The Advent of the Soul

THE ADVENT OF THE SOUL

(“SO, HERE I AM”)

   The ‘Soul’ is an anglicized version of the Samskruta word Atman. It is also called the ‘Self’ of all. Atman is the core of the jiva. A jiva, life-form, or a living being, is a reverberating soul, vibrant energy, prana, or chaitanya or simply ‘shakti’.It is called jivatman here.

What is the source of Life? Where did Life originate?

    The answer to these questions seems to be quite simple, but not so very easy to understand by one and all. Sound waves are said to be the source of all that exist. The Sun is the principal source of all energy, albeit there are the neighboring stars that are countless and capable of exercising considerable influence on life on earth. The chief source of energy for us definitely the Sun and it is also the source of power that is behind all creation. For centuries, mystics have been telling us that sound actually creates matter. (A mystic is someone who seeks direct contact or union with God.) Hindu, Buddhist and Jewish mystics believe that the Word creates and pervades everything that exists. But, the sound by which all things are created isn’t just any sound. It’s the Word of God.

     In the Bible John wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Interestingly, in the ancient Hindu Vedas we read, “In the beginning was Brahmn with whom was the Word, and the Word is Brahmn.”

      Mystics believe the world is a reflection of infinite combinations of sound patterns. They say that all things, from the biggest star to the smallest flower—and even you and I—are coagulations of sound waves.

     On a cosmic scale, there may be evidence that sound has left its imprint on the galaxies. Some scientists argue that the galaxies are not arranged at random but in a regular pattern of clusters. Now researchers are suggesting that it was primordial sound waves that helped create this pattern of clusters.¹

    In the field of cymatics, Prof. Hans Jenny, a Swiss scientist, found that sound waves passed through various kinds of malleable matter, such as paste and sand, caused the formation of geometric patterns. Following Jenny’s lead, photographer Alexander Lauterwasser photographed the patterns on the surface of water set into motion by the sound of pure sine waves, vocal music and music by Beethoven. Looking at these patterns, we can begin to imagine how creation by sound might occur. The more one studies these things, the more one realizes that sound is the creative principle. It must be regarded as primordial. No single phenomenal category can be claimed as the aboriginal principle. We cannot say, in the beginning was number, or in the beginning was symmetry, etc. These are categorical properties which are implicit in what brings forth and what is brought forth. By using them in description we approach the heart of the matter. They are not themselves the creative power. This power is inherent in tone, in sound. (Hans Jenny).

   Thus it is quite possible that all movable and static objects with potential energy, chaitanya, hence dynamic, get their energy from solar radiation in the form of electromagnetic waves. Solar energy is a powerful source of all that is light, heat, life-force, magnetism, knowledge, information technology, intelligence, ability to transform objects, ability to create objects and recreate and transform- the creative and re creative power, etc. These are the inherent qualities of sunrays that appears as Light (prakasha). These are, indeed, the power (vimarsha), or prakruti that create the phenomenal objective world, including jivas, Life-forms.

    The ‘creative power’ (Kriya shakti) is called ‘Shree’ or Shakti in ‘Srividya’. The manifest forms of ‘Shree’, also called ’Lakshmi’ are numerous, such as, the Adhya Shakti, Para Bhattarika, Raja Rajeshvari, Sharda, Raja Shyamala, Durga, Kali, Chamundeshvari Bhairavi, and a thousand names, powers, functions, and qualities; these names and power are attributed to one Shree only. She manifests as Lakshmi of Narayana, Parvati of Shiva, or Parameshvari of Parameshvara, or Sarasvati of Brahma. These are the manifest forms of one single absolute power, parabrahma svarupini- ‘That’ (‘tyat’) nameless, undifferentiated, attributeless supreme. One only manifests in different names and forms!

    At this stage, the dualities have not yet formed since there is neither a perceiver nor the perceived. All dualities manifest with the formation of space, time, causality, qualities and attributes, the manu, manas, and manav (mind and man).

   Thus, it is no wonder that we find a myriad of life-forms in different parts of the earth. If the Earth as a planet can manifest from the condensation of solar flares, why not the earth could create the wonders that we perceive as objective phenomena? Everything is thus vibration of energy in different fforms, intensity, amplitudes, and wavelengths. These create an illusion of changing forms of objectsover time and space. Thus qualities of objects manifest fom the elements that constitute them. All the physiological and anatomical featues are creted by a single formula! This is what is stated as yatha brahmnda tatha pindanda | meaning, ‘as is the universe, so is the jiva’.   

   The day of enlightenment is the turning point in the life of the jiva. Its return journey begins with the realization who the jiva is, and why it is wandering here aimlessly. It thus realizes the fact that, “So, here I am” as none other than the Brahmn. Aham brahmnsmi, is the realization of the Self. It is the realization of the Self as ‘tyat’, “tat brahmn- the immortal, the immutable, the sat”. It is the experience, “I Am That” (so’ham) in principle (tattvam). Here, ‘the word ‘That’ stands for ‘tyat’ (Samsk.) meaning the immutable Brahmn- the imperishable. I am the Sun in the Heavens (svah), the person in the eye (akshi purusha), the fire in the fuel and i am the fuel, the havis to be offered to the God Agni.  

   All jivas occupy some position, some status, and arrive at some stations in the course of their eternal journey. For a person of spiritual pursuits, it is important to know where he stands. It is extremely important to know the mystery of this universe and the evolutionary history and its scale. Brahmn is the ultimate and that can be attained here and now without doing anything, just being quiet! This level of understanding is not forthcoming to ordinary beings that have not run the mill, as yet, and reached the last station in life. Interestingly enough, the destination and the starting point of the journey are one and the same. This is known as realization. This is just akin to two persons who are sitting idle- one not knowing what to do, and the other having accomplished his assignments need not do anything.

       To be more precise, everybody is at a certain level of existence in the scale of evolution. This existence is just like a way-side station in life’s journey to eternity. What station one has arrived at is left to his own understanding. Different people have different purposes and different destinations. One cannot decide about someone else purpose of journey and destination, not even the means one adopts to reach there. There are a number of means of transport to carry the passengers to their destinations. Some take to a short distance journey and leisurely move about, whereas there are some who are in a hurry to reach and take to faster means. Whatever the means of transport, it is the Jiva that simply sits in the vehicle and not he body, that moves that matter here in adhyatmic studies. A person traveling in an aircraft has only to sit in his place. The rest will be done. So also in the spiritual attainments, the jiva has to just keep quiet, sit in one place eyes closed, unmoved, and contemplate on Brahmn.

   A ‘brahmnvidu’ only can say, “I am” (so’ham, aham asmi) established in Brahmn- aham brahmnsmi. It is one’s own experience in transcendental meditative state at the highest level and nobody can question it, especially those who have the least idea about what it (brahmn) is! To attain to this state is not easy. On the contrary, the jiva runs hither and thither, looking for something that it does not even know. Only when somebody knows what he wants, he can be given some help or advice as to how to get it. But, like children, the adults too run around searching for that which does not exist! This is the tragedy of the jiva, the embodied jivatman. So everybody tries to become this and that and finally feels disappointed when he comes to know ‘that’ it is not ‘what’ he wanted. Thus, peace and happiness elude him who runs after mundane things.

    It is common knowledge that people are known by their names and profession, but none of these jivas ever bother to know that the body is the acquired ones and not the original pure state of the jiva. There was no name and a proper form to the jiva when it appeared on the earth. Somebody gave it a name and the body gradually took a shape. It continues to change its shape and appearances throughout its life. The child turns into an adolescent and a youth and gradually becomes old and infirm. In the mean time it may acquire any number of skills and present itself as this and that, but all these come to a naught when it lies in coma, or paralyzed. In fact, nobody knows what a child will grow to be, not even whether it lives its full life. Whether it is Einstein or Stephen Hawking, Bhrugu muni, Vishvamitra or Vedavyasa these names were unknown when they were children they all appeared in a small bundle of flesh and bones. In fact the names in puranas are not the real persons, but mere characters depicting certain qualities of intelligence. So also the names, forms and functions! It is only after a long period of time, these names (not the persons?) came to limelight exhibiting certain level of understanding (with their brilliance of intelligence).

   It is that intelligence, the level of consciousness attained and exhibited, and the frequency of vibration that is more important, not the name and form of the jiva.

   We do not understand this simple truth. We may call him by any name, as it is said, “a rose is a rose in any other name and form!” It is the fragrance; so also it is the vibration, not he, the person; it is this intelligence, the level of consciousness attained, that glorifies his existence. Call him by any name it is his Intelligence, his level of consciousness attained, and it is his station in life, but not the name and form that is important. This fact is highlighted by the terms Janaka, Veda Vyasa, Shankara in the scriptures. There are no such persons. There are several Shankaras and all are called Janaka.

   The speaker and the listeners are referred to as the sutamuni and the shounakas, (shrotadi ganas). This fact is not understood by the learned and they commit the blunder of reducing the Shaktis to vyaktis. Nobody knows which Shankara he is referring to when they say Shankara- whether it is a Shankaracharya of Kelady, Adi Shankara, avatara purusha Shankara, or any number of the namesake, because a number of them existed at the same time. Shiva has the power of appearing and disappearing wherever and whenever He wants and Wills. He also appears everywhere at the same time in any form He wills! This fact needs to be well understood while looking into the nature of the Atman.   

  This jiva shines in the glory of the Lord! Aditya, Narayana, Surya- the Sun only, shines and all others are mere shadows.

   Hence, the names, qualifications and professions such as a doctor, engineer, businessman, or a professor are merely some means of identification by profession. These are the appendages to the pure and pristine soul that got embodied in soil, mire and grows by constant feeding of annam. The epic Varaha avatar of Lord Vishnu drives home the fact that even God had to exhibit the qualities of the earth once ‘He’, the Lord, visited here to lift the submerged lands and establish dharma and Veda as Lakshmi, Bhu Devi. These qualities of Vishnu on the earth are the acquired ones. His true nature is different. Anybody can take up a profession of his liking and that does not make him that. It will not alter his basic position, say a child to its mother. He remains separate from that qualification, profession, and designation since it is not the real jiva; not even the hands and legs, or shape of his nose make him what he is in his true nature; he only appears as such and such, since these are mere adjuncts and may get deformed, distorted, or dislocated anytime! Anything made of parts is bound to get dismantled and ultimately nothing is left. This ‘nothingness’ is the only ‘Truth’. Hence, it is said, “Nothing that is called ‘me’ and ‘mine’ are real”.

   “The only real one that exists is the Brahmn, not even the Soul, the Atman, or the individualised self. All others- senses, mind, intellect, ego, etc. are all mere adjuncts of existence.” A lot has been said about the subtler and sublime aspects of these concepts- Atman, Brahmn, Soul, Supreme Self, individualized self, etc. Brahmn has been categorized from the Absolute, Abstract, Undifferentiated, Quality-less (nirguna) to one of highly adored Omniscient, Omnipotent, Clairvoyant, Omnipresent, full of good qiualities as Saguna Brahmn. Similarly, the individualized self is the ego that goes on presenting as the ‘i’, the person- physical and psychic/mental/egoistic). The other ‘I’ (aham) is the Soul, the Atman, the core of the substance. But the English words- Soul and the Self are poor substitutes for the word Atman in Samskruta. There is no substitute for the word Absolute Brahmn. Actually, the spiritual seeker should identify him self with this supreme Self, Brahmn. This experience of one self with the One, no other (Ekam, adviteeyam) is attainment to Brahm sayujya.

    When i say ‘my Soul’ or ‘my Atma’, it does not refer to the real, I, the undifferentiated, unmanifest, pure state of Consciousness- parabrahmn. The real ‘I’ is Brahmn. All other things are its forms- visible or invisible, subtle or gross manifestations; these are the vibrations of that great Unmoving Eternal, Unmanifest something. It is inexplicable. Hence, any attained person- one who has realized the Truth, gives up everything- his mental afflictions, ego, and the psychic/emotional attachments such as- I, me, mine and, along with which these qualities also go the worldly objects which he refers to as his wealth, his acquisitions such as car, house, family, relatives, and friends. The attained person realizes the fact that all his attainments such as educational qualifications, designations, awards, trophies, prizes, shields and certificates and testimonials are mere meaningless acquisitions that may, at best, boost up one’s ego. In fact, these are great obstacles to spiritual progress and realization of the Self (Atmajnyan).

   The ultimate realization of a yogi is the absolute state of brahmn, ‘nothingness’. There is no me, mine, the ‘i’ here. He knows that principle and has experienced nothingness- absolutely devoid of name, form, function and attributes and qualities.

    “I am nothing” is the correct understanding. But, the feeling of ‘I am’ also goes here! A yogi realizesthat he is a speck of stellar dust particle, a Spark of Fire (Angira), a particle of Energy (chaitanya). This level of understanding is not forthcoming unless one becomes a brahmarishi. This state of ‘nothingness’ is called ‘nirvana’; but, nirvana is not shunya, void. It is dynamic silence, potential energy, suspended animation, or like a bomb ready to explode any time. This nirvana, salvation is Liberation of the embodied Soul, mukti. Whosoever knows that the terrestrial temporal existence is unreal, knows the ‘Truth’. Whosoever attains this pure state of ‘liberation’ is the Buddha.  

   All our attainments are at a certain level of evolution, a state of existence in the evolutionary scale of Mental-mental level of existence, as stated by Shree Aurobindo. The humans have passes the earlier two states of- the Physical and the Pranic or the Ethereal. The Spiritual is yet to be attained. Only a few have attained the Mental-Spiritual state. It is only a station in life that one recognizes here as ‘so and so’, and that is not the ‘truth’. Of the four children, one may be a saint, another, a doctor, engineer or an advocate. That does not preclude them from the status of being children of the same parents. When we attend the congregations of different religious leaders, it may suddenly flash that it’s all a drama, people wearing different colorful robes delivering the scripts, notwithstanding the fact that they come from different sections of society representing different religions and cults. It is really a drama on the stage (world) and nothing beyond that for a ‘jnyani’! This fact will be realized when school children enact a drama and present themselves in different attires of religious heads! The grown-ups, too, play a drama in, the so called real life! It makes no difference whatsoever. There is no truth in religion if it is dividing and dissecting, separating people on grounds of faith and rituals. The spiritual development rather unites, unifies (yuj), joins- jivatman with paramatman. This is the only ‘Truth’, all else untruth, amounting to fraud cheating the gullible. In fact, nobody had a name when he/she was born and it is an accident that one is born in a certain family practicing some religion or faith. Man is born free but gets entangled in chains everywhere!

   Hence everything is an illusion. Growth and development from childhood to old age is a transition in life, and hence, not real. There is no meaning in showing off as- “I am so and so”! it is much worse when a person gives a small piece of paper as  his visiting card (with all his bio-data, Curriculum Vitae?). It appears as if he is belittling himself! Only ignorance speaks here, not his knowledge. For instance, a person with a phone number, a house and its door number, printed on his visiting card is not bothered about, whereas, a learned person visiting the town is invited by one and all! Everybody wants to take him home and treat him with delicious food and presents.

    A deeper understanding of one’s journey through time will reveal the truth. All the accolades and attainments, worldly success, are blemishes, stains, blot, on the crystal-clear Soul; it is like a red flower covering the crystal (sphatika) Lingam. There is no salvation, mukti, to the embodied Soul unless the blemishes of the Soul are cleansed. The Soul, in order to be free, must attain to that purity which it had before its arrival to the earth. It (the Atma) should be lighter than an ionic sub-atomic particle of Hydrogen- that emit rays of lasers and quasars quarks, guans, neon, bosons, fermions, thoughtron, chronons, hadrons, and gravitons, etc. that are either non-existent or just trace that do not appear even in subtler forms. They are just intellectual jugglery of the mind; if at all they exist in traces, they have to be cleansed before the jiva leaves the elemental body and enters the space, traveling at the speed of light via sun rays without hovering here and there as a prarabhda, pishachi, or a ghoul or ghost (pretatman). Otherwise, the jiva is stuck; there is no salvation.

    So, “Here Am I, what I am” is the position attained by a jiva during its long sojourn and arrived at some state, in some name and form. This is not the truth since that state has to be properly deciphered from the code language of the Veda. The Veda narrates the history of creation, evolution and positions at different levels. Thus, the biography of a soul is a long story of billions of years, cut short. No wonder that, I, here as a jiva, now remember and try to trace my origin and destination. This “I” (Atman) only came riding different means of transport such as- the sunrays, ether, passed through the Space (Akasha), Air (Vayu), Fire, clouds, thunder and Lightning, rain and snow, entered the sources of food such as soil, plants (annam), and finally landed in its would-be mother’s womb (as a sperm) from its father’s food as blood, bone marrow, semen, desire, thoughts, dreams and aspirations, to create a form of a jiva of the kind of its would-be parents; remember they are not yet parents unless the ‘I’, as a child comes out of mother’s womb and they joyfully say, “We are now parents”. In fact, Lord Shiva and Parvati are the Divine parents of one and all.  Jagatah pitarou vande pArvati parameshvarou | This ‘I’ (aham) is their chidananda rupam.

  Born as we are children of God, represented by the symbolic icons of Ganesh and Shanmuka, all are elemental creatures. At that initial state, the primordial matter, there is no visible physical form as such, and it’s just ‘vibrant energy’ expressed in thought, ‘divine will’- “I am alone and shall be many” (eko’ham bahusyam).

    The epic story of Ganesha’s birth is well known. We bring the idol made of clay and perform rituals (puja) during Ganesh festival. As the story goes, Gouri/Parvati, the Divine Mother, makes the doll of a baby calls it Ganesh and infuses life into it. However, Shiva beheads it and a transplant had to be made (by an elephant head). Thus, a strange figure comes as our Deity of vidya (Knowledge) as also one who wards of all obstacles (vighna-nivaraka), the Lord of Ganas (Elemental Forces). Incidentally, the elephant figure-head is symbolic of keen eyes, pure Intelligence, sharp ears and a long poking nose (interested in all affairs?). As a brain-child, born out of the daughter of Himalayas (meaning earth), Ganesh is an elemental God and represents all jivas on earth. Every one breathing here is representative of the Deity of the basal plexus of consciousness, muladhara prajnya. There is no other Ganesh than you and I. But for this elemental nature of creation, there is no other significance. Thus, when we say we are rational beings, we are the ones (I), et al, sitting on the Rat and going everywhere.

   Besides this epic version of our creation, we the humans are literally the embodiment of consciousness, albeit a little, partaking of the ‘Great (mahat) Ocean of Consciousness’ (‘chit-sagara’). There are four principal components of the jiva, the human being- the physical (bhoutika sharira), the mental or the psychic (manas or manasic), the ethereal (pranic energy), and the spiritual (Atman). Normally, these components should work in unison harmoniously under the guidance of prajnya, self awareness (pure consciousness). There is always a higher force (Shakti) called ‘paramatman’ controlling the jivas. However, the jiva does not maintain this pure state of conscious existence, one of harmonious existence, well synchronized, often loses its psychosomatic balance due to the various needs of the body; the influence of wavering mind, and sensual desires and pursuits leaves the jiva in disarray. Actually, all the problems of the jiva begin here, mostly due to its sensuous life and endless insatiable wants and desires.

   “These true desires are covered by what is false. Though they exist always, yet they have a covering which is false. Thus, whosoever belonging to the embodied creature has departed from this life, him he cannot see in this world with his eyes.” [Samaveda, Chan. Upa. VIII, III - The Serene Self and Satya Brahmn, 1]

  Since the desire is Brahmn, it is not difficult to fulfill its desires.  “And if he desires the world of food and drink, by his mere thought food and drink come to him. Having obtained the world of food and drink, he is happy. And if he desires the world of song and music, by his mere thought song and music come to him. Having obtained the world of song and music, he is happy. And if he desires the world of women, by his mere thought women come to him. Having obtained the world of women, he is happy. Whatever country he longs for, whatever objects he desires, by his mere thought all these come to him. Having obtained them, he is happy. [Sama Veda, Chan. Upa. VIII, II - The Fulfilment of Desires through Self-Knowledge, 7 – 10].