Miscellaneous - Religion   

Eternal and sublime

CHENNAI : Scriptures and sacred texts discuss the importance of knowing the purpose of life. The Bhagavad Gita advocates the paths of Karma, Jnana and Bhakti Yogas as pointers to individuals in quest of the ultimate truth. Lord Krishna's exposition of the nature of the human individual comprising the immortal soul with its physical embodiment clarifies the metaphysical and mystical aspects of Creation and the universe, said Sri Goda Venkateswara Sastrigal in a discourse.

The supreme transcendent Brahman is the cause and support of the entire universe by being present in the individual soul and is also manifest in the different embodied aspects of creation.

The Lord draws on the analogy of the sun and sunshine to describe the subtle nature and function of the soul that is in association with the gross and material aspects of the universe. Just as one sun illuminates the entire world, in the entire universe it is one Kshetri (Supreme Being) who keeps the universe active, animating and pervading it. The sun witnesses everything in the world, and being situated in one place, provides light to reveal the various aspects of the universe.

Likewise, the soul, although situated in the heart of this body, illuminates the whole body through consciousness. Thus consciousness is the proof of the presence of the soul, as sunshine or light is the proof of the presence of the sun.

Moreover, the soul that keeps alive the functioning of the body is invisible. Its presence is felt just as the presence of air is felt but not actually seen by the eyes. The individual soul when identifying with the body is under the misconception that it is affected, but in reality it remains untainted.

The soul should strive for salvation by first learning to differentiate between what is real/eternal (Brahman) and what is unreal/fleeting (everything else in the universe). It should understand the difference between the inner soul and the embodied self. When the distinction between the body, the owner of the body, and the soul is grasped, one gains the knowledge that liberates.

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