We have dealt at length how the jivatman takes a journey on this earth at the behest of paramatman. This is one view.Once it arrives on this transient world of changes- birth, growth and deaths, it get stuck unable to go back to where it came from. Actually, the soul, the Atman, or the core of the substance is a particle of stellar dust- full of Energy, Light, Force, Knowledge, ability to transform itself, enter in and out of matter (like air, water, fire, soil, plant or any available space) and take any gross visible form, at will! It arrives in a subtle state and becomes gross and unable to get back to its primeval sate (without some assistance like yoga, as stated in the Bhagavad-Gita) These views are not restricted to just one or two sources like the epics, or scriptures like the Veda, and the Brahma sutras. The Bhagavad-Gita dwells at length on these issues of births and deaths and problems of the jiva in between! We just recapitulate them here laying stress on some interesting ones. There is much mystery involved in these and nothing is certain!
There are the agama shastra (more than 200), upanishads (108), puranas (18), etc. that give an idea about the jivatman at different levels of existence. But, here we are concerned only with the human beings on this earth, and not the departed souls, sages, siddhi purusha and saints or the devi devata. The human beings are composed of partly spiritual and partly, or mostly, material constituents. It is essentially the materialistic, at the outset, but governed by mind, buddhi, ahankar and moods and thoughts, ideas (chitta-vrutti) that do not come within the material components.
The Vedanta puts the human body as the product of panchabhuta- akasha (space) vayu (air), agni (fire), jal (water), and pruthvi (earth or soil, meaning food). The scientists, on the other hand, put it the other way- elements and compounds, cells, tissues, organs and the body (made of blood, tissues and bones). Each cell (andanda) is a universe and each body (pindanda) made of these is also a universe by itself. The universe (brahmanda) consisting of galaxies, stars, the sun and moon are no different from the life forms and the constituents that go to make the jivas! The agama shastra explain these as the yantra, mantra, and the tantra (like science and technology- theory and practicals) and these are important when it comes to the problems of healthy body and a healthy mind of the jiva.
The jiva is supposed to live a hundred and twenty years like Ramanujacharya, or at least, 80 like Madhvacharya, if not jut 24, like Shankaracharya! How long one lives is not important, but how one lives is important. In fact, not even how one lives, but to know why one lives and what brought him/her here is more important. More than all these, how to get out of this rut, a death-knell, mrutyu koopa, earth where all have to necessarily suffer sickness, old age, and death is all the more important! The human life is very precious in this sense of the term! But, if we try to understand how people are born and live and die in different parts of the world it is really tragic! The wise have to show the way. But, it is not easy, since nobody knows what governs one's life. Whether it is divine will, one's own karma, or destiny or luck, or what else? But, it is certain that nobody is happy on this earth and everybody dies in a state of total disillusionment! This study involves more than one factor- spiritual, philosophical, psychological, sociological. economic, political, ecological, environmental, and many other complicated issues are involved here. Let's analyse some of these here.
The Vedanta puts the human body as the product of panchabhuta- akasha (space) vayu (air), agni (fire), jal (water), and pruthvi (earth or soil, meaning food). The scientists, on the other hand, put it the other way- elements and compounds, cells, tissues, organs and the body (made of blood, tissues and bones). Each cell (andanda) is a universe and each body (pindanda) made of these is also a universe by itself. The universe (brahmanda) consisting of galaxies, stars, the sun and moon are no different from the life forms and the constituents that go to make the jivas! The agama shastra explain these as the yantra, mantra, and the tantra (like science and technology- theory and practicals) and these are important when it comes to the problems of healthy body and a healthy mind of the jiva.
The jiva is supposed to live a hundred and twenty years like Ramanujacharya, or at least, 80 like Madhvacharya, if not jut 24, like Shankaracharya! How long one lives is not important, but how one lives is important. In fact, not even how one lives, but to know why one lives and what brought him/her here is more important. More than all these, how to get out of this rut, a death-knell, mrutyu koopa, earth where all have to necessarily suffer sickness, old age, and death is all the more important! The human life is very precious in this sense of the term! But, if we try to understand how people are born and live and die in different parts of the world it is really tragic! The wise have to show the way. But, it is not easy, since nobody knows what governs one's life. Whether it is divine will, one's own karma, or destiny or luck, or what else? But, it is certain that nobody is happy on this earth and everybody dies in a state of total disillusionment! This study involves more than one factor- spiritual, philosophical, psychological, sociological. economic, political, ecological, environmental, and many other complicated issues are involved here. Let's analyse some of these here.
The human body is just a product of food and its structure and composition is all chemical components- bones, blood and tissues, nervous system and the various organs working with a powerful machine called the brain. But, no one knows the architect and person who devised this universal form of a man and a woman on a single drawing table- with one chromosome X or Y making all the difference! The formation of the body from a single sperm impregnated in the cell of the lady's womb is still a mystery despite the advancement made in the study of cells (molecular biology and DNA studies).
The population of the world is about 830 crores and much of it is found in Asia (India and China sharing almost 260 crores and another 100 crores in Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia). Much of these populations are living close to fertile river valleys/ basins, lake-sides and deltas. Not all the countries are densely populated! There are still plenty of suitable land for people to live and work happily. But, the humans are yet to evolve into humane level! Hence the predicament.
The basic premises of the jivatman assuming a human form is that the supreme Lord only takes a journey and assumes the form He likes! Hence there is no difference whatsoever whether the jiva is a fish or a frog, ant or an elephant, a bird or a butterfly in the strict sense of the term! But, the tragedy is that man does not know the secret of this creation and has been suffering untold miseries from birth to death. The moment he/she realizes the secret of creation that jiva becomes completely happy and joyful!
The predicaments of the jiva are primarily due to hunger and thirst, and diseases or ailments. The body is supported by food and water. Both food and water is scarce, though not really so; it is due to ignorance, avidya, that jiva suffers. There is pollution of air and water that kills. People congregate and suffer scarcities. Greed and selfishness are the other factors governing the distribution of resources. Modern civilization has brought prosperity and, also untold misery in its stride, side by side. Poverty and plenty co-exist and people suffer due to concentration of wealth in a few hands.
These perspectives are important. Philosophical treatises are there to explain the way man has come down the lanes! Human history is full of wars, pestilences, nature's fury, such as floods, famines, and other calamities. These add to the misery of man. Theses are tapa-traya (suffering due to self-inflicted, nature-inflicted, and community inflicted, besides many afflictions?). The main problem of man is ignorance and the sheer inability to cope with the situation; and, there is no clear-cut answer or solution to the problems. Many are man-made disasters, like the wars, exodus of refugees, etc. for instance. Each jiva comes with a baggage of desires, unfulfilled dreams, and seeds of prarabhda karma. Each jiva is at different levels of existence (consciousness), and traveling or stationed midway in the eternal journey (jeevan yatra). No generalization is possible and there is no single solution to cover all jivas, too!
(to be contd.)
(to be contd.)
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