Secrets of the Soul 17

dehino ’smin yathā dehe
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.” [Bhagavad-gita 2.13]

This verse of Bhagavad-gita gives the first criterion of understanding spiritual life. People generally do not understand that there is another aspect of existence—consciousness or spirit soul—beyond this material body. Generally, people are under the mistaken impression that “I am this body. I am American,” or “I am Indian.”

Why should I think that I am American, Indian, or belonging to some other country? Am I supposed to think like that only because this body is born in a particular country? Should I think I’m an American because my body happens to be born in America? If so, then I think I am American, Indian, or whatever, simply based on the accidental country of birth.

This dehatma-buddhih or bodily misconception of life, is very common all over the world. This bodily identification is ajnana, ignorance. Jnana or real knowledge means aham brahmasmi: one knows he is not this body but a spirit soul. So one is a real jnani when he is freed from the material bodily misconception of life and understands his real spiritual nature. Otherwise, he is ajnani or ignorant of the actual spiritual truth.

The so-called jnanis are so much proud of their knowledge. In India, there are the so-called Mayavadis. They think of themselves as jnani-sampradaya, or practically having a monopoly on knowledge, and that the followers of the Esoteric Teaching are ignorant. But what is their so-called jnana? They think: “I am a Hindu. I am an Indian. I am a sannyasi.” They call this their jnana; but actually it is ajnana.

If you think yourself that you are American or Indian, if you think yourself as Hindu or Christian, if you think yourself as a high-caste brahmana, or a low-caste sudra, a rich man or a poor man, or a material male or female, then you are ajnani. You are not jnani, because you are identified with the temporary material body; therefore you are ajnani. Jnani means pandita, and panditah sama-darsinah:

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

“The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste] with equal vision.” [Bhagavad-gita 5.18]

One who is actually jnani, who is actually pandita, will not see: “He is an Indian; He is an American; He is a Hindu; He is a Muslim,” or “Here is a cat. Here is a dog.” Instead he sees them as eternal spirit souls in various temporary stages of material identification, because he does not consider the external superficial bodily identification.

Just like if you dress in a white shirt and tie, and I dress in dungarees and t-shirt, it does not mean that you are more intelligent than me. If you think we are different simply on the external basis of dress, then that is ajnana, ignorance. When an intelligent gentleman talks with another gentleman, neither consider that “I am this dress.” Similarly, if you consider your identity on the basis of this temporary bodily dress, then are you not ajnani? Yes, you are ajnani, because you do not know your real identity as a spirit soul.

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