How to Distinguish Soul From Body.

 

Arjuna now asks for a clearer distinction between the eternal (purusha) and the creation that comes from the eternal (prakriti).

Arjuna asks:

How do I distinguish between objective life and the inner Soul?

What is the difference between intellectually knowable things and the experience of knowingness (of eternal Soul)?

Lord Krishna begins by saying that the body is the objective field of life (kshetram). A wise person who knows about the body is called the knower of the objective field (kshetrajnam). God is also called the conscious, knowing Soul (Kshetrajnaha) in all bodies (kshetras).

Having knowledge of both body and Soul comprises true knowledge, which is a form of awareness. Knowledge of the body is a form of wisdom or awareness. One’s wisdom awareness can know the true nature of the body from within the body/mind system. God too is the knower/awareness of Soul in all bodies since our Soul can awaken to its own existence and be aware of itself.

To truly know the body means to understand how it is a part of nature, how it functions within nature, and how it develops. Krishna elucidates the learning from verse 5 on. [Verse 1–4]

O Krishna, I wish to know about nature (prakriti) and individual consciousness (purusha), the field of action [kshtra] and the knower of this field, knowledge and the goal of knowledge. [1]

O Arjuna, the body is called the field [kshetra] and wise call the knower of field Kshetrajnam. [2]

O Arjuna, know Me to be the conscious Soul in all bodies. To My mind, understanding the knowledge of the body and the Soul is true knowledge. [3]

Briefly hear Me describe the field of activity, its nature, modifications, how it is produced;

who is the knower of the field or Soul, and what are its powers. [4]

Field Body

The nature of the body comprises the fve elements (ether, air, fre, water, and earth). There also exists ego, intellect, the fve senses of knowledge (taste, touch, sight, hearing, smelling), the fve organs of action (tongue, hands, feet, genitals, and anus), and the mind.

Within the body is also desire, aversion, pleasure, pain, and a combination of these, fortitude, and consciousness.

Wisdom/Knowledge

The wisdom field comprises the following positive qualities: humility; forgiveness; simplicity; service to a spiritual teacher; purity;

steadfastness; self-control; not harming others in action, word, or thought; and not being ostentatious.

Renouncing the sense objects and having ego in balance, being aware of the relative (non-eternal) nature of birth, death, old age, disease, and pain; not being attached to the relative life of self, spouse, children, home, fame, fortune, but being attached only to the eternal life that comes to you. Having one-pointed or unwavering devotion to God, preference for seclusion, distaste for large groups of people, and realizing the essence of Truth.

Each of these can be intellectually understood at first, but that is insufficient to truly know what they mean. Only by directly experiencing these qualities in one’s own life can one then say that they truly know what these qualities mean.

Anything other than what is listed here is to be known as spiritual ignorance. Krishna next tells what is worthy to be known. Knowledge of this brings awakening of eternal Self-Realization.

Eternal God (Brahman) has no beginning or end (it has no boundaries to experience things). It is neither existing (sat) nor nonexisting (asat). It is said that eternal God has hands and feet, a head, eyes, a mouth and ears everywhere in creation; God exists and envelops everyone.

God is what makes our senses work, yet is independent of, or beyond the senses. He has no qualities or gunas; She is property less.

Yet It experiences the gunas, exists inside and outside all beings (eternity has no boundaries and thus has no inside or outside). God is moving and nonmoving; is incomprehensible owing to the lack of boundaries. He is far and near at once; She is everywhere, an unbounded and omnipresent Soul.

Eternal God is indivisible, yet can be seen as divided as humans, animals, or nature. It creates, sustains, and concludes all things in creation. He is the light of all lights (beyond darkness). She is knowledge, the knower, and the goal of knowledge that dwells in all hearts.

This is the summary of the field of knowledge and the knowledge to be known. Krishna says that God’s devotees, knowing this, are able to become one with God and merge individual Soul (Jiva) with universal Soul (Paramatma).

Prakriti (nature) can be said to have no beginning, because it comes from Purusha (eternal Soul). Yet in relative life, all of nature has a beginning, middle, and an end. The entire creation is born of the three gunas.

Now Krishna clearly discriminates between Prakriti and Purusha:

 

• Prakriti is responsible for the cause and effect in life.

• The embodied Soul (the person) is the cause of experiencing pleasure and pain.

• Purusha (the Soul) experiences the gunas; attachment to gunas causes rebirth.

• The Soul within the body is the known by many names, including witness, Supreme Self, God, and Atma.

 

The person who knows the Soul and the nature (with its gunas) avoids rebirth. That is, when a person realizes that inner self is Soul and body and all things in nature are also Soul, then all that exists is Soul. Soul is eternal — ever existing — so where is birth and death in this complete vision of eternity?

Krishna next says there are many paths to such a full realization:

a) Meditation (sadhana)

b) Intellectual wisdom (jnyan)

c) Action (karma)

d) Those who have little knowledge worship yet have been taught by spiritual guides, they too can attain Self-Realization.

In other places, Krishna also speaks of combinations of these paths as well as bhakti (devotion) imbibed in the paths. Whatever is in this creation develops from the eternal and the relative forms of Soul (prakriti and purusha). As the Soul is in everything, God exists equally in all beings and nature. The wise man sees this through direct experience. They see the same God or Soul within everything, everywhere, and everyone equally. The wise woman sees that it is nature alone that performs all action. The Soul is merely the unacting witness.

The wise see the unique existence of all beings, creatures, and nature as nothing other than Soul. That wise person has attained Brahman or Self-Realization. This is a vision of that which has no beginning or end, with no gunas or properties.

A mirror can reflect a rose. The mirror can become dirty or it can be painted, covered, or broken. Although the refection of the rose changes as the mirror’s surface changes, the actual rose is never affected. In this way, action in the world of nature can never touch or affect the actual eternal Soul.

Just as the sun illumines all the earth, the Soul, dwelling within all bodies, illuminates all bodies. The realized people who have this eye of wisdom perceive this distinction between body and Soul and are liberated from the enslaving delusion. [Verse 5–35]

This truth has been sung in various ways by the seers, in the Vedic hymns, in various Brahma Sutra aphorisms with their sound logic and reasoning, and by conclusive evidence. [5]

The great elements (earth, water, fre, air, ether), egotism, intellect, unmanifest nature, the 10 organs of senses and action, mind, and the 5 sense objects (desire, hatred, happiness, sadness, determination); all these comprise the field of activities and interactions with the body. [6 - 7]

Humility, unostentatiousness, non-injury, forgiveness, simplicity, service to Guru, purity, steadfastness, self-control; renunciation of sense-objects, absence of egotism, realization of the evils of birth, death, old age, disease, and pain; non-attachment, non-identification of the Self with children, wife, home and the rest; even-mindedness in pleasant and unpleasant events; single-minded and unwavering devotion to Me, resorting to secluded places, aversion to large gatherings of people; constant devotion to spiritual knowledge, realization of the essence of Truth. This is declared to be wisdom; what is opposed to this is ignorance. [8 – 12]

Now I shall explain that which is to be known, by realizing this, one attains immortality. The known is beginningless and subordinate to Me. It is neither existence nor non-existence. [13]

With hands and feet everywhere, with eyes, heads, and faces everywhere, hearing everything; that reality exists pervading the entire creation. [14]

It is the source of the senses, yet is without senses; unattached, yet sustains all; devoid of qualities (gunas), yet is the master of qualities. [15]

It is within and without in the moving and nonmoving, incomprehensible due to Its subtleness; It is far and near. [16]

Indivisible yet appears as divided among creatures; the creator, sustainer, and preserver of all creatures. [17]

It is the light of illumination and beyond darkness. It is knowledge, the One to be known, and the Goal of knowledge that dwells in the hearts of all. [18]

The field, knowledge, and that which is to be known have briefly been described. My devotee, understanding all this, become one with Me. [19]

Understand that nature (prakriti) and Soul (purusha) are without beginning. Also understand that that all modifications and qualities (gunas) are born of prakriti. [20]

Prakriti is said to be the source of cause and effect, while the embodied Soul is the cause of experiencing pleasure and pain. [21]

The Soul experiences the qualities (gunas) born of nature (prakriti). Attachment to the qualities causes birth in good or evil wombs. [22]

The supreme Soul in the body is called the ‘witness’, the sanctioned, a sustainer, the experience, the Ultimate controller, and the Supreme Self. [23]

Those who understand the Soul, nature, and the qualities, however they are living, are not born again. [24]

Some, through meditation, realize the Soul by the Self within themselves; others through wisdom; and yet others through the path of action. [25]

Still others, not having much knowledge, worship as they have heard from other (wise souls); even they surpass death through faithfully following what they have heard. [26]

O Arjuna, whatever is born, whether animate or inanimate, know it is produced from the interaction between the field of activity and the knower of the field of activity. [27]

Anyone who realizes the eternal consciousness within all living things everywhere, and is imperishable within these perishable things, realizes the Truth. [28]

Those who see the Supreme God equally everywhere, they do not hurt the Self by the Self, therefore, realize that supreme goal. [29]

Those who see all actions are performed by nature (prakriti) only, and the Self is not acting, see the Truth. [30]

Those who see the separateness of beings are situated in the Universal Soul, and they grow from that oneness alone, then they fully realize the Ultimate Truth (Brahma). [31]

O Arjuna, without beginning or qualities, the Supreme Soul is unchangeable. Though it lives in the body, it neither acts nor is affected by actions. [32]

Just as all-pervading ether is never infuenced, so the Eternal Soul is all-pervading yet is never infuenced. [33]

O Arjuna, just as one sun illuminates the entire word, so the eternal Soul dwelling in bodies illuminate all bodies. [34]

With the eyes of wisdom, those who see the distinction between the body and Soul, and the liberation from nature, attain eternal Self-Realization. [35]

Exercises.

• Have you ever experienced the state of ‘witnessing’? Maybe you were playing ball, or acting, or speaking; maybe you were reading, listening to music, or absorbing nature. Suddenly you realize that things are going on by themselves and it is as if you are watching a movie or a play. You may see yourself swinging a bat, or talking to a group of people, but you realize it is all going on without you thinking about what to say or do. This experience is a glimpse of witnessing. Also note, if this is not an experience you had, it is of no real importance. It is only discussed here to give an example of the witnessing state.

• Think back over the course of your life; when you were a child, a teenager, a young adult, a senior citizen. Over this span of time you will notice many things changed in your life; your feelings changed, your beliefs and perspectives changed, your body is always changing. Still, with all this change, you are basically non-changing ‘you’ to become more aware of your non-changing Soul.

• It is interesting to consider what is eternal and what has time limits. When we are young, we think we will live forever (we may not even think about it). As an adult we may group things into non-changing or everlasting categories — trees, mountains, oceans, and other places in nature. In reality, these things are always changing too. If we could step back and see one thousand years into the future, we would see the trees have died, mountains and waterways changed form, and even societal ideas and norms that were ‘absolutely believed’ in our day have made way for new views. Contemplating what is truly eternal helps give perspective on what is of value in this life. The longer things last, the more value they have. Kindness, love, and gratitude are some values that help awaken one’s awareness to their eternal Soul. Trees, mountains, and waterways have existed a long time to discover the lasting values within you; appreciate and cultivate them. Incorporate these things into your life evermore.

When caught up in a hectic lifestyle, take some time to analyze the things you are doing; the things you are chasing after, the things you feel you ‘have to buy’ and ‘have to do’. Are they of lasting value? Will they give you the same peace and sanity you are longing for? If not, then you can choose to stop those short-term actions and replace them with more long-term choices. Just because ‘they’ say this is the way to do things, doesn’t make it right for your best interests. Think for yourself, test things out to see if they really work to your long-term advantage. In this way you can take control of creating a more peaceful, harmonious life for you and your family.

Chapter 14

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