Page 30 - Metaphysical questions of life

explain this crucial ques on, Lord Krishna began by explaining the
difference between the material body and the individual soul within
the body, which is the source of the body’s consciousness. There are
many false concepts that obscure the correct understanding of the
soul and its rela onship with the temporary body. Lord Krishna begins
the discussion by empha cally sta ng that the soul within the body
existed before birth in the body, while in the body and a er death of

the body. He clearly established the eternality of the soul. The follow-
ing verse in the Kaṗha Upaniṍad (1.2.18) states:

na jāyate mriyate vā vipaścin / nāyaṁ kutaścin na babhūva kaścit

ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ’yaṁ purāṇo / na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre

The purport by Bhak vedanta Swami follows:

“The meaning and purport of this verse is the same as in the Bhagavad-
gītā (verse 2.20), but here in this verse there is one special
word, vipaścit, which means learned or with knowledge.

The soul is full of knowledge, or full always with consciousness. There-
fore, consciousness is the symptom of the soul. Even if one does not

find the soul within the heart, where he is situated, one can s ll under-
stand the presence of the soul simply by the presence of consciousness.
Some mes we do not find the sun in the sky owing to clouds, or for
some other reason, but the light of the sun is always there, and we are
convinced that it is therefore day me. As soon as there is a li le light in

the sky early in the morning, we can understand that the sun is in the
sky. Similarly, since there is some consciousness in all bodies – whether
man or animal – we can understand the presence of the soul. This con-
sciousness of the soul is, however, different from the consciousness of
the Supreme because the supreme consciousness is all-knowledge –
past, present and future. The consciousness of the individual soul is

prone to be forge ul. When he is forge ul of his real nature, he obtains

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