Begin or continue your systematic study of Srila Prabhupada's books in the following order:
1. Compilations such as Science of Self Realization, Journey of Self Discovery,
2. Sri Isopanishad,
3. Nectar of Instruction,
4. Bhagavad-gita As It Is,
5. Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto One,
6. Teachings of Lord Chaitanya,
7. The Krishna Book,
8. Nectar of Devotion,
9. Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto Two, Canto Six,
10. Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita,
11. Srimad Bhagavatam, remaining Cantos
What is philosophy?
1. Seeking after wisdom or knowledge, esp. that which deals with ultimate reality, or with the general causes and principles of things.
2. The academic study of knowledge, thought, and the meaning of life.
3. The particular doctrines of a specific school relating to these issues.
4. Any system of belief or values. Philo- is from Greek and means to have a love or a liking for. -sophy comes from the Greek word for wisdom.
Philosophy is the science of sciences, states Srila Prabhupada, or the science from which all other sciences are derived. It means to search, research, inquire, and see with intelligence the nature of the absolute truth, the ultimate reality, the original source of everything. The search for the absolute truth (athato brahma-jijnasa), he explains, is the beginning of philosophy.
What is theology?
A system of religion; rational analysis or study of a religious faith. Theo- comes from the Greek word for God. -logy refers to the study of something. Theology is the science of God, says Srila Prabhupada, which means knowing God, His nature, and our relationship to Him.
The Science of Love of God:Sambandha, Abhideya, Prayojana
Three spiritual divisions of Vedic knowledge.
Sambandha= the living entity's eternal relationship with Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Abhidheya= The living entity's understanding of this relationship and acting accordingly.
Prayojana=the ultimate goal of life: to develop love of God and return back to Godhead.
The three stages of spiritual advancement:
First one has to establish his relationship with God as an eternal servant (sambandha), then he acts in that relationship (abhidheya) to achieve the goal of life, love for God (prayojana). The same applies to any relationship. A boy and girl, for example, may want a family. First they meet and establish a relationship. They marry. Then they act in that relationship, and then comes the children. Sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana. They are the culmination of the entire Vedanta philosophy, the essence of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the great riches of life.
“Dharma means to understand our relationship with God and to act in that relation so that we may attain the ultimate goal of life. That is dharma. Sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana. The whole Vedic civilization is based on this.” (Srila Prabhupada Lectures) “Caitanya Mahaprabhu concludes that we are after riches. He says that Krishna, devotional service, and love of Krishna, these three items are the topmost riches in life." (Srila Prabhupada Lectures)
The Methods of Attaining Knowledge:
The starting point in philosophical discussion is epistemology-establishing the basis of knowledge. Jiva Goswami lists in his Sad-sandharbha ten methods of attaining knowledge, including tradition, history, guessing, comparison, probability, and logic, and shows how all of them fit into three main categories. Pratyaksa (Direct sense perception) The knowledge we get through the five senses, Anumana (Mental reasoning) Literally "to follow (anu) the mind (mana)" , Sabda (Authoritative testimony) Literally "sound"
About Vedic Authority:
1. The Vedas are like an instruction manual to the material world.
2. The artist knows best of his own painting.
3. Inductive (by own strength) and deductive (that comes down) knowledge: if the authority is perfect, then hearing from him the perfect method.
4. We can experiment and come to the same conclusion, but accepting authority will save us time.
5. The Vedic knowledge is described as apauruseya (not of man).
6. The Vedas are accepted as axiomatic (vanzelfsprekend, logisch).
The Four Defects of the Conditioned Soul:
Imperfect Senses (Karanapatava) The senses are limited and can easily be misled.
Illusion (Pramada) Accepting as real something that is not real.
Mistakes (Bhrama) "To err is human."
Cheating (Vipralipsa) To propagate falsehood, to present yourself as something you are not. Looking for the key under the street light: Using our material mind and senses to find the truth is like the man who dropped his car keys in the driveway but searches for it under the streetlight, where the light is better. Taking help from the scriptures is like using a torchlight in the driveway. God is all-powerful, all-good, and all-knowing.
The Importance of Faith in Bhakti and the Danger of Doubts:
A faithful man who is dedicated to transcendental knowledge and who subdues his senses is eligible to achieve such knowledge, and having achieved it he quickly attains the supreme spiritual peace. But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness; they fall down. For the doubting soul there is no happiness neither in this world nor in the next. (Bg 4.39-40)
Those who are not faithful in this devotional service cannot attain Me, O conqueror of enemies. Therefore they return to the path of birth and death in this material world. (Bg 9.3).
Anything done as sacrifice, charity or penance without faith in the Supreme, O son of Prtha, is impermanent. It is called asat and is useless both in this life and the next. (Bg 17.28).
And I declare that he who studies this sacred conversation of ours worships Me by his intelligence. And one who listens with faith and without envy becomes free from sinful reactions and attains to the auspicious planets where the pious dwell. (Bg 18.70-71).
Srila Prabhupada describes in his purport to Bg 9.3 how one’s level of faith determines one’s degree of advancement in Krishna consciousness: "It is only by faith that one can advance in Krishna consciousness." "Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed." (Svetasvatara Upanisad) Doubts are compared to demons in the Bhagavad-gita. When doubts arise in the mind and create a disturbance, they can indicate the presence of stubborn material attachments that are being gradually removed by the process of devotional service. Doubt is a function of the intelligence. (SB 3.26.30)
Nothing should be accepted blindly everything should be accepted with care and with caution. (Bg 10.4-5p)
Before surrendering, one is free to deliberate on this subject as far as the intelligence goes; that is the best way to accept the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Bg 18.63p)
How to develop faith and destroy doubts:
1. Associate with faithful devotees.
2. Cleanse the heart of all the material dirt that causes doubt by chanting Hare Krishna and follow the Krishna consciousness process.
3. Take shelter of Krishna with prayer and submission.
4. Follow the process and see for yourself how it works. Examples: road map; jar of honey.
5. See how it works for others.
6. Cultivate knowledge and philosophical understanding, and destroy ignorance by study of the scriptures and through philosophical inquiry. One who follows the instruction of the Bhagavad-gita, as it is imparted by the Lord, the Personality of Godhead Himself, becomes free from all doubts by the grace of transcendental knowledge. . . .Therefore the doubts which have arisen in your heart out of ignorance should be slashed by the weapon of knowledge. Armed with yoga, O Bharata, stand and fight. (Bg 4.41-42)
The Existence of God:
People are generally more inclined to listen to the positive case for God's existence after their objections against His existence are shown to be insubstantial. How could you deal with of the following objections?
1. Why is there so much suffering in the world?
2. You cannot give any proof of God.
3. You have a belief, but we have real knowledge (science).
4. It is just a psychological need of weak people. l
The Ontological argument: There is no question of whether or not there is a Supreme - something must be supreme in the universe; it is just a matter of finding out what it is. l The origin is either nothing, impersonal, or personal. l The Absolute is by definition unlimited. It must therefore include both personal and impersonal aspects. l Everyone had a father before him. But ultimately the line must trace back to the original father. l We speak of Mother Nature, but who is the Father? Where do the souls come from that give life to the material bodies? l All the scriptures of the world confirm the existence of God. l Krishna as the Supersoul, causes remembrance, knowledge, and forgetfulness. Instinct and the occurrence of inspiration further indicate His presence in the heart.
Janmadyasya yathah "The Absolute Truth is that from which everything comes, upon which everything is based. It is the ultimate origin and foundation." A fundamental definition of the Absolute Truth from the Vedanta-sutra.
Intelligent Design
If you didn’t know anything about watches, and you found one lying somewhere, you would not suppose that the watch’s form was an accident, with its intricate and finely tuned mechanics. You would assume it had been designed and created by someone with a particular purpose in mind. Similarly, the incredible complexity and perfection of the creation indicates intelligent design: the tiny atoms and molecules, the workings of cells and biological functions, the variety of life-forms, the balance of the ecosystem and nature, the planetary systems and stars, the universal laws. "It does not matter whether or not we see the lawmaker behind the common laws; we must admit that there is a lawmaker. Matter can never work automatically, without a living hand, and therefore we must admit the existence of God, the supreme living being, behind the laws of nature." -Srila Prabhupada, Light of the Bhagavat.
Can a Scientist Believe in God?
One of the great dogmas that plague modern thinking is the idea that belief in God is irrationally based only on faith and sentiment. Those who hold this opinion admit that knowledge obtained by empirical means is limited and imperfect, but they still dismiss any alternative body of knowledge that lies beyond their inherently defective and limited empirical knowledge even though scientific attitude demands that alternative hypotheses be rejected only after sufficient consideration and testing. Such people, while calling religious texts dogmatic and while avoiding submission to God's authority, have imposed a great dogma on themselves in the name of science. "It is the business of science to offer rational explanations for all events in the real world, and any scientist who calls on God to explain something is failing in his job. This is one piece of dogmatism that a scientist can allow himself." (William Bonner, pg.119, The mystery of the Expanding Universe)
It is one thing to say that we cannot experimentally verify the existence of God by currently available methodologies of modern science. But it is hasty and foolish to assume that there can exist no methodologies of a different nature that can help us directly verify the existence of God, or that the methods of science and religion cannot be integrated.
The Illogical Imagination of the Atheists
When anthropologists dig in the earth and find a triangular piece of sharp flint, they conclude that it must have been designed by someone to be the tip of an arrow. Such things designed for a purpose, scientists agree, could not be products of chance. When it comes to living things, however, the same logic is often abandoned. A designer is considered unnecessary. But the simplest singlecelled organism, or just the DNA of the genetic code, is far more complex than a shaped piece of flint. Yet atheists insist that these had no designer and were shaped by chance events. Darwin at least recognised the need for some designing force, and he assigned the job to natural selection. "Natural selection", he said, "is daily and hourly scrutinising, throughout the world, the slightest variations; rejecting those that are bad, preserving and adding up all that are good."
More Evidence
When we think calmly and carefully about this wonderful universe, we see order and design at every level - in the atoms, the molecules, the solar system and the universe. Scientists continue to find new and astonishing aspects of this order. The very word 'cosmos' means 'an orderly, harmonious systematic universe'. An atom includes a nucleus surrounded by orbiting electrons. All matter is made up of these building blocks. What makes one substance differ from another is the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus and the arrangement of electrons revolving around it. This has an exquisite order. At the molecular level, networks of atoms are so fantastically arranged that even a slight change in the position of a few atoms or a little variation in the geometry of a molecule can cause the colour of a substance to change; a mild, pleasing odour to become repellent and pungent; and a flavour to change from bitter to sweet. As for the planet earth, the atmosphere among many other functions, maintains the temperature within safe limits for life and carries the vital supply of fresh water-vapour far inland from the oceans to irrigate the earth. It can be easily shown through many simple illustrations how God created this world and took care of every detail, so that we living beings can have all the necessary things for existence. One example is the four remarkable properties of water. l its power of absorbing vast quantities of oxygen at low temperatures l its maximum density at 4 degrees centigrade above the freezing point, whereby lakes and rivers remain liquid l the lesser density of ice than water, so that it remains on the surface l its power of releasing great quantities of heat as it freezes, which preserves life in oceans, lakes and rivers throughout long winters. From the infinitely large to the infinitesimally small, from galactic clusters to atoms, the universe is characterised by superb organisation. Indeed, the universe is so precisely organised that man can use the heavenly bodies as the basis for his timekeeping. One of the smallest seeds has packaged within it the biggest living thing on earth - the giant sequoia tree. It grows over 300 feet high. Four feet above the ground its diameter may be 36 feet. One tree may contain enough wood to build 50 six-room houses. The two-foot-thick bark is flavoured with tannin an insect repellent, and its spongy, fibrous texture makes it almost as fireproof as asbestos. Its roots cover three or four acres. It lives over 3000 years. Yet the seeds that a sequoia tree rains down by the millions are not much bigger than a pinhead surrounded by tiny wings. Does it make sense to believe that the majestic giant and the tiny seed that packages it were not shaped by design? Nobel-prize-winning physicist Robert A Millikan said at a meeting of the American Physical Society: "There's a Divinity that shapes our ends … A purely materialistic philosophy is to me the height of unintelligence. Wise men in all ages have always seen enough to at least make them reverent." Every day the sun supplies the solar system with a tremendous amount of heat, light and energy. The very tiny fraction of the sun's energy that falls on the earth - estimated at about five parts in a hundred million – is about 100,000 times greater than all the energy used in the world's industries. Put in a different way, the energy the sun emits in one second is greater than the whole amount of energy that the human species has consumed throughout its history! The development that has taken place in all of the physical sciences during the past hundred years has come about chiefly from the application of the scientific method to the study of matter and energy. In the experimental part of this study every effort is made to eliminate every known possibility that the results obtained are due in any way to mere chance. This study consistently has shown in the past and still continues to show that the behaviour of even insensible matter is not at all haphazard, but on the contrary obeys definite natural laws. As physicist Stephen W Hawking said: "The more we examine the universe, we find it is not arbitrary at all but obeys certain well-defined laws that operate in different areas. It seems very reasonable to suppose that there may be some unifying principle."
After commenting on all the special conditions of order and law that are so obvious in the universe, 'Science News' observed: Contemplation of these things disturbs cosmologists because it seems as if such particular and precise conditions could hardly have arisen at random. One way to deal with the question is to say the whole thing was contrived and lay it on Divine Providence." Many scientists have begun to acknowledge what the evidence keeps insisting – intelligence. Astrophysicist John Gribin admitted in 'New Scientist' that "Though scientists claim, by and large, to be able to describe in great detail what happened after the moment of creation, what brought about the instant of creation remains a mystery," And, he mused, "maybe God did make it, after all."
The Unseen Is Proven by the Seen
One may not know God for sometime, but sooner or later, an intelligent person asks - "How is it that the material universe from the sub microscopic realm of the atom to the expanding reaches of the galactic objects is running like an intricate well-oiled clock? If hundreds of scientists have to break their heads to put a single satellite in orbit, how much greater giant brain, capable of careful planning, would be required to put millions of planets in orbit? Modern scientists are proud of automation, but there is a scientific brain behind automation also. What great intelligence has been able to imagine them, realise them and put them in motion?" A clear principle is established: "The unseen is proved by the seen. The creation reflects the creator at every point. God can be easily seen in this creation just as an inventor can be easily known by his invention." The Bhagavad-Gita explains that everything rests upon God just as pearls are strung on a thread. Krishna says in the Bhagavad-Gita (7.7): "O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to me. Everything rests upon me, as pearls are strung on a thread." The analogy is clear. By superficial examination of a pearl necklace, one cannot see what is keeping all the pearls together. But we figure, that there must be some binding factor, else the pearls would have scattered. Similarly, God is the underlying thread of truth binding this entire cosmic manifestation together in an orderly manner. It is he who put all the planets and galaxies into precise orbits and it is he who maintains them.
Isaac Newton's Model
There is a wonderful incident in the life of Sir Isaac Newton that goes to show how he was a strong believer of God. Newton had a small - scale model of the solar system, which, on completion, was installed on a large table in his home. The artisan had proximity, but also constructing the model in such a manner that everything rotated and orbited when a crank was turned. One day, one of Newton's atheistic friends came by for a visit and was naturally intrigued by the model. Having expressed admiration at the workmanship, he inquired about the artisan. Newton replied in all seriousness that there was no artisan. The model had just popped up by chance. Of course, the visitor was not convinced. Finally, Newton explained, "You refuse to believe that this puny contraption came about by chance and yet you are convinced that the great original, the actual solar system, of which this mechanism is only a model, has come into being without a designer or a maker. Now tell me, by what sort of reasoning do you reach such an absurd conclusion?" Thus Newton defeated his friend and made him realize that behind this marvellous creation of the universe, there is the hand of God. Once when Newton was standing on seashore, one of his friends praised him for his world-renowned laws of mechanics and other inventions. Newton replied, "All my findings are like the pebbles that you find on the seashore, whereas God's mysterious creation is like this unfathomable ocean! Who can begin to understand his energies?" Thus Newton recognized the greatness of God. Taken from ’Discover Your Self‘ by Radheyshyam Das (IYF Pune)
"You Are Not The Material Body"
The Power of Identity The belief that you hold, about who you are, and your identity, is very powerful; the way you see yourself in relationship to everything else determines your behaviour and your goals. The transcendentalist is constantly endeavoring to realize himself as a spiritual soul, different from any of the temporary bodily designations which we so strongly identify ourselves. You are an eternal spirit; you were never born and you will never die.
This is the first point Krishna explains in the Bhagavad-gita. Understanding this is the first step in spiritual life. "The material body of the indestructible, immeasurable and eternal living entity is sure to come to an end; therefore, fight, O descendent of Bharata." The body changes throughout life but the self remains the same. We can remember having a child´s body. That form is gone now, but the inner self, the observer, remains.
Common Arguments:
1. What is the difference between a dead body and a living body? When someone dies, we say, "Oh, he has gone." Even a child can understand that the person is no longer there.
2. Any combination of non-conscious atoms or dull material elements cannot produce consciousness. This is common sense.
3. Energy is never lost or destroyed. So what happens to the source of consciousness, the living force, at the time of death? 4. We even say, "My body." That indicates that we intuitively know that the "I" owns the body; they are two different things.
5. Peoples testimonies about out of body experiences and past life memories give us powerful evidence.
6. The Vedas conclude: Matter, which can be percieved by the material senses, is temporal and unconscious. Spirit, which is imperceptible to the material senses, is the eternal consciousness.
7. Together they make up the whole of reality which we experience in this universe.
Some common objections:
Q1:But the soul can´t be percieved in any way or measured with any instrument. Why should we believe in a hypothetical entity for which there is no evidence?
A1:Actually, you can see the soul; it is just a matter of training, just as you must study in the university for many years to see how an atom exists. The soul is like a spiritual atom. The symptom of its presence is consciousness.
Q2:Evolutionary theory has proven that life is a result of chemical combinations everyone knows that.
A2: Evolutionary theory is still a theory, and real scientists know that it has many problems. And a significant body of discoveries defies the theory. It is far from having proven anything. We challenge people to prove that life comes from chemicals by demonstrating it in the laboratory.
Q3: The brain is so complex, we cannot understand how it works, but you can tell that it is the source of consciousness because if certain parts are damaged, the consciousness is impaired.
A3: Not necessarily. If a computer is damaged, the user’s ability to operate through the computer will be impaired, but that doesn’t mean that the user is created by the computer. Consciousness may work through the brain but that doesn’t mean that the brain is consciousness. It is still a collection of material elements. Atoms, electrons, and molecules cannot see, no matter what combination you put them in.
The Soul The soul is the life force within the body.
It is the source of consciousness, your very self, which is experiencing the changes of the mind and body. Therefore it is also called the knower of the "field" (i.e. the body). Here is a list of important qualities of the soul: l Eternally an individual personality and identity l Pleasure-seeking by nature l Sat-cit-ananda l Transcendental / does not mix with anything l More powerful than ten thousand suns l Situated in the heart alongside with the Supersoul l Always dependent; must take shelter of Krishna or His energy l An eternal part and parcel of Krishna and therefore has the same qualities as Krishna l A servant and lover of Krishna l Controlled by Krishna l Naturally serves Krishna l Illuminates the entire body with consciousness, as sun illuminates the solar system. l Never born and never dies l Ten-thousandth of the tip of a hair l Unbreakable, insoluble, everlasting, indestructible l Unchangeable, invisible, inconceivable and immutable l Cannot be cut by any weapon, burned by fire, moistened by water, nor dried by the wind.
Sanatana-dharma The Constitutional Position of the Soul l
Sanatana means eternal. l Self-realization means to understand the real nature (eternal identity) of the self. l Identity is defined in terms of relationships to others-parents, brothers, uncles, occupation, community, society, nation. l If we want to know our ultimate, eternal (constitutional) identity, we have to see our postion in relationship to the Absolute Truth, to God. So what is our relationship to God? That is our dharma, our eternal (sanatana-) dharma. l Colloquially, dharma means occupation, religion, or path. But these are not universal or eternal or the essence of the living being's existence. l The root meaning of dharma is "essence" or "that which sustains ones existence"; For instance saltiness is the essence of salt – you can not remove it. Heat and light are the essences of fire; they are it’s dharma. Similarily the essential nature of the living entitiy is activity in relationship to others => service. l Religion really means to re-link. And re-linking with God is a process universal to all religions. Yoga means the same thing: to connect oneself with God. And this connection is re-established through service.
Summary
So, our constitutional identity is defined by our relationship to the Lord. And our essential nature is to serve. Therefore we are servants of the Lord, just as the part is to the whole. This is our sanatana-dharma, our eternal occupation, our real religion. What is the difference between mundane religion and transcendental religion? Mundane religion is bound to the material and involves the four material principles: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. Or dharma, artha, kama and moksha. Krishna consciousness rejects these four mundane principles (Bg 18.66) {although a devotee still achieves the benefits of them all automatically without separate endeavour (Bg 9.22)} and embraces the principle of bhakti yoga.
Consider the peace and satisfaction felt in serving others as compared to the frustration of trying to lord it over others. A cook or a nurse for example feels satisfaction when the recipients of their services are satisfied; whereas an ambitious status seeker is always envious of those above him.
The Law of Karma What is Karma? l
Literally means "work" or "activity" l The law of karma means for every action there is a reaction (the law of cause and effect) l The pain or pleasure we cause others will sooner or later return back to us. Therefore whatever pain or pleasure we are experiencing now is a result of our previous activities. → "As you sow, so shall you reap." There are various stages both in cause and effect. Each effect is also a cause for future effect.
Bija → Seed → Desire, to enjoy and control separate from Krishna in various ways. Kutastha → Bud → Decision, thinking, feeling and willing in the mind, coming to the decision to perform a particular activity. Phalonmukha → Fruit → Activity, performing it. Prarabdha → Reap/harvest → Reaction, happiness and distress.
Karma is administered by the Supersoul l He knows everything-past, present, and future l He keeps track of our karmic accounts l He arranges for the particular body and circumstances we get in life l He makes sure that we get the karmic reactions we deserve by both (a) giving us the knowledge, forgetfulness, remembrance, and inspiration that will guide us in the required direction; and (b) arranging other appropriate circumstances externally. l He awards the living beings what they desire and deserve
Three divisions of action and subsequent reaction (karma)
Karma: Pious work that adheres to Vedic principles → Elevates one to higher status, a good birth or life on the heavenly planets.
Vikarma: Work that contravenes Vedic injunctions, sinful → Produces negative reactions, lower birth.
Akarma: Not a negation of work but of reactions. i.e. work with no reactions. Work done not for oneself but for Krishna → Gives liberation and establishes one in loving devotional service.
Points of discussion l Even so-called good karma is bondage. l Action in inaction / inaction in action = reaction from not working / no reaction from work (see Bg 4.18) l Action in Krishna consciousness burns up previous reactions l Everything depends on desire; we cannot obliterate desire-we must change it. l Giving and accepting money in charity.
Destiny and Free Will
Is the living entity in the material world controlled or free?
Are his activities pre-determined or does he choose them himself?
Philosophers, theologians, and scientists throughout the centuries have pondered and discussed this age-old theme. People generally like to think that they are totally free. Why wouldn't it be correct to say that we are completely controlled and have absolutely no free will? l We wouldn't be responsible for our own actions and get karma (animals don't accumulate karma, because they cannot make independent decisions). l That would make God whimsical for sending some living entities to enjoy in heaven and other to suffer in hell. l Krishna is supremely independent; His parts and parcels are therefore also minutely independent. l If we had no free will, how could we surrender? And how could there be any love? What is our freedom? How does our free will manifest in daily life? Here are a few examples: l Following Krishna's instructions or not (We have the free will to submit ourselves to the control of material nature or Krishna's instructions.) l Choosing to do good in moments of moral dilemma l A person may become attracted to a certain mode and thus associate with it and thus develop that mode more within himself.
Points of Discussion l Common misinterpretations of karma; dodging responsibility l The soul is responsible for her own entanglement; Krishna never wanted us to leave his association. l Entanglement and liberation are results of desire; Use and misuse of freedom; l What is freedom really? l Breaking laws leads to loss of freedom.
Re-incarnation "As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up old and useless ones. " (Bg 2.22)
Definitions: Re-incarnation: the incarnation or embodiment of a soul in a new body after it has left the old one at physical death. Transmigration: the passing (of souls) from one body to another at death.
Basic Description
l The human being's activities create karmic reactions or karmaphala (‘work-fruit’). His desires, thoughts, words, and actions in life produce a total impression on the mind. l As long as the living entity still has material desires, Krishna continues to give him another opportunity to fulfill them. l After death, the living being gets another body according to his desire, the total impression on the mind, and his karma-phala. l The 8,400,000 species are created with different sets of senses to fulfill the different desires of the living entity. l Karma-phala, which determines the path one takes through various species or to other human bodies, is accrued only in the human form of life. l The soul uses up his accumulated karma-phala as he passes through the non-human species. l Eventually, the soul returns to the human platform, where he gets a new opportunity to carve out a new destiny. l This cycle continues until the living entity becomes free of material desire, which holds him in the material world. "Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail." (Bg 8.6)
Quotes:
Throughout the ages, many famous thinkers (philosophers, writers, scholars, theologians, sceintists, artists, etc.) have accepted the concept of reincarnation: "I am confident that there is truly such a thing as living again, and that the living spring from the dead." (Socrates while drinking the cup of poison)
"Every soul comes into this world strengthened by the victories or weakened by the defeats of its previous life.... Its work in this world determines its place in the world which is to follow this." (Origen)
"God generates beings and sends them back over and over again, until they return to Him." (Koran)
"It is not more surprising to be born twice than once." (Voltaire)
They will come back, come back again As long as the red earth rolls. He never wasted a leaf or a tree. Do you think He would squander souls? (Rudyard Kipling)
"I am no Hindu, but I hold the doctrine of the Hindus concerning a future state to be incomparably more rational, more pious, and more likely to deter men from vice, than the horrid opinions inculcated by Christians on punishments without end." (Sir William Jones, founder of the Asiatic Society of Bengal).
"It is absolutely necessary that the soul be purified, and if this does not take place in this life on earth, it must be accomplished in future lives." (St. Gregory, bishop of Nyssa)
The Body of Benjamin Franklin Printer Like the Cover of an Old Book Its Contents Torn Out And Stripped of its Lettering and Guilding Lies Here, Food for Worms. But the Work Shall Not Be Lost For It Will (As He Believed) Appear Once More In a New and Elegant Edition Revised and Corrected by The Author - Benjamin B Franklin's selfcomposed epitaph.
"Who do men say that I am? John the Baptist, Elias or Jeremias." (Jesus)