Miscellaneous - Religion   

Transmigration

CHENNAI: Transmigration of the bonded soul is a basic concept of the Vedic tradition and it is a corollary of the doctrine of Karma. The circumstances and type of birth in the world are determined by Karma, which is exhausted by experiencing joys and sorrows. Among the multitude of living beings, the scriptures state that birth as a human being is rare to obtain, and hence this opportunity should be utilised to put an end to transmigration by realising God.

In his discourse, Velukkudi Sri V.Krishnan said the Upanishads gave insight into the transmigration of a bonded soul. Birth and death pertain only to the body (gross body) and hence it is the subtle body comprising the Prana, senses, mind and the intellect, that transmigrates and takes another body according to its Karma.

The subtle body loses its identity and individuality only when it is liberated from bondage as the liberated soul attains union with God. Only the knowledge which the soul had gained, the Karma it had accumulated and the latent tendencies (Vasanas) acquired by its actions accompany the bonded soul from one birth to the next. These three factors determine the next birth. The analogy of a caterpillar crawling from one leaf to the next one illustrates the process of transmigration. The caterpillar will first take hold of the leaf it is going to before leaving its grip on the first one, which shows how even such an elementary process is done with precision. So also, the bonded soul at the time of leaving one body is conscious of its state of existence in its next birth.

In the next birth the soul continues to act according to its previous mental disposition and Vasana. Assuming another body can be likened to a new ornament fashioned by a goldsmith by melting one which has become worn out. If this is the existential dilemma of a bonded soul, where is the scope for redemption if an individual continues in this fashion? Certainly there is, say the scriptures. The Gunas which constitute the human personality are in a state of flux, and so when Sattva prevails over Rajas and Tamas, man is impelled to do meritorious deeds as a result of which he elicits divine grace and progresses spiritually.

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