An expert geologist can understand where there is gold and by various processes can extract it from the gold ore. Similarly, a spiritually advanced person can understand how the spiritual particle exists within the body, and thus by cultivating spiritual knowledge he can attain perfection in spiritual life. However, as one who is not expert cannot understand where there is gold, a foolish person who has not cultivated spiritual knowledge cannot understand how the spirit exists within the body. The Lord’s eight separated material energies, the three modes of material nature and the sixteen transformations [the eleven senses and the five gross material elements like earth and water] - within all these, the one spiritual soul exists as the observer. Therefore all the great acharyas have concluded that the individual soul is conditioned by these material elements. There are two kinds of bodies for every individual soul - a gross body made of five gross elements and a subtle body made of three subtle elements. Within these bodies, however, is the spirit soul. One must find the soul by analysis, saying, This is not it. This is not it. Thus one must separate spirit from matter. - Sri Prahlad, Srimad Bhagavatam 7.7.23
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 22:06:42 +0000
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