The life journey of the jiva souls

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The life journey of the jiva souls

by

Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev Goswami Maharaj

 

"How does the soul first appear in this world? From what stage of spiritual existence does he fall into the material world?" This is a broad question, which requires some background information.

There are two classes of souls, jivas, who come into this world. One class comes from the spiritual Vaikuntha planets by the necessity of nitya-lila, the eternal pastimes of Krishna. Another comes by constitutional necessity.

The brahmajyoti, the nondifferentiated marginal plane, is the source of infinite jiva souls, atomic spiritual particles of nondifferentiated character. The rays of the Lord's transcendental body are known as the brahmajyoti, and a pencil of a ray of the brahmajyoti is the jiva. The jiva soul is an atom in that effulgence, and the brahmajyoti is a product of an infinite number of jiva atoms.

Generally, souls emanate from the brahmajyoti which is living and growing. Within the brahmajyoti, their equilibrium is somehow disturbed and movement begins. From nondifferentiation, differentiation begins. From a plain sheet of uniform consciousness, individual conscious units grow. And because the jiva is conscious it is endowed with free will. So, from the marginal position they choose either the side of exploitation or the side of dedication. Krishna bhuli sei jiva anadi bahirmukha. Anadi means that which has no beginning. When we enter the land of exploitation, we come within the factor of time, space, and thought. And when we come to exploit, action and reaction begins in the negative land of loan. Although we strive to become masters, really we become losers.

Goloka and Vaikuntha servitors are also seen to be within the jurisdiction of the brahmanda, the material universe, but that is only a play, lila. They come from that higher plane only to take part in the Lord's pastimes and then return. The fallen souls come from the marginal position within the brahmajyoti, and not from Vaikuntha. The first position of a soul in the material world will be like that of Brahma, the creator. Then his karma may take him to the body of a beast like a tiger, where he is surrounded with a tigerish mentality, or to the body of a tree or creeper, where different impressions may surround him. In this way, one is involved in action and reaction. The case is complex; to analyze the details of the history of a particular atom is unnecessary. We are concerned with the general thing: how the transformation of the material conception springs from pure consciousness.

Matter is not independent of spirit. In the brahmajyoti we are equipoised in the marginal potency as an infinite number of pinpoints of spiritual rays, electrons of consciousness. Consciousness means endowed with free will, for without free will no consciousness can be conceived. An atomic pinpoint of consciousness has very meagre free will, and by misuse of their free will some jivas have taken their chance in the material world. They refused to submit to the supreme authority; they wanted to dominate. So, with this germinal idea of domination, the jiva enters into the world of exploitation. In the Bhagavad-gita (7.27) it is stated:

iccha-dvesa samutthena

dvandva-mohena bharata

sarva-bhutani sammoham

sarge yanti parantapa

"Two principles in a crude form awaken in the jiva: hatred and desire. Then, gradually the soul comes down to mingle with the mundane world." At first, sympathy and apathy develop in a crude form, just as when a sprout springs up with two leaves. And gradually these two things help us to dive deep into this mundane world.

Upon retiring from the world of exploitation, the soul may return to his former position in the brahmajyoti as spirit. But, if the soul has gathered the tendency of dedication through his previous devotional activities, he does not stop there; he pierces through the brahmajyoti and goes towards Vaikuntha. Why has the soul come to the world of exploitation, and not the world of dedication? That should be attributed to his innate nature, which is endowed with free will. It is a free choice. This is substantiated in the Bhagavad-gita (5. 14):

na kartrtvam na karmani

lokasya srjati prabhuh

na karma-phala-samyogam

svabhavas tu pravartate

"The soul is responsible for his entrance into the land of exploitation." The responsibility is with the soul, otherwise, the Lord would be responsible for his distressed condition. But Krishna says that the soul's innate free will is responsible for his entanglement in the material world. The soul is conscious, and consciousness means endowed with freedom. Because the soul is atomic, his free will is imperfect and vulnerable. The result of that free choice is that some are coming into the material world, and some are going to the spiritual world. So, the responsibility is with the individual soul.

When the soul is within the brahma conception he only has a type of global consciousness or national consciousness but no individual consciousness; only a hazy consciousness. Then, when there is a push from the side of Mahavishnu, Sadashiva, then from that creative impetus the Prakriti (Nature) begins to act and the mahat-tattva arises. This is just like in the first stage of life when the soul is present within the mother's womb and its body is in a nondifferentiated state with no defined bodily conception - no awareness of an eye, no head, no hand, no leg. In this first stage of the child, in what is known as the embryo, the soul is in a stage like the mahat-tattva. The mahat-tattva is like a big embryo, and from there the child starts to know or experience an eye, ear, hair, and everything. Gradually, from the mahat-tattva everything is springing up and growing.

Prakriti is the womb and the first stage of the embryo is the mahat-tattva, and then from that stage differentiation and bifurcation begins, gradually. Many individual jiva conceptions are coming out from the womb of Prakriti. First there is a general ego consciousness, and then from there so many, many jiva conceptions are coming out. The individual egos are coming from the mahat-tattva. A huge number. The common, shared conception of all the ego of the jiva souls is the mahat-tattva, and from there so many, many individual egos are emanating.

Prakriti is like a watery substance and consciousness is mingling with this material substance. Consciousness is coming into Prakriti, into water, and then there is a commotion, and something arises and comes out from that: the mahat-tattva. This mahat-tattva divides itself into innumerable units of ahankara (ego). The Pancatanmatra appears (the conglomerate of material elements such as earth, water and heat). The fivefold variegated form of creation come into existence. The five primordial substances each divide into three, becoming fifteen. Then lastly, from the tamo-guna (the inert nature), the earth, water, fire, air and empty sky are generated. These things are the grossest outcome, the most gross product of Prakriti. The eye, ear and other sense organs are the middle level products of Prakriti. And the sun and other celestial bodies are the more subtle forms of material existence that come into existence. Twenty four categories of material substances are discussed, we find ultimately, in this Sankhya philosophy, which explains nature.

In the mahat-tatva the soul has only a hazy individual consciousness, without any specific individuality or distinctness. But all possibility is there within the soul in a germinal form. In the non-differentiated stage one cannot detect what possibility a particular soul may have, but still all kinds of possiblity exist within the soul. Even in the stage of mahapralaya, at the time of withdrawal of creation, when the universe is dissolved and everything enters into the stage of Prakriti which is a flowing energy or water-like substance, even in that stage the whole thing is preserved, the possibilities within each soul are preserved, inwardly. Just as how a whole tree is latent within a seed. It is there, as a possibility. In a germinal form it is there, as a possibility. With the germinal idea of domination, the soul enters into the world of exploitation.

iccha-dvesa samutthena

dvandva-mohena bharata

sarva-bhutani sammoham

sarge yanti parantapa

- Bhagavad-gita (7.27)

Sympathy and apathy develop in a crude form, just as when a sprout springs up with two leaves. And gradually these two things help us to dive deep into this mundane world.

Free will is only absolute with the Absolute Truth. Because we are finite, our free will is infinitesimal. The possibility of committing a mistake is there. Our first choice was to dominate, and so, gradually we have entered the world of domination. As a result of this first action, everything else has developed. So, in different ranks, the species have been divided, from the demigods down to the trees and stones. And watery bodies, gaseous bodies, anything that we find here has evolved in that way. The activating principle in any form of embryological development is the soul, and from the soul, everything has evolved.

When someone dies, generally, they are taken to the court of Yamaraj. They are taken to the administrator of Pretyaloka and they enter the world of the departed souls. But not all souls will go there for there are exceptions. Those who enter into ananya bhakti, suddha bhakti, pure loving devotion to the Lord, they will not enter into the world of the departed souls. The jurisdiction changes, in the case of those who have come in connection with the Guru and suddha bhakti.

Generally, we may take it that within twenty four hours the atma, the soul, is taken to the court of Yamaraj. Then after one year his case is taken up and he is judged. The amount of sin and the amount of good that he has done is judged at that time. After one year of waiting in suspense, waiting in a state of suspension, like a person on bail waiting for the judgement of his case, he is asked what he will take first, the narak (hell) or svarga (heaven). Which do you like to enjoy first? Will you enjoy the fruits of your good action first? But of course if the amount of karma is great, the bad action, then he will have to suffer the results of his bad action first, and then after that enjoy the reactions arising from his good actions. This is the general case but there are particular cases, where an urgent case will be dealt with urgently, just as in a court. Some may take birth immediately after death; he may enter into another womb. Different cases are dealt with differently.

In Srimad Bhagavatam, we find that when Devaki the mother of Krishna has just been married and her husband Vasudev was taking her to his own house, Kamsa, the brother of Devaki, was taking the reins of the horses and conducting the chariot as they were going along on the way to Vasudev's house. Then suddenly a sound came from the sky, saying "Kamsa, you are relishing so much this occasion of great joy, taking your sister with so much cheerfulness to her husband's house, but her eighth child will kill you." Twice, or thrice, this sound came form the sky. Then Kamsa was engraged and he took his sister by the hair and went to cut her throat. But Vasudev came to protect her and said, "You are a hero and you should not fear death". In this way Vasudev began a discussion with Kamsa. "You have no cause to feel fear of her, but only from her child. I assure you that the children, when they are born, will be given to your hand, and you may do away with them; but leave her for she is not going to kill you."

At that time Vasudev comes to talk about philosophy, and he says that before someone is dead his next life begins. Before he is dead, when he is just going to die, his previous thoughts and actions come in a subtle form, rushing and gathering together, and every one of them demands “His next birth I want to take.” According to the intensity or the priority, they propose, "The next chance I want, I want priority; the next chance I must get!". And so in this way the next birth is determined.

For before actual death the next birth is determined, when the idea comes and captures him, the idea or mentality of different types comes and takes possession of him, and determines what he will be born as next. Suppose anger, or jealousy, or greed capture him - there are so many propensities and each wants the first chance to take possession of the atma, the soul. And then when he dies the propensity with the most powerful priority takes him. The idea takes him to some society, to his own society, and from there to the physical plane once again. Suppose the propensity of very great anger comes. Very much anger. Then the buffalo mentality takes possession. A very ferocious mentality, then the tiger mentality takes possession. It takes him up into the tiger society and he takes rebirth with a tiger body. In the case of king Bharata, he had left his kingdom and left everything behind when he was still in his youthful stage of life. He left it all and took to the life of a sadhu, a sage. But when he was dying he thought of his small deer, his pet, "If I die this small deer will also die without food or protection". His thinking was like that. So when his soul passed away he had to enter a deer body. He had to become a deer. Into that society he had to go, and in a deer's body he had to come out and live in the world again.

In the Karma Kanda we find that there is mention of a one year period of suspension for the departed soul. During that time, the rishis of the Karma Kanda say, the successors and holders of property of the departed soul can try to make some sacrifices and give help for the departed soul. There is a one year period of suspension. Pinda. Help may be arranged for the dead person, and then finally the person comes and talks with Yama (the God of Death) and a final decision is made.

This is the general case. But there are particular instances where things may happen differently, according to the gravity of the situation.

For those who have died and are without any physical body, there may be suffering, also. Just as in a dream where we also suffer and feel pain without feeling things through this body. It is possible to feel intense pain, in this way, and that is naraka (hell). With no physical body, but only in the astral or mental body, suffering can be there for the soul. In an astral body the soul may suffer in hell for some duration.

According to the intensity, the magnitude of the actions a person has done, they are judged by Yama (Death). Yama is the controlling consciousness, the deciding power who dispenses judgement and sends people who have erred into a place of suffering. There is a government in the mental world, just as there is a government in this physical world. The body we find within us in a dream, the body we feel things through in a dream, it exists in a plane where there are so many astral bodies, and in that plane of existence there is a government, a managing controller. The astral body is in that plane and there is a government administrating and dealing with the souls in that plane, which is known as Pretyaloka, the world of the departed souls.

After someone dies the family may invite us to do kirtan, to chant Hare Krishna. And of course that will help the person who has died. That vibration will help him, and it is a higher help than this ordinary sraddha ceremony. Offering Bhagavat Prashad for the deceased person, and doing kirtan, in this way we can help the departed souls.

But then, we must realize that making so many enquiries about what is really non-essential knowledge, about death and the process of rebirth, and these types of things, that is not the proper path to follow. If we are seeking to gain knowledge and not bhakti, that sort of scrutinizing knowledge-seeking has been discouraged by the Srimad Bhagavatam. If you take up the path of knowledge, the jnana marga, it won't take you to the real place, the real goal. Knowledge can help you in the beginning; it can help to consolidate your faith. Then help will come to you from the plane of faith and take you to your goal. A particle of sand, you can study a particle of sand, for lifetimes together, but don't go to that side, don't engage yourself in that sort of inquiry. Go instead towards the ananda marga, the path of bliss and ecstatic joy.

The Absolute is sat-chit-ananda. Eternal existence, knowledge and bliss. Don't waste your time doing research into the sat and chit aspects. Don't search for an understanding of existence (sat) or knowledge (chit). Seek ananda. Seek ecstasy and fulfilment. Try to start your journey towards ananda. To some extent the attaining of realization of the sat and chit aspects of the Absolute can help you; but only take that much help which is really required for you to gain a proper understanding of existence. But what is there within you, the intricate demand of your inner nature, is your inner need for happiness. So begin your journey towards ultimate happiness and go direct, without any diversion. Direct your journey towards ananda-maya. Search for fulfilment, devotion and dedication. Sraddha. Be optimistic.

jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva

jīvanti san-mukharitāḿ bhavadīya-vārtām

sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāḿ tanu-vāń-manobhir

ye prāyaśo 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyām

Brahma said to Krishna:

Those who, even while remaining situated in their established social positions, throw away the process of speculative knowledge and with their body, words and mind offer all respects to descriptions of Your personality and activities, dedicating their lives to hearing these narrations, which are vibrated by You personally and by Your pure devotees, certainly conquer Your Lordship, although You are otherwise unconquerable by anyone within the three worlds.

- Srimad Bhagavatam 10.14.3

 

 

[Purushottama Jagannathdas]

very nice post

[Phire]

Thank you for your effort, it's much appreciated. I can't understand as much but then my knowledge span is rather limited at present.

 

One question however, Like to know what your personal opinion is whoever reads through this post: do you think all jivas go through the same process irrespective of religion and faith? Since there are slight variations on after life and the concept as such in different religions and sects. Any comments would be appreciated, as your personal beliefs, ideas, theories.