Secrets of the Soul 7

avināśi tu tad viddhi
yena sarvam idaṁ tatam
vināśam avyayasyāsya
na kaścit kartum arhati

“That which pervades the body is indestructible. No one is able to destroy the imperishable soul.” [Bhagavad-gita 2.17]

Now, what is it that pervades the body? It is consciousness. The spirit soul is very small, atomic in size, but his influence is so potent and pervasive that this tiny particle is the source and controller of the entire material body. Just like if you take a tiny dose of LSD, just a few micrograms—which you cannot even taste—still you will feel its influence all over your body, and even in your mind. (Incidentally, this indicates that the mind, though subtle, is material and thus part of the body, because it can be influenced by a material substance.)

Such a small amount of a material substance, LSD, has so much power that it can influence the functions of the entire body and mind. Similarly, although the soul, the spiritual self or spark, is such a small atomic particle, it is so powerful that as long as he is present within the heart, this body lives and moves, and is precious and desirable. But as soon as the soul passes from the body, the body immediately dies and begins to decompose.

The soul is so powerful. If the influence of a tiny amount of a material substance like LSD can pervade the body, why not the influence of a tiny particle of spirit? The spiritual influence of the soul is consciousness. Because I, the spirit soul, live within the heart of this body, the body lives and moves according to my will. I can feel any part of my body, due to the pervasiveness of my consciousness. This consciousness is the energy of the spirit soul. So by the pervasive influence of consciousness, we can understand that there is a spirit soul present in the heart of the body.

This sloka of Bhagavad-gita (2.17) clearly explains the real nature of the soul. The soul is a powerful, indestructible energetic particle of spiritual energy whose influence pervades the entire body. Anyone can understand what pervades the body; it is consciousness. Everyone is conscious of the pains and pleasures of the body, either in part or as a whole. But the influence of our consciousness is limited to one’s own body. One soul cannot be directly conscious of another soul’s body.

Consciousness is a property or quality of the soul. The spirit soul has other energies and qualities, including personality, identity, life energy, desire, will, aesthetics, love, discrimination, the power of manifestation and many more. Since the soul is eternal and can never be destroyed, its qualities are also permanent and unchangeable. So the personality and individuality of the soul are as eternal as the soul himself. Unfortunately, few people properly understand the nature of consciousness and these other qualities of the soul.

For example, the Mayavadi impersonalist philosophers theorize, “Yes, I am a small particle of pure consciousness. But as soon as this body is finished, my small consciousness will merge with the supreme all-pervading consciousness, and I will attain oneness with God.” That is the impersonalist theory. But we observe that in our present condition, our consciousness is limited to this body. We are certainly conscious, but no one can say that we are superconscious. Because our consciousness is limited to this body, we cannot feel the sensations of other bodies. You cannot argue that you are one with God, even potentially, because your consciousness is limited.

But Kṛṣṇa’s consciousness is not limited like ours. He explains in Bhagavad-gita:

kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi
sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata
kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor jñānaṁ
yat taj jñānaṁ mataṁ mama

“O scion of Bharata, you should understand that I am also the knower in all bodies, and to understand this body and its knower is called knowledge. That is My opinion.” [Bhagavad-gita 13.3]

The spirit soul is the knower of this body. Therefore the soul is called ksetra-jna, “one who knows this body.” I am conscious of my body; you are conscious of your body. But Kṛṣṇa is conscious of everyone’s body. Therefore He’s also ksetra-jna, as Paramatma, the Supersoul in all bodies.

We cannot artificially become God. God is eternally God, and we cannot become God by some mystic word jugglery or imaginary meditation. Kṛṣṇa is already God; His consciousness is all-pervading. He is the knower in all bodies, because His consciousness is unlimited. We can never display the symptoms of all-pervasive consciousness, because our consciousness is fundamentally limited to our individual embodiment.

Our constitutional nature is similar to Kṛṣṇa’s, but He is unlimited, whereas we are limited in all respects. That is the principal difference between the individual soul and the Supreme Soul, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore our real position is to act in service to the Supreme Soul, and thereby perfect our spiritual realization. The transcendental art of devotional service, as given in the great Esoteric Teaching of the Vedas, is the key to this perfection of self-realization.

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