul is

transcendental, eternal, and beyond the modes of nature. Despite contact with

the material body, O Arjuna, the soul neither does anything nor is entangled."

"He does not engage himself in any material activities; therefore the

activities performed due to his contact with material bodies do not entangle

him."

** End of question **

 

Answer:

In a recent posting, we discussed the import of BG 13.32: the soul's apparent

entanglement is perceptual only, not factual, as in a dream.

(http://iskcondc.org/cgi-bin/renderphilo.pl?digestname=digest131)

 

However, due to a conditioned soul's long term misidentification with the

inferior material energy, he is tightly bound or deeply 'conditioned' by it;

therefore, extracting himself from this conception is not easy.

 

This situation is what is indicated when the soul is described as being

'contaminated', 'bound' or 'entangled', as stated in BG 7.14 quoted above.

Nonetheless, the original pure nature of the soul still remains untouched, as

described in 13.32.

 

Only those with spiritual vision can actually see this fact while the

conditioned soul sees himself as struggling or as enjoying, suffering the

fruits of his actions which are actually induced by the modes of nature.

 

Meanwhile the original, transcendental nature of the soul is not transformed in

any way. He still remains superior to and untouched by dull matter which is the

inferior energy, but he apparently becomes bound by it because of his aversion

to Krishna. As soon as one crosses over the seemingly insurmountable network of

maya by surrendering to Krishna, his original nature is revived, like one

waking from a dream.

 

Thus there is no contradiction.

 

I hope this answer clarifies your concern.

 

This digest on the web:

http://iskcondc.org/cgi-bin/renderphilo.pl?digestname=digest135

 

All previous digests in one file (with responses to about 400 questions):

http://iskcondc.org/cgi-bin/renderphilo.pl?digestname=digest00

 

Responses to Some Frequently Asked Questions (Karma, free-will, demigods, Lord

Siva, why are we here, how to control the mind, Deity worship, marriage, Jesus

Christ, spiritual and material relationships and morality of Lord Krsna's

conjugal pastimes, spiritual master, spirit soul/jiva/living entity):

http://www.iskcondc.org/cgi-bin/renderphilo.pl?digestname=digest999_faq

 

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