Your next question, "Is there a difference between Arjuna's body and his soul, and how does this apply to all Krishna's eternally liberated souls described in the scriptures. Is Arjuna always the same in his appearances with Krishna or is a new soul taking his body each time?" Yes, there is difference. Therefore he forgets his past activities. Just like we forget ourselves while dreaming because our subtle body acts at that time differently from the gross body. Similarly, by changing this body or transmigrating from one body to another, we forget all the activities of our previous body. The associates of the Lord, even though they have a different body, or even though they forget the activities of their past body, still they are associates of the Lord. These explanations are given in the Bhagavad-gita as it is.
Change of body (Letters)
Expressions researched:
"bodies"
|"body"
|"change"
|"changed"
|"changes"
|"changing"
Correspondence
1968 Correspondence
Is Arjuna always the same in his appearances with Krishna or is a new soul taking his body each time?" Yes, there is difference. Therefore he forgets his past activities. Just like we forget ourselves while dreaming because our subtle body acts at that time differently from the gross body. Similarly, by changing this body or transmigrating from one body to another, we forget all the activities of our previous body. The associates of the Lord, even though they have a different body, or even though they forget the activities of their past body, still they are associates of the Lord. These explanations are given in the Bhagavad-gita as it is.
1970 Correspondence
The body is changing, but the soul is there. Everyone of us can remember our childhood body or past body. That past body is no longer existing; but I am existing now and I existed in the past, and therefore, I must exist in the future in spite of change of body. These things are nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gita, and we should take advantage of this knowledge.
Fifth question: "To achieve the goal of Krishna, should we pass our life through matter to spiritual life or direct to spiritual life?" The goal of Krishna can be achieved in a second if we simply accept the truth that we are eternal servant of Krishna. Although I am within this material body, I can immediately stop its material function simply by developing my Krishna Consciousness, which means to accept that I am eternal servant of Krishna.
It is said in the Vedas asamga ayam purusa which means the living entity is always unaffected with matter. Another example is given that the reflection of the moon on water appears to be moving, but actually the moon is not moving, it is fixed up. So any living entity is like that. His reflection on the material body appears to be changing, but the spirit soul is fixed up, therefore this movement is called illusion.
Liberation means liberation from this changing condition.
So far I am concerned, I cannot say what I was in my previous life, but one great astrologer calculated that I was previously a physician and my life was sinless. Besides that, to corroborate the statement of Bhagavad-gita "sucinam srimatam gehe yogabhrasta samyayate" (BG 6.41) which means an unfinished yogi takes birth in rich family or born of a suci or pious father. By the grace of Krsna I got these two opportunities in the present life to be born of a pious father and brought up in one of the richest, aristocratic families of Calcutta (Kasinath Mullick). The Radha Krsna Deity in this family called me to meet Him, and therefore last time when I was in Calcutta, I stayed in that temple along with my American disciples.
Although Mohammed and Jesus Christ appeared in the Kali Yuga their instruction is as it is because the persons to whom they had to speak could not understand any more and they find it difficult to understand even that much.
Question the sixth: You are always with Krsna. But you forget. That is maya.
Regarding Bhagavad-gita Chapter XIII, verses 5-6: All these are elements and their interactions are the bodily combination and its changes. Convictions are mental impressions derived through the body. Convictions are not fixed up. The aggregate refers to the aggregate of the elements or the body.
You may inform Jadurani that the picture she has sent is alright with necessary adjustments. Krsna is of course to be pictured in the same dress in all the scenes of the Kuruksetra delivery of Bhagavad-gita because the episode took place all within about one half hour. Some ideas are: 1) Duryodhana and Dronacarya conferring in a tent just before the battle. 2) A ratha with four horses drawn before the ranks of soldiers and akshouhini carrying Krsna and Arjuna. 3) Arjuna morose; leaving weapons aside he is almost crying. 4) A man pictured dead and also living. Krsna says to Arjuna, "the wise mourn not for the dead or the living." 5) pictures of an individual from babyhood to youthhood, in manhood and in old age and death. The figure of the soul in each different body remains the same indicating that the body changes, not the soul. 6) Krsna instructing the Sun-god; Vivasvan instructing Manu (his son). I will send you more ideas later if required by you.
1971 Correspondence
Undoubtedly the soul is present in the heart of the living entity, and it is the source of all the energies for maintaining the body. The energy of the soul is spread all over the body and this is known as consciousness. On account of this consciousness spreading of energy of the soul all over the body, you can feel pains and pleasures in any part of the body. The soul is individual and he is transmigrating from one body to another, just as a person transmigrates from babyhood to childhood, from childhood to boyhood, from boyhood to youthhood and then to advanced old age. Then the change called death takes place when we change to a new body just as we change our old dress to a new dress. This is called transmigration of the soul.
When a soul wants to enjoy this material world, forgetting his real home in the spiritual world, he takes this life of hard struggle for existence. This unnatural life of repeated birth, death, disease and old age can be stopped when his consciousness is dovetailed with the Supreme consciousness of God. That is the basic principle of our Krishna Consciousness Movement.
1972 Correspondence
By mystic power everything can be done. As for the second question, generally the Lord is standing. Anyway it can be done, paint it like that. Even when it appears that the Lord is alone, it does not mean He is alone.
Brahmins are sometimes also Saivites, so you can paint Kasyapa Muni with Siva tilak as you have depicted. Varaha is fighting in the outer space and the rain of pus and blood and hair is coming down in the outer space. Just like we also change different bodies, similarly Brahma also changes his bodies. But exactly how to paint His bodies, that you have to ask Brahma, I cannot answer. You have seen so many bodies, you can paint like you have seen.
1974 Correspondence
You have asked what is the origin of the black race. This is not an important question. Why should you be curious about the temporary body. If I am very interested in knowing about my clothing that I am wearing only temporarily it is not a very important thing. We have had many bodies which we change like sets of clothes; to be very absorbed in the present body one has, whether it is black or white or yellow is not the sign of a wise person or Krsna Conscious devotee. As to whether the personality of Kali was black, (African) may not have been so. After all, Krsna is black also, although His body, is different, He is sat cit ananda. So our inquiries should be on the point of Krsna not in references to the so called race or religion or nationality of this temporary miserable body.
This boy he immediately attempted and Krsna immediately responded. So this is the success of your book distribution. So if are books are distributed nationwide that is the success of our movement. I note that Beyond Birth and Death is going to be reprinted. This book is selling very nicely. Everyone is anxious to know what is beyond birth and death. They believe only in ghosts, but they do not know that their is actually another position; tatra dehantara-praptir; you have to change your body for another.
So by Krsna's grace you are becoming a good manager. So stick to Krsna's service and He will give you more and more intelligence and more and more managing power. Krsna will be happy and you will also be happy.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 20, 1974 and have noted the contents. Jayatirtha was just here but did not mention that you were there. Anyway, go on with preaching to the college students there on the West Coast. Explain to them that after death they have to take another body. The body even in this life is constantly changing, and at death they change and take another body according to one's work in this life. They must know this fact. By taking to Krishna consciousness they can become purified and no longer have to take birth again in this material world where they are the four-fold miseries of the body.
1975 Correspondence
So, the diseases are there and the forms of disease are also there. Material form means diseased form. Therefore, one has to change this form—death. And he carries with him the infection and he develops another disease. In this way, the soul although part and parcel of God in diseased condition, they are forced to change body. That is transmigration of the soul from one body to another.
To be more clear, the disease is there. Just as the Small-pox disease is there. One has to become diseased, being infected. Similarly, the forms of the body are there. One has to infect the form and it develops. karanam guna sango'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu. Because he is infecting different diseased forms, therefore he is developing different forms of body. There is no such case of Small-pox changing into Malaria. Small-pox is Small-pox, and Malaria is Malaria. By the desire of the living entity, he becomes infected with a certain disease or body. Krishna Consciousness is the vaccine for all the diseases (different forms of material bodies).
The living entity after being carried by the subtle body to another gross body, it sometimes remains in deep sleep in the womb of the mother. Then gradually the subtle body begins to act within another gross body. When this gross body is fully developed befitting to come out of the mother's body, that is called another birth. Again he changes to another gross body imperceptibly. Just like in the film thousands of pictures are moved imperceptibly. It looks that the body in the picture is moving, but the audience cannot understand that there are so many pictures in the spool. They think that the picture is moving. Similarly every second every moment we are changing the body.
Those who are not sober cannot understand how the spirit soul is changing from one body to another. Krsna therefore says that this change of body can be appreciated only by the dhiras. dhiras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). While those who are not dhiras cannot understand how the soul is changing from one body to another. There are two kind of men, dhira and adhira. The modern education is producing only the adhira class who are neither sober or educated.
Regarding your questions, the first question, when a soul reincarnates, does he associate with the souls he associated with in his lives, that is not necessarily so. Even if he associates, how can he recognize them because everyone changes his body. Regarding your question about karmic debt, yes, it is generally that the debtor is obliged to take birth and also the creditor. Sometimes the creditor takes birth as the son of the debtor and after being a very affectionate son for a few days, he dies and thus the debtor becomes aggrieved very much. This is the punishment. In this way in every transaction the participants are becoming involved in their resultant action of karma. This is karma-bandhana, in Bhagavad-gita, or the bondage of different fruitive activity. It is advised that one should act only for Krsna, otherwise he will be involved in karma-bandhana.
1976 Correspondence
The living entity is eternal and changing body by the evolutionary process. In this material world there are 8,400,000 forms of body and the living entity is passing through the cycle. When the living entity is given a chance in the process to become a human being, he has to decide which way he wants to go.
We are preaching on the basis of the Vedic literatures, which are considered to be the most authentic knowledge by Indian scholars, religionists, and people in general. This authenticity is being appreciated now by all scholarly sections throughout the whole world. Our books are being received by all libraries, universities, and scholarly persons, and I wish also that your institution may also order for all these books so that you can understand our point of view. Enclosed is one catalog which vividly describes some of these books.
Naturally I am very very sorry to learn the death news of your father, my beloved friend. So offer your mother my condolences for the bereavement, but there is nothing to be very sorry for. According to Bhagavad-gita your father has not died, he has changed his body, na hanyate hanyamane sarire (BG 2.20).
Certainly I shall pray to Krishna for his better situation in the next life. Offer my blessings to your children and wife and I hope that this meets you in good health. I will most probably be in Calcutta in December next and I shall be glad to see you at that time.
Today I have received the December issue of Back to Godhead. The interview with the London reporter is very important. This should be presented in the courts. It is 95% of the evidence we require to prove that Krishna Consciousness is genuine. This is not a sentimental faith or religion, it is a great science. Everyone is changing bodies. Regardless of his so-called faith, the Christians as well as the Hindus are changing bodies. This is science. There is a Bengali story. A deaf man used to call his wife. She would reply, "I'm coming!" But, he couldn't hear her. He would think, "The women's deaf." Actually he was deaf but he accused her of being deaf. Similarly these people are brainwashed and they are accusing us of being brainwashed. This we have to prove. We have the real science. This should be preached and proven in the courts. Use this article as evidence and with a good lawyer prove that Krishna Consciousness is the real science and that all others are brainwashed.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 23, 1976 along with the record album.
The music is nice for the nondevotee class of men. However, the picture on the album cover is not nice. Why this crazy picture? This will not help our cause. They will not be able to understand. They will think it is change of body, not of heart. We have got so many nice pictures of Krsna.
| Page Title: | Change of body (Letters) |
| Compiler: | Mayapur, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 09 of Oct, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=18 |
| No. of Quotes: | 18 |