SOUL AND BODY
According to the profound teachings of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, “Just as a person changes worn-out garments for new ones, so the soul discards aged bodies to take on new ones. The soul can neither be created nor annihilated.”
What exactly is the Soul? The Soul is a timeless and unborn entity. It neither comes into existence nor ceases to be. Impervious to time, it never ages. The dissolution of the body doesn’t affect the Soul. It remains untouched by elements such as water or fire, and no weapon can damage it. It’s devoid of physical sensations or emotions like pain. Its existence is eternal.
The Soul, minuscule in size — comparable to one ten-thousandth part of the tip of a hair — resides in the heart region. Covered by the body, composed of five gross material elements, the Soul undertakes a journey across different bodies among 8.4 million species, influenced by its karma. The future bodily vessel for the Soul is also determined by karma. While bodies are transient, the Soul is enduring.
What does Body signify? A body refers to the tangible, physical structure of an individual — be it human or animal, living or deceased.
While the body ages and eventually disintegrates, the essence of the Soul persists. Unlike the body, which experiences birth and death, the Soul is both endless and beginningless — it is the Unborn.
Why does a Soul inhabit a Body? The Soul employs the body as a vehicle to experience physical realities, assuming various forms across lifetimes, driven by its karma.
The relationship between the Soul and the Body can be illustrated through Lord Vishnu’s ten avatars, taken up to safeguard mankind whenever evil overpowers righteousness. Despite assuming ten different forms, the soul remained singular — that of Lord Vishnu.
When does the union between the Soul and the Body conclude? The ultimate objective of the Soul is salvation. To achieve this, it must absolve its karmas, necessitating countless cycles of birth and death. In each life, the Soul may inhabit one of seven body types, including:
- Plants
- Aquatic beings
- Creeping creatures
- Birds
- Animals
- Humans
- Devas.
There exist 8.4 million variations within these seven body types for the Soul to reincarnate.
It’s posited that the Soul exists in a state of constant dreaming, with this world, life, and our experiences constituting facets of the dream. Like nightly dreams, the transition from life to death signifies the end of one dream and the beginning of another. This cycle continues until the Soul awakens, realizing the illusory nature of the world and its body.
“Karma defines the interplay between the Soul and the Body.”
Contrasting the Soul and the Body:
BODY:
The body enables movement.
Movements are visible.
They can be articulated in languages.
They cease when at rest.
SOUL:
The soul powers the body’s movements.
Contrary to the body, the soul is invisible, even in its heightened activity.
The soul transcends linguistic expression.
The soul operates both during rest and movement, making it eternal.
Similarly to the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, Albert Einstein proclaimed, “Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be transformed from one form to another.”
Regardless of religious or scientific perspectives, the belief persists that there is an entity which cannot be created nor destroyed.
What are your views on this post?
Do you think this whole Soul and Body thing is real or just fictional?
Upcoming Post: WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF OUR BIRTH?