The Existence Of The Soul

Lord Krsna also gives more information about the soul's constitution. "It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable, immutable, and unchangeable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body." (Bg. 2.25) The soul, being spiritual, cannot be perceived by material eyes. Even the most powerful microscope cannot see the spirit soul. It is experimentally impossible to establish the existence of the soul, and therefore sruti, or Vedic wisdom, must be accepted as proof. We do, however, perceive symptoms of the soul as life symptoms. We understand that when the soul has left the body, the body is dead. These are symptoms of the soul which can be perceived materially. Beyond this we have to accept the existence of the soul on the grounds of Vedic authority. Here the supreme authority Lord Krsna states that the soul is beyond human conception, immutable and unchangeable. The body is everlasting and is always the same, although it may inhabit countless bodies.

Compared to the infinite Supreme Soul, the individual soul or jiva is atomic or finite. It is not possible for this infinitesimal soul to become equal to the infinite soul because it is stated here that it is unchangeable. Being unchangeable, it cannot expand to include everything. Therefore the theory of the Mayavadi impersonalists that at death the individual soul leaves the body and merges into the great all-pervading spirit to become one with that spirit contradicts the Gita. The totality of the jivas is all-pervading, but the individual jiva is infinitesimal and remains so eternally. It partakes of the total ocean by swimming about. In the very beginning of the Gita, Lord Krsna asserts the eternal individuality of the soul: "Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be." (Bg. 2.12) It is not that at a certain point the individual soul cuts itself off from the Supreme Soul and merges into matter, or that at another point it will leave its association with matter and merge once again into the Supreme Soul. Such a process of amalgamation is not possible. Even after liberation the individuality remains. The oneness mentioned here refers to oneness of interest. The common interest of all liberated individual souls is the Supersoul, Lord Krsna. When the jivas are in total agreement with Krsna, then there is oneness. Oneness is therefore experienced when the jiva surrenders unto Krsna, and diversity is experienced when the jiva rebels. When he surrenders, the jiva associates with Krsna in the spiritual world, but when he revolts he is placed in the material world amidst diversity. It is stated in Bhagavad-gita: "After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes, and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare." (Bg. 7.19) Attaining this knowledge may take time, but this is the ultimate Vedanta. Vedanta means to know that Lord Krsna is everything.