§outh§tar,
Existence can neither be confirmed not denied. Words are to blame. Don't see how what I ask has anything to do with what you just said and existence though.
You asked;
"And how did you know "the body is a vehicle/medium through which the soul expresses itself"? ”
If God exists, then it is reasonable to assume the soul exists. This thread is an enquiry, based on the assumption that God does exist, but asks if He is worthy of worship. My original response was based on the point of your enquiry. If you have difficulty in accepting the existence of the soul, while at the same time accepting the existence of God, then you are clearly misinformed as to the nature of God. If you don't accept His existence, then I will withdraw my point, as it is not relivant to your enquiry. And will enquire from you the real purpose of this thread.
I see however that your Bhagavad gītā makes the unnecessary assumption of a personal god.
If God exists, and is personal, why is it an 'unnecessary assumption'.
what is a soul, if you could explain for me as well.
A soul is the person. It is not that we have a soul, as much as we are the soul.
In Vedic literature the soul is described as 'pure consciousness', that is it's make up.
It has, in its pure state, all the qualities of God, the same way a teaspoon full of the atlantic ocean represents all the qualities of the ocean itself. The difference between the individual soul and God, is a matter of size, God is infinate, whereas the soul is finite.
The same applies to the atlantic ocean metaphor.
The soul comes from God's own self, and due to our individualness, we sometimes desire to become lords ourself (fall). So God places us in material existence in order to play out our desire. But he wants us to come back to our natural position, which can only happen when we realise what that position is.
In the Bible, we understand that God breathed life in the nostril, and Adam became a 'living' soul.
I am not sure how the poem arrived at the assumption that the soul passes into another body at death.
It is self-explanetary;
As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age................
Although your body and mind are changing at every moment, you, the person, remains the same.
......the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.
Using the above fact, we can understand that the soul, or the part of us that is unchangable, that part of us that is always recognised by intimate associates, has no reason to die all of a sudden, because the ever- changable bodily dress does. So at the time of death, the individual soul passes into another situation or set of circumstances, according to it's level of consciousnes.
When one becomes self-realised, meaning one truly realises that he is not the body, and works in that way, then he is not bewildered, he/she accepts that that is a part of nature.
Could you please explain then?
Why did you swear?
Was it in jest?
Did you really intend to harm someones sensibilities?
Do you have any idea how that someone will react as a result of the harm that was intended?
Will that person, in the future hurt people because of the harm that was administered to them?
Oh! "What someone else does is not my problem!" I hear.
If they don't have the intelligence to realise i didn't really mean what i said, then they deserve what they get!
Maybe you would be right, but, the point is, you had somthing to do with that persons imbalance, and that has to be put right before you move on. So, swearing itself, has nothing to do with nature, but ones intentions, no matter how minute, can create serious repercussions if not checked.
Like Janet Jakson says, in one of her songs; "Its all about expression."
Please define "you" and "your natural father". You seem to be referring to those two as 'entities', and separate ones at that. I do not understand why you did that.
You claim that sectarien religions and God are the same thing, the metaphor gives a clearer perspective of your claim. You are the seed of your father, but you are not your father. He is one individual and you are another. In the same way, religion is a seed planted by God, but religious sects He is not. So religions, once having become established, are in the hands of man. If they choose to put a slant on the religion, probably for their own benefit, then the religion becomes irreligion.
But religion itself, the original seed, can never be changed, and it is when we understand this, that we come to the platform of real religion.
Not really. You might have told me what some poem claims, but you haven't told me how you know.
Okay before we proceed any further, please tell me what 'you know' about anything, and please cite how you know?
You haven't given me any reason as of yet to take this 'soul' business seriously;
It is not up to me to give you reasons to take anything seriously, but maybe if you are capable of reasoning the subject matter unbiasly, you may decide to look more into it before you shut down that portal for good.
Also how do you know that God has provided abundantly for us? It is one thing to assume a priori that God exists,
Then don't make comparisons with God and starving children. You want to provide negative propoganda about God without questioning His existence, but as soon as someone wishes to make positive propoganda, you demand proof of this and that.
My 2 cents; If you really believe God doesn't exist, then move on, don't waste your time like so many sad theists who pose as atheists wishing kill God for whatever reason.
but to claim God provides abundantly is a stretch.
Why?
Please explain how you yourself came to that assumption.
That is not an easy task, because in reality it forms every part of my existence. Of course there are religious books which explain the soul, but these are just parts and parcel of the overall understanding.
Also I need you to explain to me why you make the assumption that God does not acting "on a physical level".
Because He is not a physical being. His willing, eventually manifests itself in the physical world, through action and inaction, but He always remains trancendental.
If you are making the unnecessary assumption that God is a generous provider, then why did He not provide all men with a good sense of economy?
You get all kinds of men and there is no need to give all men a good sense of economy. But those that have should utilise their energy for the good of mankind, and in return those men that lack acedemic intelligence, but can work, should work to maintain a healthy economy. So God is generous, in that He provides men with adequate intelligence, but unfortunately this intelligence is being misused.
Please explain to me how you arrived at the following assumptions:
1) God is a "purely spiritual being"
2) We are "atomic individual parts and parcels" of God
3) God is a "pure, gigantic spirit"
1) That is a logical assumption. If God is the greatest, all-knowing, all-powerfull, all-mighty, self-existing, non-dependant, trancendental being, then He is different to all the other beings we encounter. He could not possibly be material in any sense of the word.
2) What is that self that does not change, that is recognisable throughout ones life. The only being that possess this same character, that we can be aware of is God.
3) If He were anything less than pure spirit, He could not be God. And if everything, including this entire universe and all-within, emanates from God, then He must be pretty gigantic.
Before you rush in with, where is the evidence and proof of my claims, give some thought to your question.
They may prove helpful nonetheless.
It may or may not, it depends on the circumstances, but if one spends ones life acquiring these things, but pays no attention to there spiritual growth and awareness, then it cannot possibly help, as these things are temporary.
Jan Ardena.
