Devotees, please accept my humble obeisances.Why do souls desire separation from Krsna? If the soul never changes, how do we come to a platform of sanatan dharma? If the soul never changes, we would never desire anything different from what our soul has always desired - e.g. to be away from Krsna. How can our souls remain the same and yet we make spiritual progress and awaken our desire for Krsna? What does it mean that the soul never changes?Hare KrishnaThank you for reading
You need to be a member of ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT to add comments!
There is no particular reason/cause for this desire or for any other desire. Why does someone like a particular flavour of ice cream or music, there is no reason for it, but they just like it. Similarly there is no particular reason/ cause of such desire. Jiva is entitled to desire. If jiva desired seperation from krsna, then jiva is granted it.
If the soul never changes, how do we come to a platform of sanatan dharma?
Soul is covered by material conditioning. Whole practice of spirituality is to remove the material conditioning. That is path of spiritial advancement. SP Writes in BG
Bhakti-yoga is the purification of the senses. At the present moment in material existence the senses are always impure, being engaged in sense gratification. But by the practice of bhakti-yoga these senses can become purified, and in the purified state they come directly in contact with the Supreme Lord. Purport 12.9
What does it mean that the soul never changes? If the soul never changes, we would never desire anything different from what our soul has always desired - e.g. to be away from Krsna.
It means that the absolute characteristics of soul is not affected by matter or material nature. Soul is sat cit ananda or eternbal, cognizant and blissful. In addition the constitutional position of soul is to be subordinate to Krsna. These characteristics of soul are not affected by any amount if changes in matter, material nature, time etc That is what Krsna refers to in BG as below
Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the nonexistent [the material body] there is no endurance and of the eternal [the soul] there is no change. This they have concluded by studying the nature of both. BG 2.16
The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind. BG 2.23
This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same. BG 2.24
How can our souls remain the same and yet we make spiritual progress and awaken our desire for Krsna?
Soul can change its desire. In conditioned state soul is trying to enjoy seperate from Krsna. This desire can be changed. Soul can desire to serve Krsna selflessly and enjoy the blissful state of that selfless servitude. Krsna says this in BG
My dear Arjuna, O winner of wealth, if you cannot fix your mind upon Me without deviation, thenfollow the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga. In this waydevelop a desire to attain Me. BG 12.9
How to develop this desire ?
By following the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga as stated by Krsna in BG 12.9
What are the regulative principles of Bhakti-yoga ?
SP writes this in the Purport to 12.9
To practice the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga one should, under the guidance of an expert spiritual master, follow certain principles:
1. One should rise early in the morning, take bath, enter the temple and offer prayers and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then collectflowers to offer to the Deity, cook foodstuffs to offer to the Deity, take prasādam,and so on. There are various rules and regulations which one should follow.
2. And one should constantly hear Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from pure devotees. This practice can help anyone rise to the level of love of God, and then he is sure of his progress into the spiritual kingdom of God.
This practice of bhakti-yoga, under the rules and regulations, with the direction of a spiritual master, will surely bring one to the stage of love of God. BG Purport 12.9
Soul has desires. When the desire of the soul is to enjoy independent of the lord, then the soul comes to the material world. The separation is a by product of the main desire to enjoy independent of the lord.
To explain from the material world point of view, absolutely nobody plans to go to jail, but when one breaks the law, then one lands up in jail. Breaking the law is the primary cause, landing up in jail is the by product of result of the action.
Soul becomes conditioned because of its desires and resultant actions. Coming to the platform of sanatana dharma is the purification of the soul. This happens by surrender to the lord, by different methods like karma yoga, gyaan yoga, bhakti yoga.
Soul is unchanging means that soul will not become big or old in due course of time. Soul will have desires, that will always be there. Even supreme lord desires, thats why so many leelas and pastimes.
I hope I have addressed your questions. Please feel free to ask if there is any further query.
Replies
Hare Krsna
Why do souls desire separation from Krsna?
There is no particular reason/cause for this desire or for any other desire. Why does someone like a particular flavour of ice cream or music, there is no reason for it, but they just like it. Similarly there is no particular reason/ cause of such desire. Jiva is entitled to desire. If jiva desired seperation from krsna, then jiva is granted it.
If the soul never changes, how do we come to a platform of sanatan dharma?
Soul is covered by material conditioning. Whole practice of spirituality is to remove the material conditioning. That is path of spiritial advancement. SP Writes in BG
Bhakti-yoga is the purification of the senses. At the present moment in material existence the senses are always impure, being engaged in sense gratification. But by the practice of bhakti-yoga these senses can become purified, and in the purified state they come directly in contact with the Supreme Lord. Purport 12.9
What does it mean that the soul never changes? If the soul never changes, we would never desire anything different from what our soul has always desired - e.g. to be away from Krsna.
It means that the absolute characteristics of soul is not affected by matter or material nature. Soul is sat cit ananda or eternbal, cognizant and blissful. In addition the constitutional position of soul is to be subordinate to Krsna. These characteristics of soul are not affected by any amount if changes in matter, material nature, time etc That is what Krsna refers to in BG as below
Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the nonexistent [the material body] there is no endurance and of the eternal [the soul] there is no change. This they have concluded by studying the nature of both. BG 2.16
The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind. BG 2.23
This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same. BG 2.24
How can our souls remain the same and yet we make spiritual progress and awaken our desire for Krsna?
Soul can change its desire. In conditioned state soul is trying to enjoy seperate from Krsna. This desire can be changed. Soul can desire to serve Krsna selflessly and enjoy the blissful state of that selfless servitude. Krsna says this in BG
My dear Arjuna, O winner of wealth, if you cannot fix your mind upon Me without deviation, then follow the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga. In this way develop a desire to attain Me. BG 12.9
How to develop this desire ?
By following the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga as stated by Krsna in BG 12.9
What are the regulative principles of Bhakti-yoga ?
SP writes this in the Purport to 12.9
To practice the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga one should, under the guidance of an expert spiritual master, follow certain principles:
1. One should rise early in the morning, take bath, enter the temple and offer prayers and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then collect flowers to offer to the Deity, cook foodstuffs to offer to the Deity, take prasādam,and so on. There are various rules and regulations which one should follow.
2. And one should constantly hear Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from pure devotees. This practice can help anyone rise to the level of love of God, and then he is sure of his progress into the spiritual kingdom of God.
This practice of bhakti-yoga, under the rules and regulations, with the direction of a spiritual master, will surely bring one to the stage of love of God. BG Purport 12.9
Hare Krsna
Hare Krsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
Soul has desires. When the desire of the soul is to enjoy independent of the lord, then the soul comes to the material world. The separation is a by product of the main desire to enjoy independent of the lord.
To explain from the material world point of view, absolutely nobody plans to go to jail, but when one breaks the law, then one lands up in jail. Breaking the law is the primary cause, landing up in jail is the by product of result of the action.
Soul becomes conditioned because of its desires and resultant actions. Coming to the platform of sanatana dharma is the purification of the soul. This happens by surrender to the lord, by different methods like karma yoga, gyaan yoga, bhakti yoga.
Soul is unchanging means that soul will not become big or old in due course of time. Soul will have desires, that will always be there. Even supreme lord desires, thats why so many leelas and pastimes.
I hope I have addressed your questions. Please feel free to ask if there is any further query.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD