The nature of the soul (jiva)

[anadi 0]

parAhyAyAH Sakter apRthag api sa sve mahimani

sthito jivAkhyAM svAm acid-abhihitAM tAM tri-padikAm

sva-tantrecchaH SaktiM sakala-vizaye preraNa-paro

vikArAdyaiH SUnyaH parama-puruzo yaM vijayate

 

DaSa-mUla (3)

 

Athough Sri BhagavAn is non-different from His inconceivable

transcendental potency (parA-Sakti), He has His own

independent nature and desires .

His parA-Sakti consists of three aspects -

cit-Sakti (spiritual potency),

jiva-Sakti (marginal potency) , and

mAyA-Sakti (external potency) -

and He always inspires them to engage in their respective

functions. That para-tattva (Supreme Absolute Truth), even

while performing all these activities, still remains immutable

and is eternally situated in the fully transcendental

svarUpa of His own glory.

 

Jaiva Dharma Prameya Jiva Tattva Ch 15

 

quote:

"VrajanAtha said, Prabhu, when I remember your sweet instructions,

my heart becomes restless and the entire world seems to be

devoid of all substance. My heart is becoming eager to take shelter

at Sri GaurANgadeva's lotus feet. Please be merciful to me and tell

me who I really am according to tattva, and why I have come to this

world.

 

BAbAji: My dear son, you have blessed me by asking such a question.

The day that the jiva first asks this question is the auspicious

day on which his good fortune arises. If you will kindly hear the

fifth Sloka of DaSa-müla, all your doubts will be dispelled.

 

sphuliNgAH RddhAgner iva cid-aNavo jivA-nicayAH

hareH sUryasyaivApRthag api tu tad-bheda-viSayAH

vaSe mAyA yasya prakRti-patir eveSvara iha

sa jivo mukto 'pi prakRti-vaSA-yogyaH sva-guNataH

 

Just as many tiny sparks burst out from a blazing fire, so the

innumerable jivas are like atomic, spiritual particles in the

rays of the spiritual sun, Sri Hari. Though these jivas are

non-different from Sri Hari, they are also eternally different

from Him. The eternal difference between the jiva and

ISvara is that ISvara (The Controller) is the Lord and master of mAyA-Sakti,

whereas the jiva (the soul) can fall under the control of mAyA, even in

his liberated stage - sa jivo mukto, due to his constitutional nature -sva-guNataH"

 

Mukti is not enough to really get out of the control of mAyA. As long as one does not recognize the existence of the Lord and develop some loving devotion towards Him, one can fall any time back under the spell of mAyA. A jivan mukta who does not engage himself in the service of the Lord is an aparadhi (offender) to the Lord, negating His transcendental form, qualities pastimes and names, and by that he can not get access to that transcendental abode where these are plenary manifested but by dint of his desire of being engaged he get to the only place of activity he knows, jada jagat, the material worlds.

[anadi 0]

This tattva is described in many places in the Vedas. I will cite a few of them:

 

yathagneH kSudrA visphuliNgA vyuccaranti

evam evAsmad AtmanaH sarvANi bhUtAni vyuccaranti

 

BRhad-AraNyaka UpaniSad 2.1.20)

 

Innumerable jivas emanate from para-brahma, just like tiny sparks from a fire.

 

tasya vA etasya puruNasya dve eva sthAne

bhavata idaN ca paraloka-sthAnaN ca

sandhyaM tRtiyaM svapna-sthAnaM

tasmin sandhye sthAne tiSThann ete ubhe

sthAne paAyatAdaM ca paraloka-sthAnaM ca

 

There are two positions about which the jIva-puruSa should

inquire – the inanimate material world, and the spiritual

world.

The jiva is situated in a third position, which is a

dreamlike condition (svapna-sthAna), and is the juncture

(taTa-stha) between the other two.

Being situated at the place where the two worlds meet ,

he sees both the jaDa-jagat (inert

world) and the cid-jagat (spiritual world).

 

This Sloka describes the marginal nature of jiva-Sakti. Again, it

is said in BRhad-AraNyaka UpaniSad (4.3.18):

 

tad yathA mahA-matsya ubhe kule ‘nusaNcarati

pUrvaN cAparaN caivam evAyaM puruSa etAv ubhAv antAv

anu saNcarati svapnAntaN ca buddhANtaN ca

 

Just as a large fish in a river sometimes goes to the eastern

bank and sometimes to the western bank, so the jiva, being

situated in kAraNa-jala ( "the causal ocean" that lies between

the inert and conscious worlds ), also gradually wanders to

both banks, the place of dreaming and the place of wakefulness.

 

source Jaiva Dharma

 

Jiva is called marginal potency, because she originally starts her existence in the marginal zone of existence, coming from the light of the eyes of Maha-Vishnu.

From that marginal position, by her independence potency (shatantra shakti) jiva chooses between enjoying alone the enticing maya, or beeing a servitor of the Lord in the realm of Vaikuntha.

[anadi 0]

"VrajanAtha:

What is the Vedantic meaning of the word taTastha ?

 

BAbAji:

The space between the ocean and the land is called the

taTa (shore), but the place that touches the ocean is actually nothing

but land, so where is the shore? The taTa is the line of distinction

separating the ocean and the land, and it is so fine that it

cannot be seen with the gross eyes. If we compare the transcendental

realm to the ocean, and the material world to the land, then

taTa is the subtle line that divides the two, and the jiva-Sakti is situated

at the place where the two meet . The jivas are like the countless

atomic particles of light within the sunrays. Being situated in

the middle place, the jivas see the spiritual world on one side and

the material universe created by mAyA on the other. Just as

BhagavAn’s spiritual Sakti on one side is unlimited, mAyA-Sakti on

the other side is also very powerful. The innumerable subtle

(sUkSma) jivas are situated between these two. The jivas are marginal

by nature because they have manifested from KRSNa’s taTasthaSakti

(marginal potency).

 

VrajanAtha:

What is the taTastha-svabhAva (marginal nature)?

 

BAbAji:

It is the nature that enables one to be situated between

both worlds, and to see both sides. TaTastha-svabhAva is the eligibility

to come under the control of either of the Saktis. Sometimes

the shore is submerged in the river because of erosion, and then

again it becomes one with the land because the river changes its

course. If the jiva looks in the direction of KRSNa – that is, towards

the spiritual world – he is influenced by KRSNa Sakti. He then enters

the spiritual world, and serves Bhagavän in his pure, conscious,

spiritual form. However, if jiva looks towards mAyA , he becomes

opposed to KRSNa and is incarcerated by mAyA. This dual-faceted nature is called the taTastha-svabhAva (marginal nature)."

 

Source:

Jaiva Dharma Prameya Jiva Tattva Ch 15

[anadi 0]

“KRSNa is endowed with unlimited potencies. His complete potency

(purNA-Sakti) is perceived in the manifestation of the spiritual

world, cit-jagat.

 

Similarly, His tatastha-Sakti, or marginal potency,

is observed in the manifestation of the jivas. A special potency

acts in assembling the finite world (apUrNa-jagat), and this potency is known as taTasthA-Sakti .

 

The action of the marginal potency is to create an entity (vastu) which exists between the

animate objects (cid-vastu) and inanimate objects (acid-vastu) and

which can maintain a relationship with both the spiritual and material

worlds. Purely transcendental entities are by nature quite

the opposite of inanimate objects, and therefore have no connection

whatsoever with them.

 

Although the jiva is an animate spiritual particle, he is capable of a relationship with inanimate matter due to the influence of aiSi-Sakti, a divine potency, which is

known as the taTasthA-Sakti.

 

“The boundary region between land and the water of a river is

known as a taTa or shore. This taTa may be considered to be both

land and water; in other words, it is situated in both. The divine

aiSi-Sakti, which is situated in the border region, upholds the properties

of both land and water, as it were, in one existential entity.

The jiva’s nature is spiritual, but still, his composition is such that

he can become controlled by jaDa-dharma, the inert nature.

 

Therefore the baddha-jiva (conditioned soul) is not beyond all connection

with matter, unlike the jivas in the spiritual domain .

 

Nonetheless, he is distinct from dull matter because of his animate,

spiritual nature. Since the jiva is by nature <font color="red"> different </font color>from both the

purely spiritual (nitya siddha) entities and dull matter, he is classified as a separate

principle. Therefore, the eternal distinction between

BhagavAn and the jiva must be accepted.

 

Source:

Jaiva Dharma Chapter 1

The Eternal & Temprary dharmas of the jiva

[anadi 0]

 

Where ETERNAL distinction and non-distinction are found at

one and the same time, eternal distinction takes prominence. The nitya-dharma of the jiva is loving servitorship to KriSna.

When he forgets this, he is subjected to the tyranny of mAyA, and from that

very moment he becomes diverted from KriSna.

 

The fall of the jiva from the marginal realm

does not take place within the context of material time.

(because the marginal zone between the material and the spiritual worlds

is not under the influence of mAyA, so this is also known as Viraja river

the river without passion)

 

Accordingly,the words anadi-bahirmukha from

 

kRSNa bhUli sei jiva anadi-bahirmukha

ataeva mAyA tAre deya saMsAra-duhkha

 

Caitanya-caritAmRta, (Madhya 20.117)

 

are used, meaning that

the jIva has been diverted since time without beginning.

From the moment

of this diversion and the jIva’s entry into mAyA, his nitya-dharma (seva vriti) becomes perverted.

 

Therefore, by the association of mAyA, the jiva

develops nisarga, an acquired nature, which thus facilitates the

display of his temporary function and disposition known as naimittika-dharma .

 

Source:

Jaiva Dharma Chapter 1

The Eternal & Temprary dharmas of the jiva

 

In this way jiva becomes sick, developing bhoga vriti, the enjoying propensity, and her seva vriti, the devotional service, is covered and perverted by bhoga vriti.

 

[anadi 0]

"VrajanAtha:

Is there any material component in the jiva’s original

constitution?

 

BAbAji:

No, the jiva is created solely from the cit-Sakti. He can be

defeated – that is, covered by mayA – because he is minute by nature

and lacks spiritual power, but there is not even a scent of mAyA

in the jiva’s existence.

 

VrajanAtha:

I have heard from my teacher that when a fraction of

the conscious brahma is covered by mAyA, it becomes the jiva. He

explained the sky to be always the indivisible mahA-AkASa, but when a part of it is enclosed in a pot, it becomes ghaTa-AkASa. Similarly,

the jiva is originally brahman, but when that brahman is covered by

mAyA, the false ego of being a jiva develops . Is this conception correct?

 

BAbAji:

This doctrine is only MAyAvAda . How can mAyA touch

brahma? The MAyAvAdis propose that brahma has no Sakti (luptaSakti) ,

so how can mAyA – which is a Sakti – possibly approach

brahma, (if Sakti is supposed to be non-existent)?

( Everyting is brahma, brahma has no Sakti, where comes mAyA from ?)

The conclusion is that (the inexistent) mAyA cannot possibly cover

brahma and cause such a miserable condition.

 

Conversely, if we accept the transcendental Sakti (parASakti) of brahma, how can mAyA, which is an insignificant Sakti,

defeat the cit-Sakti and create the jiva from brahman ( which IS by definition immutable )?

Brahman is by definition indivisible, so how can such a brahma be divided ?

 

The idea that mAyA can act upon brahma is not acceptable.

MAyA plays no role in the creation of the jivas. Admittedly, the jiva is only atomic,

But even so, it is still superior as a tattva to mAyA."

 

from

Jaiva Dharma Prameya Jiva Tattva Ch 15

 

[anadi 0]

Jaiva Dharma Prameya Jiva Tattva Ch 15

 

VrajanAtha: The spiritual rays of the transcendental KRSNa-sun and

the spiritual atoms within those rays are non-different from the

sun, yet at the same time they are eternally different from it. How

can both these facts be true simultaneously?

 

BAbAji: In the material world, when one object is produced from

another, either the product is completely different from its source,

or else it remains a part of it. This is the nature of material objects.

...

However, the nature of cid-vastu is somewhat different. Whatever

has manifested from the spiritual sun is simultaneously one with

it, and different from it.

...

 

VrajanAtha: If transcendental entities and material objects belong

to completely different categories, how can material objects be

used as appropriate examples for understanding transcendental

entities?

BAbAji: There are different categories of material objects, and the

paNDitas of the NyAya school consider them eternal. However,

there is no such categorical difference between the cit (transcendental)

and jaDa (material). I have already said that cit is the only

reality, and jDòa is simply its transformation (vikAra). The vikAra is

different from the original source, but it is still similar to the pure,

original object in many respects.

 

For example, ice is a transformation

of water, and it becomes different from water through this

transformation, but the two remain similar in many of their qualities,

such as coldness. Hot and cold water do not both have the

quality of coldness, but their quality of fluidity is the same. Therefore,

the transformed object certainly retains some similarity to

the pure object. According to this principle, the transcendental (cit) world can be understood to some extent with the help of material

examples. Again, by adopting the logic of arundhatI-darSana1,

one can use material examples to understand something about the

spiritual nature.

 

ArundhatI is a very small star, which is situated close to the VaSiztha

star in the SaptaRSi constellation .In order to view

it, its location is first determined by looking at a bigger star beside

it, then if one looks carefully one can see Arundhati close

by.“Similarly, the madhyama-adhikari, although taking help from the

senses and the language of the material world in describing the

spiritual world, realizes and sees the aprakRta-tattva after having applied

 

BAbAji: The

madhyama-adhikArIs take shelter of arundhati-darzana-nyAya, and experience

the transcendental pastimes, which are similar to mundane descriptions.

And when the uttama-adhikArI bhaktas hear the

descriptions of those pastimes, they become absorbed in the rasa of

pure transcendental cid-vilAsa, which is above all mundane qualities.

The Absolute Truth is aprAkRta-tattva, so how can we educate

the jIvas about it without taking help of the principles that I have

just described? Can the conditioned jIva understand a subject that

renders the voice dumb and stops the working of the mind? There

doesn’t appear to be any method of explaining these subjects other

than the principle of similarity, and the logic of arundhatI-darzana.

[anadi 0]

"VrajanAtha: So mAyA has nothing whatever to do with creating

the svarUpa of the jivas this has to be accepted. At the same time,

I have also clearly understood that the jiva is by nature subject to the influence of mAyA. Now I want to know, did the cit-Sakti create

the jivas and give them their taTastha-svabhAva (marginal nature)?

 

BAbAji : No, the cit-Sakti is paripUrNa-Sakti, the complete potency

of KRSNa, and its manifestations are all eternally perfect substances.

The jiva is not nitya-siddha , although when he performs sAdhana,

he can become sAdhana-siddha and enjoy transcendental happiness

like the nitya-siddhas, eternally perfect beings. All the four

types of Srimati Radhika's sakhis are nitya-siddha, and they are direct expansions (kaya-vyUha) of the cit-Sakti, Srimati RadhikA Herself.

 

All the jivas, on the other hand, have manifested from Sri KRSNa's jIva-Sakti .

 

The cit-Sakti is Sri KRSNa's complete Sakti, whereas

the jIva-Sakti is His incomplete sakti.

 

Just as the complete tattvas

are all transformations of the complete potency, similarly innumerable

atomic, conscious jivas are transformations of the incomplete Sakti."

 

from Jaiva Dharma Prameya Jiva Tattva Ch 15

[anadi 0]

VrajanAtha:

Sri KRSNa, being established in each of His Saktis, manifests His

svarUpa according to the nature of that Sakti.

 

When He is situated in the cit-svarUpa , He manifests His svarUpa as Sri KRSNa and also

as NArAyaNa, the Lord of Paravyoma;

when He is situated in the jIva-Sakti , He manifests His svarUpa as His vilAsa-mUrti of Vraja,

Baladeva; and being established in the mAyA Sakti , He manifests

the three ViSNu forms: KAraNodakaSAyi, KSirodakasayi and GarbhodakaSAyi.

 

In His KRSNa form in Vraja , He manifests all the

spiritual affairs to the superlative degree. In His Baladeva svarUpa

as Seza-tattva, He manifests nitya-mukta-pArSada-jivas , eternally liberated

associates, who render eight types of service to KRSNa Sezitattva-

svarUpa, the origin of Seza-tattva.

 

Again, as Seza-rUpa SaNkarSaNa in Paravyoma,

He manifests eight types of servants to

render eight kinds of services as eternally liberated associates of Sezi-rUpa NArAyaNa .

 

MahA-ViSNu, who is an avatara of SankarSaNa,

situates Himself in the jIva-Sakti, and in His ParamAtmA svarUpa,

He manifests the jIvas who have the potential to be involved in

the material world. These jivas are susceptible to the influence of

mAyA, and unless they attain the shelter of the hlAdini-Sakti of the

cit-Sakti by BhagavAn’s mercy, the possibility of their being defeated

by mAyA remains.

 

The countless conditioned jivas who have been

conquered by mAyA are subordinate to the three modes of material

nature. Bearing all this in mind, the siddhAnta is that it is only the

jiva-Sakti, and not the cit-Sakti, that manifests the jivas.

 

Jaiva Dharma Prameya Jiva Tattva Ch 15

 

[anadi 0]

BAbAji: The time and space that you experience in this material

world are completely different from time and space in the spiritual

world. Material time is divided into three aspects: past, present

and future. However, in the spiritual world there is only one undivided ,

eternally present time. Every event of the spiritual world is

eternally present.

Whatever we say or describe in the material world is under the

jurisdiction of material time and space, so when we say – “The jivas

were created,” “The spiritual world was manifested,” or “There is

no influence of mAyA in creating the form of the jivas,” – material

time is bound to influence our language and our statements. This

is inevitable in our conditioned state, so we cannot remove the influence of material time from our descriptions of the atomic jiva

and spiritual objects. The conception of past, present and future

always enters them in some way or another. Still, those who can

discriminate properly can understand the application of the eternal

present when they comprehend the purport of the descriptions

of the spiritual world. BAbA, be very careful in this matter.

Give up the inevitable baseness, or the aspect of the description

that is fit to be rejected, and have spiritual realization.

All VaiSNavas say that the jiva is an eternal servant of KRSNa,

that his eternal nature is to serve KRSNa, and that he is now bound

by mAyA, because he has forgotten that eternal nature. However,

everyone knows that the jIva is an eternal entity, of which there

are two types: nitya-mukta and nitya-baddha . The subject has been

explained in this way only because the conditioned human intellect

being controlled by pramAda (inattentiveness), is unable to

comprehend a subject matter.

 

from Jaiva Dharma Prameya Jiva Tattva Ch 15

 

[anadi 0]

Realized sadhakas, though, experience

transcendental truth through their cit-samAdhi. Our words

always have some material limitation, so whatever we say will have

some mAyika defects. My dear son, you should always endeavor to

realize the pure truth. Logic and argument cannot help at all in

this regard, so it is futile to use them to try to understand inconceivable

subject matters.

I know that you will not be able to understand these subjects in

a moment, but as you cultivate these transcendental moods within

your heart, you will realize cinmaya-bhava more and more. In other

words, all the transcendental moods will manifest themselves in

the core of your purified heart. Your body is material, and all the

activities of your body are also material, but the essence of your

being is not material; you are an atomic conscious entity. The more

you know yourself, the more you will be able to realize how your

svarUpa is a tattva superior to the world of mAyA. Even if I tell you,

you will not realize it, or simply be hearing you will not attain it.

Cultivate the practice of chanting hari-nama as much as possible.

As you go on chanting hari-nAma, these transcendental bhAvas will

begin to manifest in your heart automatically, and to the degree

that they do so, you will be able to realize the transcendental world.

 

from Jaiva Dharma Prameya Jiva Tattva Ch 15

[anadi 0]

Mind and speech both have their origin in matter, and they cannot

touch the transcendental truth, even with the greatest endeavor.

The Vedas say in Taittiréya UpaniSad (2.9)

yato vAco nivartante aprApya manasA saha

The speech and the mind return from brahma, being unable

to attain Him.

I advise you not to inquire about this matter from anyone , but to realize it yourself. I have just given you an indication (AbhAsa).

 

from Jaiva Dharma Prameya Jiva Tattva Ch 15

[Guest guest]

Ignorance is the failure to discriminate between the permanent and the impermanent, the pure and the impure, bliss and suffering, the Self and the non-Self.

 

-The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 2:5

[anadi 0]

Vrajanatha: What is the difference between ISvara and the jIva?

BAbAji: First you should understand the non-difference between ISvara and the jIva, and after that, I will explain their eternal difference.

ISvara is

the embodiment of knowledge (jJAna-svarUpa),

the knower (jJAtA-svarUpa),

one who considers or reflects (mantAsvarUpa)

the enjoyer (bhoktR-svarUpa)

self-effulgent (svaprakASa)

He also illuminates others (para-prakASa)

He has His own desires (icchA-maya), and

He is the knower of all (kzetra-jJA).

The jIva, too, is the form of knowledge, the knower, and the enjoyer; he too, is self-effulgent, and he illuminates others; and he too, has desires, and is the knower of his own field (kzetra-jJA). From this perspective,there is no difference between them.

However, ISvara is omnipotent, and by dint of this omnipotence, He is the basis of all these qualities, which are present in Him in full. These qualities are also present in the atomic jIva, but only to a minute degree. Thus, the nature and form of ISvara and the jiva are eternally different from each other because one is complete and the other is minute; and at the same time, there is a lack of distinction between ISvara and the jIva because of the similarity between their qualities.

 

ISvara is the Lord of svarUpa-Sakti, jIva-Sakti and mAyA-Sakti because of the completeness of the internal potency (Atma-Sakti).

Sakti is His maidservant, and He is the Lord of Sakti, who is activatedby His desire; this is the svarUpa of ISvara. Though the qualities of ISvara are present in the jIva to a minute degree, the jIva is nonetheless under the control of Sakti.

The word mAyA has been used in DaSa-mUla not only to indicate material mAyA, but also to indicate svarUpa-Sakti . MIyate anayA iti mAyA, “MAyA is that by which things can be measured .” The word mAyA refers to the Sakti that illuminates KRSNa’s identity in all the three worlds, namely, the cit-jagat, acit-jagat, and jIva-jagat . KRSNa is the controller of maya and the jIva is under the control of mAyA.

 

Jaiva Dharma Prameya Jiva Tattva Ch 15

 

What is jIva jagat?

 

[anadi 0]

quote:

--

 

The word mAyA refers to the Sakti that illuminates KRSNa’s identity in all the three worlds, namely, the cit-jagat, acit-jagat, and jIva-jagat

--

 

jagat means world

cit jagat means spiritual world acit jagat means material world

 

jiva jagat means what ?

What world left, besides the two?

The buffer zone between the cit and acit worlds, namely karana jala, the marginal world.

So, jiva jagat is the marginal world.