Early Advaita Vedanta Philosophy, Volume 2 by Jones Richard H

Author:Jones, Richard H.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jackson Square Books
Published: 2022-05-04T00:00:00+00:00

8 “Prana” as the “life-breath” of a person is usually distinguished from the bodily organs (pranas), but sometimes is included as the chief prana. Prana is also sometimesasubstituteforBrahman.Andthematerialorgansarenotalwaysclearlydistinguished from their function — e.g., the eye and perception.

Book 3

Chapter 1: The Path of Rebirth [1] The individual at death passes out of the body still enveloped by the subtle elements to attain another body. This is known from the question and answerinscripture.[2]Theindividualisnotenvelopedsolelybywatersincethe envelop has three components (i.e., fire, water, and earth), but water alone is mentionedbecauseofitspredominance.[3]Becausethevitalfunctionsgoforth withtheindividualtothenextrebirth,asdotheother“breaths”(thesensesand organs of action) and elements.

The transmigrating individual atman is accompanied by limiting adjuncts:the chieflife-breath,the senses, and the mind.Ittakes withitrootignorance, the karmic effects of good and bad actions, and the impressions left by previous lives. The atman is enveloped by the subtle parts of these elements. It leaves one body and obtains another (BU 4.4.1-4).

[4] Objection:Thefunctionsdonotgoforthbecausescripturestatesthat theyentersuchdeitiesasAgni(BU3.2.13).Response:Suchstatementsareonly meant in a figurative sense.

It is figurative because we never observe such things entering the body — it means only that Agni and the other gods stop their guidance of the functions at death. And the atman could not go at all if we denied the limiting adjuncts to it that are formed by the organs. And without the adjuncts, the atman could not enjoy the fruits of past lives in a new body.

[5] Objection:Waterisnotmentionedinthe first instance(concerninga ritualandwatertaking theshapeofaman).Response:Theword“water”must be meant because it is the only word that makes sense. [6] Objection: The atman does not depart enveloped in water since thatis not stated in scripture. Response: It is understood to be so by those who perform the ritual. [7] Or alternatively, the statement is figurative because the speakers have not yet come to know the Atman. Scripture declares that.

[8] After the karmic effects of good actions that lead to a rebirth in a heaven are exhausted, a person follows the path dictated by other karmic effects to rebirth on earth or elsewhere. This is known through scripture and thetraditionaltexts.[9]Objection:Theindividualgetshisrebirthduetoritual conduct,notduetoanykarmiceffectofthepastactions. Response:According to the teacher Karshnajini, the scriptural passages suggest that the word “action” is used indirectly to indicate all karmic effects.

Objection : All karmic effects from one’s past actions are used up in a heavenlyrebirth,andsothereis nothingleftovertodetermineanewrebirth after that.

Response : Some residue remains from previous lives. The good effects ofperformingtheritualsacrificesandsoforthledtoheaven,andtheremaining bad effects survive and lead to being embodied in this world.

[10] Objection: Unless conduct alone is the cause rebirths rather than theireffects,thenconductisvalueless.Response:Karmiceffectsaredependent uponthatconduct,[11]eventhoughtheteacherBadaristatesthatnothingbut good and bad acts themselves are meant.

That ritual work and conduct ( karana) are sometimes spoken of as differentis analogous tothedistinctionsometimes made betweenBrahmins and a subclass of them.

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