Jahnu
2020-08-18 14:02:01 UTC
A human being has two bodies - a gross, physical body, and a subtle,
mental body. They both belong in the category of matter - gross matter
and subtle matter
The mind consists of three subtle elements - the mind, intelligence,
and false ego. The functions of the mind are to think, feel and will
The functions of the intelligence are to discriminate, remember and
doubt. And the function of the false ego is to make us think we are
the body and mind.
In the mind are stored all the impressions, or samskaras, from
millions and billions of life-times. By Krishnas grace, a person
cant remember the different mental impressions from life to life. We
would go insane, if we could remember everything we did and think in
all these life-times, so therefore Krishna, in His form as Paramatma,
the Supersoul, makes us forget.
So the impressions from countless of live-times are stored in the
subconscious mind.
Narada Muni says:
Therefore, my dear King, the living entity, who has a subtle mental
covering, develops all kinds of thoughts and images because of his
previous body. Take this from me as certain. There is no possibility
of concocting anything mentally without having perceived it in the
previous body. --SB 4.29.65
Srila Prabhupada explains:
Actually the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is the supreme
enjoyer. When a living entity wants to imitate Him, he is given a
chance to satisfy his false desire to lord it over material nature.
That is the beginning of his downfall. As long as he is within this
material atmosphere, he has a subtle vehicle in the form of the mind,
which is the stockpile of all kinds of material desires.
Such desires become manifest in different bodily forms. Srila Narada
Muni requests the king to accept this fact from him because Narada is
an authority. The conclusion is that the mind is the storehouse of our
past desires, and we have this present body due to our past desires.
Similarly, whatever we desire in this present body will be expressed
in a future body. Thus the mind is the source of different kinds of
bodies.
If the mind is purified by Krishna consciousness, one will naturally
in the future get a body that is spiritual and full of Krishna
consciousness. Such a body is our original form, as Sri Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu confirms, jivera 'svarupa' haya-krsnera 'nitya-dasa': [Cc.
Madhya 20.108] "Every living entity is constitutionally an eternal
servant of Krishna."
If a person is engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, he is to
be considered a liberated soul even in this life. This is confirmed by
Srila Rupa Gosvami:
"One who engages in the transcendental service of the Lord in body,
mind and words is to be considered liberated in all conditions of
material existence." (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.187)
The Krishna consciousness movement is based on this principle. We must
teach people to absorb themselves always in the service of the Lord
because that position is their natural position. One who is always
serving the Lord is to be considered already liberated. This is also
confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (14.26):
"One who always engages in the spiritual activities of unalloyed
devotional service at once transcends the modes of material nature and
is elevated to the spiritual platform."
The devotee is therefore above the three modes of material nature and
is even transcendental to the brahmana platform. A brahmana may be
infected by the two baser modes -- namely rajo-guna and tamo-guna. A
pure devotee, who is free from all material desires experienced on the
mental platform and who is also free from empiric philosophical
speculation or fruitive activity, is always above material
conditioning and is always liberated.
mental body. They both belong in the category of matter - gross matter
and subtle matter
The mind consists of three subtle elements - the mind, intelligence,
and false ego. The functions of the mind are to think, feel and will
The functions of the intelligence are to discriminate, remember and
doubt. And the function of the false ego is to make us think we are
the body and mind.
In the mind are stored all the impressions, or samskaras, from
millions and billions of life-times. By Krishnas grace, a person
cant remember the different mental impressions from life to life. We
would go insane, if we could remember everything we did and think in
all these life-times, so therefore Krishna, in His form as Paramatma,
the Supersoul, makes us forget.
So the impressions from countless of live-times are stored in the
subconscious mind.
Narada Muni says:
Therefore, my dear King, the living entity, who has a subtle mental
covering, develops all kinds of thoughts and images because of his
previous body. Take this from me as certain. There is no possibility
of concocting anything mentally without having perceived it in the
previous body. --SB 4.29.65
Srila Prabhupada explains:
Actually the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is the supreme
enjoyer. When a living entity wants to imitate Him, he is given a
chance to satisfy his false desire to lord it over material nature.
That is the beginning of his downfall. As long as he is within this
material atmosphere, he has a subtle vehicle in the form of the mind,
which is the stockpile of all kinds of material desires.
Such desires become manifest in different bodily forms. Srila Narada
Muni requests the king to accept this fact from him because Narada is
an authority. The conclusion is that the mind is the storehouse of our
past desires, and we have this present body due to our past desires.
Similarly, whatever we desire in this present body will be expressed
in a future body. Thus the mind is the source of different kinds of
bodies.
If the mind is purified by Krishna consciousness, one will naturally
in the future get a body that is spiritual and full of Krishna
consciousness. Such a body is our original form, as Sri Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu confirms, jivera 'svarupa' haya-krsnera 'nitya-dasa': [Cc.
Madhya 20.108] "Every living entity is constitutionally an eternal
servant of Krishna."
If a person is engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, he is to
be considered a liberated soul even in this life. This is confirmed by
Srila Rupa Gosvami:
"One who engages in the transcendental service of the Lord in body,
mind and words is to be considered liberated in all conditions of
material existence." (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.187)
The Krishna consciousness movement is based on this principle. We must
teach people to absorb themselves always in the service of the Lord
because that position is their natural position. One who is always
serving the Lord is to be considered already liberated. This is also
confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (14.26):
"One who always engages in the spiritual activities of unalloyed
devotional service at once transcends the modes of material nature and
is elevated to the spiritual platform."
The devotee is therefore above the three modes of material nature and
is even transcendental to the brahmana platform. A brahmana may be
infected by the two baser modes -- namely rajo-guna and tamo-guna. A
pure devotee, who is free from all material desires experienced on the
mental platform and who is also free from empiric philosophical
speculation or fruitive activity, is always above material
conditioning and is always liberated.