Bhagavad Gita 11.32
"The Blessed Lord said: Time I am"
It is a question that has baffled even the greatest minds "since time began" (another tricky concept). The following is a transcription of an audio discourse by Bhakti Ratna Sadhu Swami concerning details of this in answer to questions by a devotee."
CGD
The Origin Of The Soul
Minute details about the origin of the soul and the cause for the soul's descent into the material nature.
By Bhakti Ratna Sadhu Swami Gaurangapada
It is confirmed in the Bhagavad Gita (15.6), Krishna says,
na tad bhasayate suryo
na sasanko na pavakah
yad gatva na nivartante
tad dhama paramam mama
Once any soul comes to my abode, that soul will never return again. They will never return to the material world. That is confirmed by Bhaktivinode Thakur in Jaiva Dharma, that once we attain the direct service of Krishna in Goloka, then the soul will never misuse the independence again.
Because in the Brahmajyoti, the soul has not experienced that seva suka. So the soul being a tatastha, infinitissimal part of the Lord, the soul can have independence, so it makes that choice, because it has never experienced that ultimate, superior, happiness of Goloka or Vaikuntha.
Bhaktivinode Thakur describes the three kinds of manifestation of the souls. One is Nitya Siddhas, the second in Vaikuntha, they are doing seven kinds of services to the Lord and the third are the tatastha shakti, they are manifested in the tatastha line from Maha Vishnu. During the inhalation and exhalation of Maha Vishnu, the souls go inside and come out and continue their journey. In the beginning, when the souls manifest, they are just particles of the direct effulgence of the Brahmajyoti coming directly from Krishna. In the beginning they are just particles, as stated in the Upanishads.
From the Brahmajyoti the souls fall down, the souls fall down and get a material body and they start in the cycle of birth and death. Then when 100 years of Brahma are completed, then they go into the body of Maha Vishnu, when Maha Vishnu inhales. After 100 years, along with all the universes.
Quite a big percentage of the souls in the Brahmajyoti may decide not to use their independence and directly from the tatastha they can go to Goloka to associate with the Nitya Siddhas. Again in Jaiva Dharma that is confirmed. Bhaktivinode Thakur says that some souls can go directly from the tatastha line.
The tatastha line/margin, means the brahmajyoti. At the border of the Brahmajyoti Maha Vishnu is lying in the causal ocean. If souls fall down they have to pass through that,obviously. If they make the choice to go to Goloka or Vaikuntha they do not have to come to the causal ocean. Bhaktivinode Thakur says that in the spiritual world, there are three parts, Goloka, Vaikuntha and Brahmajyoti. So technically Brahmajyoti is part of the spiritual world. After Brahmajyoti comes the causal ocean, where Maha Vishnu is sitting. It is at the border, it is touching the material world. So those souls in the Brahmajyoti, when they make that decision, if they decide to come to the material world, then they have to pass thorugh the causal ocean, and take birth in any one of the material universes. If they decide to enter the spiritual world, then they will directly proceed beyond the Brahmajyoti to Vaikuntha or Goloka, depending upon their constitutional position.
The svarupa of the soul...When the soul is manifested, we can not use the words, but jaiva Dharma says sometimes we have to use. So whenever the souls are present and manifested, the svarupa of the soul, the constitutional relationship is already inside the soul. It is already decided and fixed by the Lord when the soul is manifested. Just like when we eat something, its qualities and application is already there. So what way the soul will serve the Lord and what the rasa of the soul is, that is already decided by the Lord. We cant choose that, we cant decide.
The causal ocean and Maha Vishnu is only meant for those who are in the material world. For the spiritual world, there is Maha Sankarshan. From Maha Sankarshan comes Maha Vishnu. Of the second quadruple expansion, that is Maha Sankarshan, who manages the Vaikuntha planets. After that Maha Vishnu is manifested from maha sankarshan only for the material world in the causal ocean. So those souls who make the choice to go to Vaikuntha or Goloka, they dont have to enter into the causal ocean. They are directed by Maha Sankarshan, to go further to the Vaikuntha planets, or to go further to the higher planets. Then Mula Sankarshan in the primary Chaturvyuha, he starts directing them and then ultimately, if the rasa is there, they reach Goloka.
Based on the Sambandha, Bhaktivinode Thakur describes that they have the sambandha, they know in the Brahmajyoti that they are a part of Krishna. So that knowledge is there. Even though it may be a mixture of theoretical knowledge and some experience. In the Brahmajyoti there is no painful cycle of birth and death. So they have some realisation of the spiritual happiness, it is known as Brahmaananda. The nature of the soul, sac cid ananda. They know that so, if those souls who use their independence to take the right decision, they go to the spiritual world. The thing is in Brahmajyoti there is no sin, in Brahmajyoti there cant be any sin, because Brahmajyoti is part of the spiritual world. So basically the biggest mistake we can say, is our wrong desire and that desire leads to our downfall. Basically the desire to come down, itself results in our sinful life. So once that desire is existing in the Brahmajyoti then we can not stay there. At that time it is not a sinful desire, it is just a desire to explore the material world separate from Krishna. They know, the souls know that they will be going in the other direction to Krishna, but it is just a desire to explore, there is no desire to really sin. They desire that because from their position they can glimpse the glittering material world. They can see that material creation, there is some kind of view and they are aware that that is an option and they choose the wrong option. It allures them, it attracts them. That actually means that all the souls in the Brahmajyoti are not created equal. All the souls are sac cid ananda , but even the sac cid ananda is unique in each soul. So some souls may have the tendency to make the wrong choice, that desire in some souls, they make the perfectly correct desire of going to Goloka, or vaikuntha. So in that way it is variegated, the Lords creation, even the souls have different tendencies.
The souls are not meant to fall down, the Lord will never force them and never program that in the soul. The Lord has just given them a neutral position in the Brahmajyoti and ultimately the Lord wants them to make the right decision, because love has to come voluntarily from the soul. That is how Bhakti is. So the Lord at least wants them to make the right decision and come to Goloka, but even that one decision some souls do not make it correctly. Because of being infinitessimal, they become overwhelmed by the material energy. Actually by making the right choice in Brahmajyoti, the soul becomes qualified to enter into the spiritual world. That is the test, that is the one and only test, given by the Lord.
They all have equal opportunity to make the wrong or right decision in the Brahmajyoti.
The Lord does not need us, the souls in the tatastha shakti, the Lord in his eternal Lila in Goloka, he is doing that with his nitya siddha associates. In Vaikuntha he creates further associates to serve him, so they are all Nitya Siddhas, but still the Lord thinks that he will manifest some more souls, so for the benefit of the souls they can interact and exchange loving devotional service with him. So because of his merciful nature he manifests these souls in the tatastha line. He does not have to, he does not have to manifest the tatastha souls, he does not need them, it is only his causeless mercy, giving the souls more chance to serve him in his Lila, because Lila requires more than one.So the Lila is more ecstatic with more. So in that way he manifests them, but the tatastha souls, he does not manifest them in the spiritual world. He says, ok these are the souls I want to give extra chance to them to try to enter the spiritual world and serve me. It is like we are extras, thos souls in the tatastha, they are in the merciful manifestation of the Lord. So he does not make them nitya siddhas immediately, he makes them in the Brahmajyoti. Then he leaves it up to each soul what decision to make. In that way the Lord is playing with every soul I think.
The Lord does not require anyone technically, he is fully self satisfied, atmarama, his name is Atmarama. but because of Lila and because of his mercy, he has this pasttime of manifesting small, minute parts of himself and then performing the Lila with himself. That is why in the Bhagavatam it is said that in the beginning only the Lord is there in the middle, only the Lord is there. And in the end only the Lord will be there. So actually in this creation there is nobody except him, even right now, everything is him only.
311 Trillion years for us on earth, for Maha Vishnu is only one breath. The time is very slow there, it is a period of only a moment for Maha Vishnu and for the Brahmajyoti. So the soul does not have to wait too much at all after making the wrong decision.
The soul gets a conception of the whole material reality, he may not be able to see every detail of every universe, what is going on, what is happening, but he gets that conception, that is in the nature of the soul. He gets that conception that the material world is there below me and this is a chance for me to enjoy separately from the Lord and try out something new. Even those souls who make the right decision, they also experience that, they also go through that. So it is a test that all the tatastha souls have to pass through. It depends on each soul whether they want to stay long or not in the Brahmajyoti, unless they are indecisive, they do not want to make the choice so they are suspended like that. That is the place of the origin of the soul, so they stay there until they make a decision where to go. Krishna just creates them there. They are just particles of the brahmajyoti and they have to decide.
We are eternal, but according to Jaiva Dharma, Bhaktivinode Thakur says that even in the conception of the eternal there is no time, but still sometimes we have to explain the concept of the origin of the soul. We have to use the word "created". We are trying to explain something spiritual , a spiritual subject with material language. It is not possible to explain with material language. But whenever the souls are manifested, even though there is no time in the spiritual realm, there is certainly a point where the souls have manifested, or they are eternally there maybe. The thing is they are eternally there in the Brahmajyoti right from the beginning. Sometimes you have to use the word beginning or something, otherwise how will you explain the concept with material words.
The souls are eternally there, but even in the Bhagavatam the Lord says there was a beginning. When he says that in the beginning I am only there,in the end I am only there. So even though the souls are suspended there eternally in the Brahmajyoti, still there is something like the beginning. That beginning is also eternal, we dont know the beginning because otherwise how ill you explain Lord Krishnas words he himself said, "In the beginning only I was there and from me came Balarama, from him came Sankarshan". He is talking about the spiritual realm. We are sanatana, even the spiritual world is sanatana, in the concept that it is creating, maintaining and destroying. It is also happening sanatana, so ultimately everything is sanatana. (sanatana :eternal). But simultaneously there is a concept of contradiction that all exist in God at the same time. two things can exist in God that are opposite, at the same time. One one hand everything is sanatana, but still Krishna says, "I am the original person". Adi Purusham.
So being spiritual sparks, the souls are actually thinking in the Brahmajyoti, they are dynamic. Krishna will never force a decision, the decision is made by the soul. That is the basic action in which the souls are manifested. Krishna will never interfere, he will never force the souls to come to Goloka or Vaikuntha, even though he knows that that is the best. So he is just waiting and watching which souls are making the right decision, which souls are not. And he knows what every soul will do when the soul enters into Goloka, vaikuntha, what is their eternal seva for him. The Lord knows it, so when the soul falls down from the Brahmajyoti the Lord cries, actually the Lord feels very sad, because the Lord does not need his seva, but he wants it, as a father. Even if the son is separated from the father right from the time of birth, still the father will not forget.
The Lord has to set up some kind of a test before the souls actually participate in direct service to him. He has to know that the soul voluntarily wants to love and serve him. So he has to make them go thorugh that test. That is why the souls are in the tatastha. They have to pass through that. Thos souls that make the right decision he is very happy for them, he accepts that. he would not be satisfied if he just made all the souls Nitya Siddhas, he will not be happy if he does not give the choice to the soul, because Bhakti has to come by choice Even the Nitya Siddhas have choice.Prabhupada used to say that even the Nitya Siddhas have choice.
He gives this choice because that is a part of the soul that is such a unique creation of the Lord. That choice, free will is an integral part of the soul. The Lord does not want to force. The Lord feels very very happy when the soul makes the right decision and sees the sacrifice of the soul, the soul has sacrificed something lower, to go into the higher realm. So the Lord thinks that he has become qualified, the soul has passed the test. Even though he feels very sad when his parts and parcels fail the test, but still he has to follow the standard. He can not change the standard, because if he does that, then the whole concept of his creation will be nullified. if he does that then he would have to not give free will to the soul. The free will is the cause of the soul making the wrong decision, so if he were to stop the soul from making the wrong decision, he would have to take away the free will, which doesnt make sense, it then wouldnt make sense why he created the soul in the first place. the soul is meant to serve and love him by the choice of the free will. That is what Bhakti is. So if he does not give free will to the soul, then it doesnt make sense to have the souls existing.
When the soul falls down he makes various ways and means to bring the soul back again. beyond the Brahmajyoti this time, to Goloka. He sends his associates, he himself comes, in every universe, personally in various incarnations. So he does not give up on that soul.
There are those souls who make the right choice, they give him very constant happiness also, extreme happiness. In the Brihad Bhagavatamrita, it is said that Gopa Kumar came, he left his Lila and embraced him. So maybe if the Nitya Baddha souls, if they make the right decision and they go to Goloka, the Lord is even more happy than he is happy with the Nitya Siddhas. Because this is a big sacrifice. Of course Nitya Siddhas are the most dear to the Lord, but in some way these Nitya baddhas also please the Lord very much if they make the right decision. So it increases his happiness also.
Recently someone posted me an article and they were quoting Bhativinode Thakur, saying that Radha Krishna Dhama Seva, that the meaning of the bengali is not correctly translated. It means that Bhaktivinode Thakur writes the soul had a choice to go to Radha Krishna Dhama and do direct seva to them. But it is translated as if the soul has come from radha Krishna Dhama. So one has to be very careful with the right translations and even Jaiva Dharma, is such a deep philosophical book, that when Bhaktivinode Thakur writes, he very clearly says that the tatastha jivas never been Nitya Siddha. Even that sentence was translated wrongly by many devotees and they published books giving the wrong interpretation of the direct words there. So it is very sad.
There was one book, "Our Original Position", that was translated incorrectly. It was given totally opposite meaning.
If you want to translate Jaiva Dharma, first of all you should put the original Bengali there. jaiva Dharma is such an advanced book, you can not translate Jaiva Dharma only in English, without putting the original Bengali. The original prose. It is good the efforst of the devotees, but ones own understanding influences the translation.
The Causal Ocean, the ocean in Bhramajyoti, the Brahmajyoti is pervading everything ultimately.The Brahmajyoti is entering into every universe, the empty sky, everywhere, everything is ultimately floating in, even the material world is floating in the Brahmajyoti.It is the effulgence coming from the body of Gauranga Krishna, from Goloka, from both the partitions. So in that way the effulgence coming is manifested as Brahmajyoti.It is pervading everything, everything is floating in that. But the souls can not be in the water, it is not said in Jaiva Dharma that the souls are in the water. Initially the souls are like the particles of the sunshine, they are not like the particles of the water.
In Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna says that it becomes my separated energy, there is a transformation and it becomes separated. The Brahmajyoti comes from the Chit Shakti, it is a part of the Chit Shakti. Everything has to come from the chit shakti, because without chit shakti, there is no truth, that is the only truth. There is a transformation, like from milk to yogurt, from Krishna to Siva, we know that there is a transformation. The elements of the chit shakti are totally different than those of the material world. The transformation occurs in such a way that you can not compare them.
Achit Shakti is divided into 8 different things, earth, water , fire air ether,mind, intelligence and ego. The chit shakti is undivided. Everythig is undivided in the chit shakti, here in the achit shakti everything is divided. The achit shakti is a totally different thing, you cant compare. Even with milk and yogurt, the transformation is totally different. The atoms and molecule are inert, they dont have any consciousness in this material world, unlike the elements in the chit shakti. The chit shakti has divided itself and transformed into achit shakti with 8 different elements so it is dead matter. How it has divided we have no comparison, from that one, eight has come. It is the same substance but it has been scattered in different ways, it has been divided, so one molecule of earth is not equal to one molecule of chit shakti.
The jivas do not ever transform, the jivas are the jivas. It is the way the Lord has created, we do not have a technical term, but there is certainly some part of chit shakti that forms the material energy. And maybe the souls that have the chit consciousness they remain as the souls. In the chit shakti itself there is no dead matter, but in this material world it is manifest. Chit shakti is conscious and it can create also. It can create something that is not there. It can create because it is supremely conscious, it can create something that is not originally in it. It is inconceivable. It is a higher consciousness, a higher intelligence, that can create something for the purpose of fulfilling the desire of the Lord. Eternal and new expansions, to fulfil a specific purpose only. There is not even a single atom or molecule of achit shakti in the chit shakti, in the spiritual world, beyond the causal ocean.
Every minute detail is not described in the scriptures, that is why we require a living sadhu to explain the details.
Thankyou
Haribol
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