"The whole of this creation is deluded by these objects evolved from the 3 modes of nature (prakriti) - SATTVA, RAJAS, TAMAS; that is why the world fails to recognize Me, standing apart from these and that I am imperishable." (Chap 7 - verse 13)
"Prakriti is said to be responsible for bringing forth the evolutes and the instruments; while the individual soul is declared to be the cause of experience of joys and sorrows." (Chap 13 - verse 20)
"It is while dwelling in the senses of hearing, sight, touch and smell, as well as in the mind, that JIVATMA (soul) enjoys the objects of senses." (Chap 15 - verse 9)
"SATTVA, RAJAS, TAMAS - these 3 qualities born of Prakriti tie down the imperishable soul to the body, Arjuna" (Chap 14 - verse 5)
A little discussion:
Are we getting trapped?
1) If SOUL can experience joys and sorrows, isn't it doing some action i.e making us happy or sad and thereby isn't Krishna contradicting what he told in Chap 13 - verse 31 - "The SOUL does nothing nor gets entangled..."? Answer: The same Krishna says - "All actions are being performed by the 3 modes of Prakriti. The fool whose mind is deluded by egoism think, 'I am the doer' ". (Chap 2 - verse 27)
So, it is clear that the SOUL doesn't do anything. Everything is done by Prakriti. NO ACTION ORIGINATES FROM THE SOUL.
2) Does the SOUL perceive happiness, sadness?
No, remember our body (KSHETRA) has aversion, pleasure, pain, desire with it already. It is an ATTRIBUTE OF KSHETRA AND NOT THE SOUL.(Chap 13 - verses 5,6)
3) Why is that then Krishna says the SOUL is the cause of experience of joys and sorrow?
This is a little tricky. Think again, if everything is done by PRAKRITI (as already clarified), SOUL doesn't do anything. IT IS ONLY EXPERIENCING i.e it is the not the doer but something is acting upon it which makes it experience - as explained below.
"It is while dwelling in the senses of hearing, sight, touch and smell, as well as in the mind, that JIVATMA (soul) enjoys the objects of senses." (Chap 15 - verse 9)
4) But then, if SOUL is being acted upon, who perceives joy and sorrow (if not the SOUL)?
It is the MIND. Follow this verse "The senses, mind, intellect acting upon the RAJAS Guna (desire) delude the embodied SOUL". (Chap 3 - verse 40).
So, again the GUNAS act on SOUL and definitely it must be the mind and intellect which perceive everything. Isn't it also scientifically proven that happiness, sadness are nothing but perceptions.
Why is not same to everyone? Some people feel happy by listening to music while others are not. Some people are addicted to watching movies, while others are not. Some people love history while others love to hate it. Some like western music, some Indian music. So, our dislikes and likes vary. WHY IS THAT ONE PERCEIVES HAPPINESS AND THE OTHER SADNESS FROM THE SAME OBJECT? IT IS DEFINITELY BECAUSE THE MIND PERCEIVES IT THAT WAY.
So, the conclusion is - SOUL doesn't do anything but is made to experience everything by the GUNAS. The GUNAS not only tie down the SOUL, they delude it. By its nature, the SOUL doesn't experience anything, but because these GUNAS act on the SOUL, it experiences it and thereby mind perceives it.
My personal comment:
It is proven scientifically the generation or depletion of certain hormones causes either turbulence or peace in mind. We know it. However, why is that same object/activity can cause increase or decrease of certain hormones. In other words, say reading History may induce those hormones for some and may not be some for other. Somewhere, the mind which acts as the controller of the body perceives it in different ways. Is this abnormal? No, it is normal. The intention of GUNAS is just given to let us know that we need to increase SATTVA GUNA (as we will see later) i.e happiness and joy.
Let's say for a moment we will not accept the existence of SOUL. Even then, it is fine to see that because the GUNAS act on us, our mind and intellect perceive happiness, sadness etc.
If we believe in SOUL, then the conclusion is the same, its just that for the mind to perceive anything, it must act on something and that something is SOUL.
Krishna says, "The 3 Gunas - SATTVA, RAJAS, TAMAS - is the most wonderful Maya of mine."
(Chap 7 - verse 14)
"The five elements (earth, water, air, fire, ether), the ego, the intellect, the unmanifest element in nature, 5 sense organs (eye, ears, nose, tongue, sense of touch), 5 working sense organs (voice, legs, hands, anus, genitals), the mind, the 5 objects of sense (sound, touch, color, taste, smell). Also, desire, aversion, happiness, distress, perceptual faculty of the mind, determination. All these are modified by 6 transformations starting from birth and ending in death (i.e birth, growth, stays, produces by products, decay and death)."
(Chap 13 - verses 5, 6)
Krishna says, "O Arjuna, this body is termed as the Kshetra and him who knows it, the sages discerning the truth about is - both are referred to as knower of this Kshetra or Kshetrajana."
(Chap 13 - verse 1)
"Know Myself to be the Kshetrajana (individual soul) also in all Kshetras, Arjuna. It is the knowledge of Kshetra and Kshetrajana which I consider as Wisdom." (Chap 13 - verse 2)
"What that Kshetra is and what it is like, and also what are its evolutes, again, whence is what and also finally who that Kshetrajana is and what his glory - hear all this from Me in a nutshell."
(Chap 13 - verse 3)
The truth about the Kshetra and Ksetrajana has been expounded by the seers in manifold ways; again, it has been separately stated in different Vedic chants and also in the conclusive and reasoned texts of Brahmasutras.(Chap 13 - verse 4)
Krishna talks about 2 fold Prakriti ( and one of them itself is Purusha) and describes what they are in the following verses:
"Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, reason and also ego; these constitute my 8-fold nature and this is My lower (material) nature;" (Chap 7 - verse 4)
"The other nature by which the whole universe is sustained, know it to be My higher (spiritual) nature in form of LIFE PRINCIPLE (JIVA), O Arjuna" (Chap 7 - verse 5)
"O Arjuna, know that all beings have evolved from this 2 fold nature(prakriti); and I am the source of all creation and into Me again it disappears". (Chap 7 - verse 6)
Going further, Krishna declares this LIFE PRINCIPLE (JIVA) which is HIS higher nature (as mentioned above) itself is called PURUSHA or Spirit.
"My primordial nature (lower material nature) is the womb of all creatures, in that womb I place the seed (JIVA - higher spiritual nature) and the creation follows from the union of Matter and Spirit, O Arjuna. Of all the embodied beings that appear in all species of all kinds, Prakriti is the conceiving Mother, while I am the seed-giving Father". (Chap 14 - verses 3, 4)
"Prakriti and Purusha, know both of these as beginning less." (Chap 13 - verse 19)
"The ignorant know not the soul departing from, or dwelling in the body, or enjoying the objects of senses i.e even when it is connected with the 3 GUNAS; only those endowed with the eye of wisdom are able to realize it." (Chap 15 - verse 9)
"The senses, the mind and the intellect are declared to be the seat of desire which is born of Rajas Guna and it deludes the embodied soul." (Chap 3 - verses 37, 40)
"Striving Yogis' too are able to realize this SOUL enshrined in their heart. The ignorant, however, whose heart has not been purified, know not this SOUL in spite of the best endeavors." (Chap 15 - verse 11)
Obviously, there are more terminologies/concepts we need to understand. What is this GUNA? How does it act? Why does it act? What is the effect of this? Who creates this GUNA? and so many such questions. Let us see one by one. But first, we need to understand Prakrit, Purusha, Kshetra, Kshetrajana, Evolutes of Kshetra and then come to GUNA and its effects.
"The eternal Jivatma in this body is a particle of My own being; and it draws around itself the mind and the five senses, which rest in Prakriti (body)." (Chap 15 - verse 7)
This description further puzzles people who know human anatomy as to what it is which draws the mind and senses around itself, could it be the human brain as we believe brain is the controller....but it's not so easy to answer..because one needs to extend this to plants, insects, reptiles and all species. Well, let us then understand, "Why we cannot comprehend this soul?". Krishna concedes that very few people can ever perceive this soul (already mentioned in the previous question - Can we comprehend the soul?)
Can man really experience or comprehend the SOUL?
0 comments Posted by RisingCitizen at Friday, January 15, 2010After knowing what is SOUL, its attributes and how it leaves the body and moves to other places, it still appears like a fictional element or fantasy. So, can man really comprehend this incomprehensible SOUL?
Krishna says, "No" through the following verse,
"Hardly anyone perceives this soul as marvellous, some speak of it as marvellous, some hear of it as marvellous and some do not know it even after knowing it" (Chap 2 - verse 29)
Is the SOUL greater than the body in which it resides?
0 comments Posted by RisingCitizen at Friday, January 15, 2010After reading the attributes of the SOUL and what happens during and after death, the next question is it greater than the body in which it resides:
Krishna says, "Arjuna, the senses are said to be greater than the body; but greater than the senses is the mind. Greater than the mind is the intellect; and what is greater than the intellect is the SELF (soul)." (Chap3-verse 42)