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View Full Version : Billions of Souls, Many Universes?



ShivaFan
03 August 2012, 02:16 AM
Namaste

Many renowned Personalities, Gurus, Yogis, mystics have spoken of multiple Lokas, sometimes in terms of planets in the universe, or sometimes other worlds not necessarily a Loka where souls live. Or of the 14 Lokas themselves. But some say Loka is only a stage in life. But some Gurus such as Prabhupad (Gaudiya) who actually spoke of spheres or planets in our own universe where the are many souls. Or for example Bhagwan Swaminarayan (Swaminarayan Sampradayas), alluded to these wolds though recommendations to bhaktas in comparison or contrat to the "14 lokas". Even within the context of the 14, the Earth or this world is counted among them according to some, again almost as if in the context of a planet or world where souls are found.

While avoiding criticism of one Guru or another by name, let some offer some ideas about the billions of souls in this world, and if there are so many worlds why are so many coming here? This can be more interesting than at first glance.

In THIS world, there are now many, many more souls than even 100 years ago.

Today there are billions and billions of souls, here among us.

And why is that?

China will soon reach a point of unimaginable numbers of humans. India has a vast number of souls. The American Government tells us lies or simply inaccurate numbers that the current US population is 320 million, yet the true number is much larger even among legal citizens and not even accounting for illegal aliens. The actual population is now probably larger than India's at the time of Independence, only 60 plus years ago.

This is not a question about "population explosion" or such controversy. It is a question about souls, I am curious to see where some are in ideation, faith, in mindset, in Hinduism.

So now we are billions and billions. And why so? Do so many souls want to come here? Or are there so many wicked souls who are put here instead of a higher place, planet or Loka?

In the Sacred Texts, whatever you consider as the scriptures of "Hinduism", can someone cite a reference that foretold or foretells the very reality of where we find ourselves now, billions and billions of souls living here on this world?

And, in the Sacred Texts, or the teachings of your Guru, or in the truths given by great yogis and true mystics, are there other planets, just like this world is called a planet, where there are found souls?

And what is a Loka? I know of 14. But are there 14 billion?

What do you say? What do you believe?

Om Namah Sivaya

Jodhaa
23 August 2012, 06:06 PM
Namaste ShivaFan!

This is a very complex but beautiful conundrum. I cannot answer as perfectly as you have asked but I will try.

I believe it would be pure arrogance to assume that this planet is the only one with souls on it. The Universe appears to be infinite, for he have not found its end and we keep venturing farther and farther. Even if you believe in coincidence, the mathematical odds are stacked against our planet being alone.

I believe that there are other worlds/dimensions/plains of existence (however you want to think of it) and that they harbor souls. As to the question of why there are so many here...are there really that many? We don't have a basis for comparison after all. There is no sister planet whose population we can measure. There are certainly a LOT of us here.

I don't think this planet or this reality is "as good as it gets" from a reincarnation perspective. I believe it may be entirely possible for souls to be reborn elsewhere according to their karma.

Thank you for the interesting topic!

Peace!

Omkara
23 August 2012, 06:20 PM
Plants and animals have souls.So it is impossible to count the number of souls on prithviloka and whether it is increasing or decreasing.Besides that there other habitable planets in our universe and other universes.

Equinox
23 August 2012, 08:32 PM
Vannakkam


Besides that there other habitable planets in our universe and other universes.

This is something I've always wondered about. There definitely has to be right? I mean the universe is so vast, I'm sure there's life in other planets and galaxies too.

wundermonk
23 August 2012, 11:24 PM
Do also keep in mind that the past is infinite in duration. So, even if the number of manifested souls at present is finite, there is no limit on the number of presently unmanifested souls that were previously at some prior point in time manifest.

"There never was a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor any of these kings of men. Nor will there be any time in future when all of us shall cease to be.

The unreal can never come into being, the real never ceases to be.

These bodies of the Jiva are said to have an end while the Jiva itself is eternal, indestructible and incomprehensible.

The self is never born; It never dies; having come into being once, It never ceases to be. Unborn, eternal, abiding and primeval, It is not slain when the body is slain."

-Krishna to Arjuna.

yajvan
25 August 2012, 01:10 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté



Today there are billions and billions of souls, here among us.

I look at this a bit differently and take my views from the puruṣa sūktaṃ :

om sahasra̍śīrṣā puru̍ṣaḥ sahasrākśaḥ sahasra̍pāt
sa bhūmi̍ṁ viśvato̍ vṛtvā atya̍tiṣṭaddaśāṅgulam ||

What is called out in the śloka is sahasra = 1,000 . So this says puruṣa has 1,000 heads, a 1,000 eyes and 1,000 feet. Now does He really have this?

It is another way the seer (ṛṣi nārāyaṇa) of this great hymn tells us puruṣa is everywhere and even beyond that . He says this by saying beyond the span of 10 (daśā) fingers (aṅgula). This 'beyond' too can mean transcends.

So, what is my point to offer ? This knowledge informs us there is one univeral soul, one univeral Being, that has thousands ( upon millions and billions) of expressions.

When we look at a tree we see thousands of leaves... yet there is one tree. And this tree can produce more and more leaves, branches and the like.
Like that we see differentiated things, but the truth is there is undifferentated One being, with muliple expressions.

For me , this then changes the shape of the conversation.

praṇām