Brahman And The Oversoul

[Agnideva]

Originally Posted by Silverbackman

Very interesting post, makes a lot of sense as well. Although this list mostly applies to animals (including humans), considering sheath 3 and 4 seem less likelly in plant, moneras, ect. Can you explain Sheath 5 a bit more though?

The five sheaths are realized fully only in humans, although all atmans have them. In lower organisms, the inner sheaths lay latent and are not realized, until birth into higher organisms. As for sheath 5, superconsciousness is sort of beyond the conscious mind, it is one of the many states realized and experienced only in deep meditation. Here’s something I found about the Anandamaya Kosha:

Anandamaya kosha is the most interior of the koshas, the first of the koshas surrounding the Atman, the eternal center of consciousness. Ananda means bliss. However, it is not bliss as a mere emotion experienced at the level of the sheath of the mind. Ananda is a whole different order of reality from that of the mind. It is peace, joy, and love that is underneath, beyond the mind, independent of any reason or stimulus to cause a happy mental reaction. It is simply being, resting in bliss called ananda. Yet, even this bliss, however wonderful it is, is still a covering, a sheath, a lampshade covering the pure light of consciousness. It is the subtle most of the five koshas. In the silence of deep meditation, this too is let go of, so as to experience the center.
From: http://swamij.com/koshas.htm#anandamaya

So you actually get to choose your next body huh? Is there a set law on what a soul can pick? For example a mass murderer from a past life wouldn't be able to pick the life of a billionare because of how much karma was generated. Or does all the karma get used up in the heavenly or hellish worlds? Will we be able to enter bodies based only on our unique personality and what about gender when it comes to souls?

No, you don’t consciously choose a body, unless you mean by being conscious about your karmas in this lifetime. You transmigrate automatically into another body based on your karmas. It is not random, but systematic. Only certain amount of karma is dissipated in the subtle plane (heavenly and hellish worlds). In essence, karma is "softened" in the subtle plane before you take another birth in the physical world. Most humans in this life may take birth as humans again because most human actions result in human consequences, but some do take animal births. Your personality and memory do not go with you into the next birth, only the essence of your being. And, as for gender it is a characteristic of the physical body and not of the atman.

Also when we are in these heavenly and hellish worlds will we be able to look upon the Earth and watch over (if we want to see what happens)?

Interesting question! I don’t know, perhaps you will be able to see it, but people in the physical world probably can’t see you. See, I imagine the subtle plane to be like a different dimension within the fabric of space-time. As I mentioned before, for the Devas who live in the subtle plane, their every unit of time is said to be 360 times longer than ours. Perhaps in that dimension, they are traveling closer to the speed of light than we are, so time is slowed down for them from our reference point!

[Silverbackman]

Originally Posted by Agnideva

Yes. In fact, chimps are the only example we have yet to show that species other than humans are capable of premeditation and murder of one of their own. Before this, it was thought animals were incapable of malice. In the feline family, adult males kill newborn young of another male so that the female would come back into heat, but we don’t know if they preplan it or not.

Again, lower organisms have to do nothing more than live out their lives and do what they do best … this is their dharma. Plants, for example, may not have senses like we do, but they do respond to external stimuli … think geotropism, phototropism, heliotropism etc. Other organisms also respond to stimulus, and are conscious of their environment and adapt, but they can't be said to have intelligence like higher animals and humans do. Good and bad karma are there only for those organisms which make conscious decisions and know of the concept of right and wrong, a tree does not make such decisions, so it doesn’t need it .

Yea, not only in chimpanzees but also gorillas comit infantacide as well. Almost every time they find the children of another male, but sometimes the male does not kill the alien infants, which maybe a sign of good karma in gorilla society.

So if plants, monera, ect. do not have any karma to follow doesn't make sense for them to reincarnate to anything more than a fellow oraganism with no awareness. And does a particular text actually confirm that organisms that cannot think have no karma?

[Silverbackman]

Originally Posted by Agnideva

The five sheaths are realized fully only in humans, although all atmans have them. In lower organisms, the inner sheaths lay latent and are not realized, until birth into higher organisms. As for sheath 5, superconsciousness is sort of beyond the conscious mind, it is one of the many states realized and experienced only in deep meditation. Here’s something I found about the Anandamaya Kosha:

No, you don’t consciously choose a body, unless you mean by being conscious about your karmas in this lifetime. You transmigrate automatically into another body based on your karmas. It is not random, but systematic. Only certain amount of karma is dissipated in the subtle plane (heavenly and hellish worlds). In essence, karma is "softened" in the subtle plane before you take another birth in the physical world. Most humans in this life may take birth as humans again because most human actions result in human consequences, but some do take animal births. Your personality and memory do not go with you into the next birth, only the essence of your being. And, as for gender it is a characteristic of the physical body and not of the atman.

Interesting question! I don’t know, perhaps you will be able to see it, but people in the physical world probably can’t see you. See, I imagine the subtle plane to be like a different dimension within the fabric of space-time. As I mentioned before, for the Devas who live in the subtle plane, their every unit of time is said to be 360 times longer than ours. Perhaps in that dimension, they are traveling closer to the speed of light than we are, so time is slowed down for them from our reference point!

But when you die and are in the afterlife won't you know about your past lives and remember? And do you really loose your personality and stuff? Oh damn I really don't want to loose my state of mind to something random and never remember it again. Then again there is a possibility I said the exact same thing to myself in my past life.

What exactly is the essence of your being? Just the physical soul body or something linked more to your personality? I hope to see the world when I die so that I can see the fruits produce in our life. I also hope to see dead loved ones one last time before I forget everything.

So I might be born a woman in my next life. It's a litte hard to imagine.

By the way, is it possible to reincarnate as an alien soul from another planet or would you only reincarnate back on Earth?

[Agnideva]

Originally Posted by Silverbackman

So if plants, monera, ect. do not have any karma to follow doesn't make sense for them to reincarnate to anything more than a fellow oraganism with no awareness. And does a particular text actually confirm that organisms that cannot think have no karma?

They do have dharma, and do have a purpose. Remember that reincarnation is based both on dharma and karma, all three are intimately linked. Following one's dharma properly essentially means gaining positive karma. When Acidophilus turns milk into yoghurt, it is following its dharma. When a tree provides shade for weary travelers or a home for birds, it is following its dharma. When a wheat plant makes wheat for animals and humans, it is following its dharma. And no, there is no text that actually says other organisms don't have karma, but the concept of good and bad karma are only there for those who make conscious decisions and know right from wrong. So, do you think that maybe the cats, gorillas and chimps do know right from wrong? Do you think when they kill one of their own species, they are making a conscious decision against their "better judgment"?

[Agnideva]

Originally Posted by Silverbackman

But when you die and are in the afterlife won't you know about your past lives and remember? And do you really loose your personality and stuff?

You may remember your last life after you die, but when you're reborn you will have forgotten. But then again, haven't you heard stories of people who remember their past lives and go searching for their relatives? If we all remembered our past lives, we'd be attached to the people and things we knew before.

Then again there is a possibility I said the exact same thing to myself in my past life.

We may have had this same conversation over and over in different lifetimes .

What exactly is the essence of your being? Just the physical soul body or something linked more to your personality?

The true essence of your being is the atman only; but in the physical body, the essence of your being is the atman, the sheaths that transmigrate from one physical body to another, and the sum totality of your karmas that haven't yet been resolved.

I hope to see the world when I die so that I can see the fruits produce in our life. I also hope to see dead loved ones one last time before I forget everything.

Perhaps simply hoping for this may make it come true!

So I might be born a woman in my next life. It's a litte hard to imagine.

Perhaps you were a woman in your last life .

By the way, is it possible to reincarnate as an alien soul from another planet or would you only reincarnate back on Earth?

I don't see any reason why not. If the doctrines of dharma, karma and reincarnation are universal, as we believe they are, they should apply equally all beings on this Earth and other worlds.