Fwd: There is No Bondage, We have Only Assumed Bondage

September 30, 2008

Hare Krsna

This country is not ours. This is not our place. This city, this state, this community, is not our home. Our abode is Paramatma's (God's) abode. If we undertand this, it will become very easy. We are merely travellers in this world. You, me, this, that is not ours. Only Bhagavan (God) is ours. We are part (ansh) of Him"Ishavar Ansh" and only that is our true and real home."Mamevaansho ...." (Gita 15:7) The entire Universe is merely an evolute of Nature. 'All the five senses, the body, the mind, the intellect, and egoism are all established in lower Nature (Prakriti)' (Gita 3:27). While the Self (us) is the Higher Nature. We should not get established in egoism, as well, as that too is not ours. One must be established in only God. We are a part of Him and Him alone (ansh). He is our master, the master of everything. If we become established in God and not in "I-ness" then all work will

be completed. Doing and enjoying is happening in the world. Inspite of being in this body, we are neither doers, nor enjoyers. Scriptures say... "prakritisthaani" - We are his part and we must remain established in his part. The important thing is "I" and "am" we become one, with the I, such as, "I slept very well,I could not feel anything." This is all the work of of His divine potency (maya). Self (swayam) is free of egoism, desire, and everything. We all have this experience, but we do not respect it. By becoming established in prakriti (nature), we develop an association with the qualities. This association with qualities (gunas) results in birth and death cycle. These qualities are not in Self. 'The self, though situated in the body, neither acts nor gets tainted.' (Gita 13:31). Just like the Sun - though it lights up the entire world, it neither acts, nor performs any action that is done

in its light. During sound sleep, the Self always remains, though the mind, ego and intellect merge in ignorance. The Self is free from mine-ness, egoism and desire. We should realise and accept this fact. We should therefore detach ourselves from these. It is only because of our created attachment to these that the Self is not liberated.A man of perverse understanding looks upon the Self as the doer. (Gita 18:16). Gita 18:17 is very amazing and an important verse."Naham krtabhaavo.. " 'He who is free from egoism and whose intellectis not tainted, though he may slay all beings, he neither slays, nor is bound.' What an amazing point it is. Therefore no actions can touch the Self. All this is clearly stated in the Gita. One who considers himself to be the doer, will become the recepient (enjoyer, bhogi), even though living in this body, it is neither a doer, nor an enjoyer. Due to

"taadaatmya. ." i.e. on meeting with qualities (gunas), he begins to think that he is a doer and an enjoyer, but this is all false. God says - the Self is eternal (anaadi) and without qualities (nirgun). All qualities (sattavik, rajasic etc)come from Me, but they are not in Me and I am not in them. Apart from the qualities (gunas) there is no doership. This is so very clearly stated... "na karoti, ne lipyate" there is no bondage. We have just assumed bondage. Sin, bondage, attachment, etc. are all an illusion. This is absolutely straight-forward and clear. This is a fact.We (Self) is different from the body. This is perceived by the eyes of wisdom. Human life is meant to be perceived by the eyes of wisdom. Satsang gives light. All this illumination is possible from satsang.

The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind. GITA 15:7

In this verse the identity of the living being is clearly given. The living entity is the fragmental part and parcel of the Supreme Lord--eternally. It is not that he assumes individuality in his conditional life and in his liberated state becomes one with the Supreme Lord. He is eternally fragmented. It is clearly said, sanatanah. According to the Vedic version, the Supreme Lord manifests and expands Himself in innumerable expansions, of which the primary expansions are called visnu-tattva and the secondary expansions are called the living entities. In other words, the visnu-tattva is the personal expansion, and the living entities are separated expansions. By His personal expansion, He is manifested in various forms like Lord Rama, Nrsimhadeva, Visnumurti and all the predominating Deities in the Vaikuntha planets. The separated expansions, the living

entities, are eternally servitors. The personal expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the individual identities of the Godhead, are always present. Similarly, the separated expansions of living entities have their identities. As fragmental parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, the living entities have also fragmental qualities, of which independence is one. Every living entity has an individual soul, his personal individuality and a minute form of independence. By misuse of that independence, one becomes a conditioned soul, and by proper use of independence he is always liberated. In either case, he is qualitatively eternal, as the Supreme Lord is. In his liberated state he is freed from this material condition, and he is under the engagement of transcendental service unto the Lord; in his conditional life he is dominated by the material modes of nature, and he forgets the transcendental loving service of the Lord. As a result, he has to

struggle very hard to maintain his existence in the material world. The living entities, not only the human beings and the cats and dogs, but even the greater controllers of the material world--Brahma, Lord Siva, and even Visnu--are all parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord. They are all eternal, not temporary manifestations. The word karsati (struggling or grappling hard) is very significant. The conditioned soul is bound up, as though shackled by iron chains. He is bound up by the false ego, and the mind is the chief agent which is driving him in this material existence. When the mind is in the mode of goodness, his activities are good; when the mind is in the mode of passion, his activities are troublesome; and when the mind is in the mode of ignorance, he travels in the lower species of life. It is clear, however, in this verse, that the conditioned soul is covered by

the material body, with the mind and the senses, and when he is liberated this material covering perishes, but his spiritual body manifests its individual capacity. The following information is there in the Madhyandinayana-sruti: sa va esa brahma-nistha idam sariram martyam atisrjya brahmabhisampadya brahmana pasyati brahmana srnoti brahmanaivedam sarvam anubhavati. It is stated here that when a living entity gives up this material embodiment and enters into the spiritual world, he revives his spiritual body, and in his spiritual body he can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face. He can hear and speak to Him face to face, and he can understand the Supreme Personality as He is. In smrti also it is understood that in the spiritual planets everyone lives in bodies featured like the Supreme Personality of Godhead's. As far as bodily construction is concerned, there is no difference between the part and parcel living

entities and the expansions of visnu-murti. In other words, at liberation the living entity gets a spiritual body by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The word mamaivamsah (fragmental parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord) is also very significant. The fragmental portion of the Supreme Lord is not like some material broken part. We have already understood in the Second Chapter that the spirit cannot be cut into pieces. This fragment is not materially conceived. It is not like matter, which can be cut into pieces and joined together again. That conception is not applicable here because the Sanskrit word sanatana (eternal) is used. The fragmental portion is eternal. It is also stated in the beginning of the Second Chapter that (dehino 'smin yatha) in each and every individual body, the fragmental portion of the Supreme Lord is present.

That fragmental portion, when liberated from the bodily entanglement, revives its original spiritual body in the spiritual sky in a spiritual planet and enjoys association with the Supreme Lord. It is, however, understood here that the living entity, being the fragmental part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, is qualitatively one, just as the parts and parcels of gold are also gold.