In the following words the author of the sutras gives an example to show that the individual spirit soul performs actions, using other its own potency, or some other instrument to perform them.
Sutra 38
yatha ca takshobhayatha
yatha—as; ca—and; taksha—carpenter; ubhayatha—in both ways.
In both ways like a carpenter.
Purport by Shrila Baladeva Vidyabhushana
As a carpenter performs actions, employing both his own power and a host of tools, so does the individual spirit soul, employing both his own power and the various life-airs. Thus the soul employs the material body and other instruments also, to perform actions. It is the pure spirit soul who thus uses the modes of material nature to perform actions. That is why the scriptures sometimes say that the modes of material nature are the performer of actions.
That the individual spirit soul is indeed the performer of actions is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (13.22), where it is said:
karanam guna-sango 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu
"The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. Thus he meets with good and evil among the various species."*
These words explain the scripture passages that declare the modes of nature to be the performers of action. It is foolish for a person to think himself the sole performer of action and ignore the five factors of action. Of course it is not that the individual spirit soul never performs any action. The idea that the soul never does anything is clearly refuted by the many scriptural statements urging the soul to act such a way that he may attain liberation. When in the Bhagavad-gita (2.19) the Lord says:
nayam hanti na hanyate
"The self slays not nor is slain."
that does not mean that the individual spirit soul never performs any action, but rather that the eternal spirit soul can never be cut or slain. The meaning of the statement that the soul never acts has thus already been explained. In both this life and the next the devotees perform various actions of devotional service to the Lord. Because these actions are free from the touch of the modes of nature, because they are under the jurisdiction of the Lord's spiritual potency and because they lead to liberation, these actions are said not to be action, for they are not material actions. This is explained by the Supreme Lord Himself in these words:
"One who acts without attachment is in the mode of goodness. One who is blinded with desire is in the mode of passion. One whose intelligence is broken is in the mode of ignorance. One who takes shelter of Me is free from the grip of the modes of nature." That the pure spirit soul experiences the results of his actions is described in Bhagavad-gita (13.21):
purushah sukha-duhkhanam bhoktritve hetur ucyate
"The living entity is the cause of the various sufferings and enjoyments in this world."*
Because it is by nature conscious it is the soul that experiences the results of actions, the modes of nature do not experience them. This refutes the idea that the modes are active and the soul is not. In this way it is proved that it is the conscious soul who experiences happiness and other sensations. In this way the individual spirit soul brings knowledge to itself and others. Both kinds of action exist for the soul. In the Prashna Upanishad (4.9) it is said:
esha hi drashta sprashta shrota
"It is the soul who sees, touches, and hears."
Thus, by this example of the carpenter, the idea that the individual spirit soul is the only factor in action, and there are no others, is clearly refuted.
Suppose you are using glasses or binoculars to see something. Then who is seeing - the glasses, binoculars or you? Is it confusing? No na - you are using the binoculars or glasses to see.
Now the thing to understand is who is "you" - you are the spirit - its not our spirit, its I am the spirit soul and I am using the senses of the body I am in to see, hear, talk, walk etc.
I hope you understand now.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD
Amit > Radha Rasamayi DDNovember 9, 2016 at 3:17am
Hare Krishna Mata ji,
PAMHO!!!!
Does spirit needs a body to see or feel ?? what is spirit with out a body (material body/ Spiritual body). Is it that Spirit cannot see or feel without body?? it has to has one body whether its spiritual or material...??
I will put it this way - soul needs a body to fulfill its desires. Therefore soul gets a body that shows its desires - if someone likes to swim a lot, he gets an aquatic body next birth, similarly someone is attached to meat eating will get a tiger body or carnivore body to enjoy eating meat.
Without a body, soul is in the subtle body in the material world. Subtle body consists of mind, intelligence and false ego. In subtle form, it is a ghost - bhoot pret.
There are spiritual senses, but they are not active unless one revives ones spiritual consciousness. Soul needs a body for sense gratification the way we need a car to go from place A to place B.
Spiritual body is already there, it is manifested only after one completes the spiritual quest.
I hope I have answered your queries. Pls feel free to ask more questions if you wish.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD
Amit > Radha Rasamayi DDNovember 11, 2016 at 1:37am
Mata ji one last question....
For Eg. people those who enjoy meat eating and cant live without eating it.. it becomes their habit or desire to eat meat, so that means its a desire of that particular soul..??? that means that soul is not pure ??? people are indulge in heinous acts now a days.. that means they are doing because its a desire of that particular soul... ??? that soul is not good/ pure then... then how can I see pure soul or Krishna in every one then?? please advise mata ji... this is my last question....
It is the conditioning of that soul because of which that desire to eat meat has arisen. The soul is pure, the conditioning is what makes it desire.
Pure soul can be seen in pure devotees. Krsna is pure, present as supersoul with every soul. Therefore, regardless of how bad a person is, we should be able to appreciate that the supersoul is with this soul and see Krsna.
Pls dont say last question - better to keep on asking and clearing your doubts. I dont mind at all.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD
Amit > Radha Rasamayi DDNovember 11, 2016 at 10:33pm
Hare Krishna Mata ji
PAMHO!!
Thank you so much for the awesome counseling.. my doubts are cleared now...
Body is just a machine the soul uses to fulfill its desires. It is because soul has desires that the soul gets one body after the other, to enable the soul to fulfill all its desires - the body acquired is a combination of deserve and desire.
Replies
Hare Krishna Prabhu Ji
PAMHO!!!
Thanks for such a detailed elaborated counseling... my all doubts are cleared .. thansk
Happy Ekadashi
Hari Bolll
Amit Mehra
Yes soul has desire and transcendental senses.
From Govinda Bhashya or Vedanta Sutra :
Adhikarana 15
Activity Is the Soul's Nature
Introduction by Shrila Baladeva Vidyabhushana
In the following words the author of the sutras gives an example to show that the individual spirit soul performs actions, using other its own potency, or some other instrument to perform them.
Sutra 38
yatha ca takshobhayatha
yatha—as; ca—and; taksha—carpenter; ubhayatha—in both ways.
In both ways like a carpenter.
Purport by Shrila Baladeva Vidyabhushana
As a carpenter performs actions, employing both his own power and a host of tools, so does the individual spirit soul, employing both his own power and the various life-airs. Thus the soul employs the material body and other instruments also, to perform actions. It is the pure spirit soul who thus uses the modes of material nature to perform actions. That is why the scriptures sometimes say that the modes of material nature are the performer of actions.
That the individual spirit soul is indeed the performer of actions is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (13.22), where it is said:
karanam guna-sango 'sya
sad-asad-yoni-janmasu
"The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. Thus he meets with good and evil among the various species."*
These words explain the scripture passages that declare the modes of nature to be the performers of action. It is foolish for a person to think himself the sole performer of action and ignore the five factors of action. Of course it is not that the individual spirit soul never performs any action. The idea that the soul never does anything is clearly refuted by the many scriptural statements urging the soul to act such a way that he may attain liberation. When in the Bhagavad-gita (2.19) the Lord says:
nayam hanti na hanyate
"The self slays not nor is slain."
that does not mean that the individual spirit soul never performs any action, but rather that the eternal spirit soul can never be cut or slain. The meaning of the statement that the soul never acts has thus already been explained.
In both this life and the next the devotees perform various actions of devotional service to the Lord. Because these actions are free from the touch of the modes of nature, because they are under the jurisdiction of the Lord's spiritual potency and because they lead to liberation, these actions are said not to be action, for they are not material actions. This is explained by the Supreme Lord Himself in these words:
sattvikah karako 'sangi
ragandho rajasah smritah
tamasah smriti-vibhrashto
nirguno mad-apashrayah
"One who acts without attachment is in the mode of goodness. One who is blinded with desire is in the mode of passion. One whose intelligence is broken is in the mode of ignorance. One who takes shelter of Me is free from the grip of the modes of nature."
That the pure spirit soul experiences the results of his actions is described in Bhagavad-gita (13.21):
purushah sukha-duhkhanam
bhoktritve hetur ucyate
"The living entity is the cause of the various sufferings and enjoyments in this world."*
Because it is by nature conscious it is the soul that experiences the results of actions, the modes of nature do not experience them. This refutes the idea that the modes are active and the soul is not. In this way it is proved that it is the conscious soul who experiences happiness and other sensations. In this way the individual spirit soul brings knowledge to itself and others. Both kinds of action exist for the soul. In the Prashna Upanishad (4.9) it is said:
esha hi drashta sprashta shrota
"It is the soul who sees, touches, and hears."
Thus, by this example of the carpenter, the idea that the individual spirit soul is the only factor in action, and there are no others, is clearly refuted.
it means that when we are seeing anything by our eyes that means not we but actually our sprit is seeing that?? its very confusing..........
Hare Krsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
Suppose you are using glasses or binoculars to see something. Then who is seeing - the glasses, binoculars or you? Is it confusing? No na - you are using the binoculars or glasses to see.
Now the thing to understand is who is "you" - you are the spirit - its not our spirit, its I am the spirit soul and I am using the senses of the body I am in to see, hear, talk, walk etc.
I hope you understand now.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD
Hare Krishna Mata ji,
PAMHO!!!!
Does spirit needs a body to see or feel ?? what is spirit with out a body (material body/ Spiritual body). Is it that Spirit cannot see or feel without body?? it has to has one body whether its spiritual or material...??
Hare KRsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
I will put it this way - soul needs a body to fulfill its desires. Therefore soul gets a body that shows its desires - if someone likes to swim a lot, he gets an aquatic body next birth, similarly someone is attached to meat eating will get a tiger body or carnivore body to enjoy eating meat.
Without a body, soul is in the subtle body in the material world. Subtle body consists of mind, intelligence and false ego. In subtle form, it is a ghost - bhoot pret.
There are spiritual senses, but they are not active unless one revives ones spiritual consciousness. Soul needs a body for sense gratification the way we need a car to go from place A to place B.
Spiritual body is already there, it is manifested only after one completes the spiritual quest.
I hope I have answered your queries. Pls feel free to ask more questions if you wish.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD
Mata ji one last question....
For Eg. people those who enjoy meat eating and cant live without eating it.. it becomes their habit or desire to eat meat, so that means its a desire of that particular soul..??? that means that soul is not pure ??? people are indulge in heinous acts now a days.. that means they are doing because its a desire of that particular soul... ??? that soul is not good/ pure then... then how can I see pure soul or Krishna in every one then?? please advise mata ji... this is my last question....
Hare Krsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
It is the conditioning of that soul because of which that desire to eat meat has arisen. The soul is pure, the conditioning is what makes it desire.
Pure soul can be seen in pure devotees. Krsna is pure, present as supersoul with every soul. Therefore, regardless of how bad a person is, we should be able to appreciate that the supersoul is with this soul and see Krsna.
Pls dont say last question - better to keep on asking and clearing your doubts. I dont mind at all.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD
Hare Krishna Mata ji
PAMHO!!
Thank you so much for the awesome counseling.. my doubts are cleared now...
Happy Ekadashi...
Hari Bol
Amit Mehra
Hare Krsna,
PAMHO.
Body is just a machine the soul uses to fulfill its desires. It is because soul has desires that the soul gets one body after the other, to enable the soul to fulfill all its desires - the body acquired is a combination of deserve and desire.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD
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