Re: Prarabdha Karma and immortal soul
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté
All that has been said from the posts above is right and proper and I have no dispute, as it fits nicely within the 6 schools of thought1.
If one looks at the world from the sāṃkhya school (darśana) then many jīva’s are possible. Their point of view ? There are multiple perceptions of the world hence there must be multiple jīva-s. Yet when called upon to talk of the final and ultimate reality ( the final view) then one would be wise to consider advaita vedānta or non-dual kaśmir śaivism to suggest a few . Here the ‘world’ is a bit different, here there are no multiple Selves.
Consider this one thought offered by kṛṣṇaḥ -jī in the bhāgavadgītā ( chapter 2, 12th verse)2 as He informs arjuna of the following:
natvevāhaṁ jātu nāsaṁ na tvaṁ neme janādhipāḥ|
na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ sarve vayamataḥ param||12
there never was a time when I was not, nor you, nor these rulers of men;
nor will there ever be a time when all of us shall cease to be ||12
If there was never a time when kṛṣṇaḥ -jī was not, nor you nor me, then by deduction all are unborn. From where can I accumulate karma ?
And, there never is a time when we cease to be, then we also must be eternal, correct? Where then is my 'demerit' for wrong doings to be cleansed in the ~ next life~ ? This is the ultimate truth that takes some getting use to.
But one must ask, why yajvan does kṛṣṇaḥ-jī go-on to say in chapter 4, verse 5 :
śrībhagavānuvāca
bahūni me vyatītāni janmāni tava cārjuna|
tānyahaṁ veda sarvāṇi na tvaṁ vettha parantapa||5
many births have passed before Me and for you also O arjuna;
I know them all but you know them not O scorcher of enemies. ||5
Here’s the deal...
kṛṣṇaḥ-jī is the most masterful teacher. He informs arjuna of the highest truth, yet He also brings it to a level that the student
can understand within the relative field of life ( things that come a go, change, diversity, etc).
Just like a movie playing on a big white screen... it is the screen that is never changing, and all the acting, falling, growing, dying, the ups-and-downs appear on this unchanging screen. If there is no screen there is no movie (life). If there is no infinite Being ( the screen) there is no actions that can occur ( life, and all the cycles of yuga-s). Kṛṣṇaḥ-jī is telling arjuna, you, who you really are, is the screen, not the movie.
But yajvan what then is the movie?
Kṛṣṇaḥ-jī clearly points this out in chapter 3:
prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ|
ahaṅkāravimūḍhātmā kartāhamiti manyate||27
actions ( the movie I had mentioned) in every case are performed by the the guna-s of nature (prakṛteḥ);
he whose mind is deluded by the sense of ‘I’ holds ‘I am the doer’ ( of actions, of the movie).|| 27
When your alignment to actions as the 'doer' then you are the accumulator of actions. Yet per kṛṣṇaḥ-jī this is not the clearest view of your true nature... He informs us, one is deluded holding that they are the actual doers. If this is thought though, one can come to the same conclusion. This again takes some study and pondering of which I see Anirudh pursuing.
Within the pursuit of truth of the highest nature ( that is the neighborhood we are now in with this conversation ) we are told by the wise of sādhana-catuṣtaya or the 4 prerequisites ( or pursuits) of sādhana ( spiritual unfoldment/practice), they are:
- discrimination
- non-attachment
- self-control
- irrepressible hankering after the realization of truth
Rāmaṇa mahaṛṣi offers his thoughts on the last point mentioned. What should one do to overcome (present) ignorance?
Be eager to have true knowledge. As that eagerness grows (the)wrong knowledge diminishes in strength until it finally disappears.
... I found this eagerness to hold merit, to be true.
इतिशिवं
iti śivaṁ
terms
1. The 6 schools are the following:
· sāṁkhya
· yoga
· vedānta
· mīmāṃsā
· nyāya
· vaiśeṣika
The 6 darśana-s (seeing, looking, knowledge, traditional doctrine or precept , collection of such doctrines) are so complete in themselves, that many people took the 6 to be different views. This is not the case, it is the 6, when taken as whole give a 360º view of Reality.
2. I find it interesting that this verse is found in the chapter called sāṃkhya yoga.
Last edited by yajvan; 24 January 2017 at 09:26 PM.
यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
because you are identical with śiva
_
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