Brief explanation of Transmigration of souls
In the preceding article, we discussed about Vedic theory of evolution and its comparison with Darwin theory of evolution. Through the short introduction on transmigration of souls, we saw how the Vedic theory of evolution perfectly fits our ecosystem. In this article, I will present a more brief explanation on transmigration of souls
Spiritual explanation on transmigration of souls
Vedic evolution says about the natural process of evolution where the individuals can control their evolutionary cycles through spiritual actions, inner transformation and conscious purification efforts with the final goal of liberation of the soul. This inner purification effort creates a new aura of responsibilities that tries to liberate itself from the materialistic commotion of all kinds of ego’s, desires, sexual and impure activities towards the journey of spiritual realization. Man evolves from darkness to light, mortal to immortality, falsehood to truth, theft to charity, bondage to freedom, sexual lust to spiritual love etc.
You can either attain god or fall back to the animal kingdom as per your deeds.
For Ex: If you look at a crow flying out the window and wished you could fly like a crow plus yours acts/deeds are similar to that of a crow, you would be born as a crow in your next life. This is not the law of science but the law of nature. As another example, if you are a coward but falsely boast yourself among your friends/relatives as a roaring lion then you will become a cat in your next life.
You will be born as a cat that looks into the mirror and say “Hurrah, I am a lion...Grrrrrr”
Does this mean that all the evolutionists who are always thinking of Darwin evolutionary theory and are searching day and night for monkey species underneath ground, would be born as a monkey in their next life? Yeah, may be. If I have correctly understood transmigration of souls, then Darwin must have been reborn as a monkey in island of ‘Patagonia’ and ‘Galapagos’ and would be scratching his head for the foolish theories he wrote centuries ago.
Ok...Quiz time...Which one is Darwin in the below photo?
Joking...To all the believers in evolutionary theory, no offense please. Coming back to topic, evolution is not limited to only humans, but to all other living beings that include animals, plants, demigods and demons. Progressive Evolution is the soul desire to escape the ever-going cycles of birth and death to regain its lost connection with the supreme universal Brahman (God).
Stages of transmigration of souls
Evolution begins from an ignorant mind and then proceeds to the stage of enlightenment through many sequential and intermediary stages of partial ignorance and partial enlightenment. This process of evolution can be primarily grouped into three stages.
First stage is reflected by the consolidation and development of seven centers of consciousness (Chakras) in a physical body that totally remain inactive and unconscious due to the human tendency of following the blind intellect and materialistic desires. The same is said in the Isa Upanishad (I.1.3) verse “Demonic worlds enveloped in blinding darkness they enter after death those who are the slayer of the self."
Modern humans know the way to activate only their sexual chakra which they may be doing every night to gain temporary pleasure and happiness. Such people don’t know anything about the seven gross chakras that would bless them with permanent happiness and gaiety.
Seven chakras of permanent bliss i.e enlightenment
Second stage is emphasized by the stable mind ability to have absolute control on these centers that is heavily influenced by worldly desires and survival instinct, thus undergoing repetitive cycles of birth and death as a continuous ever-going process of evolution. This means that if you keep yourself entertained in sexual chakras, partying chakras and intoxication chakras (Illusion), you will be born again and again in lower forms of life where the wrong things which you did to others in this life would be imposed on you by others in your next life.
Third stage is characterized by the formation of a new center that creates awareness of the soul, hence following the path of progressive surrender and disintegration of ego into happiness, truth and consciousness. When your mind is free of all evil and desires, you are on the way to attain supreme personality of godhead.
So, Hindu evolution is about the evolution of soul than the evolution of materialistic body. Hinduism believes that each soul that is born in this world is in one of the stages of evolutionary life whose only aim is to free itself from the state of ignorance and darkness to the stage of perfect knowledge and enlightenment. Like creation and destruction happens repetitively, evolution and devolution also follows a repetitive pattern.
“For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.”(Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita)
Evolution of soul starts from inanimate object->microorganism->higher forms of life
Desires and karma in past life decides soul birth in higher or lower life forms in next birth. Lower the form of life, lower is the level of consciousness and higher the form of life, higher is the consciousness level. So, Bacteria consciousness is at a very minute level compared to consciousness level of humans or any other mammal.
In srimad bhagvatam, this evolution of inanimate objects to animate living beings is beautifully said as “First appear the intangible substances followed by the tangible matter; followed by the immovable planets and landmasses; then the vegetation; birds, aquatics and animals; and finally the Higher species.”
Aitareya Upanishad presents very interesting information on evolution of soul since the beginning of this universe. It says that after the various lokas(Planets) have been created at various planes of existence, individual soul decides to take birth in any one species of one of the lokas so as to experience/understand the manifested universe. Initially, he tries a cow or a horse but later find itself stuck in the laws of the universe. He now needs a more subtle body to gain more wisdom and knowledge. His continuous desire to gain subtler body make him pass through many materialistic bodies before landing in a human body where the soul gets abundant in all worldly knowledge and free itself from the ever-going cycle of birth and death. Since consciousness gets fully evolved in human birth, there is no need for further evolution of soul.
If you don’t believe in consciousness of animals, then check the below video
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKU5VT0uumU>
“One who has taken his birth is sure to die, and after death one is sure to take birth again. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 2.27)
Scientific evidences on lower consciousness of plants and animals
You may be wondering if the above theory is true but just to let you know that even science presents considerable evidences on the consciousness levels of plants and animals. Jagdish Chandra bose, an eminent scientist who have done extensive experiments on plants have concluded that plants also have consciousness and emotions and so do other entities like the worms, bacteria, reptiles, insects, vertebrates and animals. Animals are also conscious as they also feel pain, anger, fear, pleasure, excitement etc but their consciousness is at a very low level compared to humans. Also, some animals have some special conscious features (for survival instinct) which humans don’t have naturally. For Ex: shark can sense electricity, nocturnal animal can see infrared vision, bats and dolphins can emit and detect sonar waves.
On evolution of consciousness, Biologists says “Continuous conscious experience of the external world led the first form of life to evolve in multi-cellular living organism and other sophisticated living beings. As the consciousness increased, organism nervous system evolved continuously thus causing the development of cerebral cortex and cognitive functions like sensory perception, motion experiences, complex reasoning and responsive system. For EX: dogs have the consciousness level of looking straight into your eye and determine your next action. Insects, birds, amphibians and other living beings communicate in different frequencies. Our immediate primate i.e chimps lack the necessary organs to speak but they had the consciousness of talking via symbols and body gestures.”
Main difference between humans and other animals is that though animal are conscious, they are not aware of their consciousness whereas humans are conscious of their consciousness.
Srila Prabhupada explains this varying level of consciousness in different living organisms as "The evolutionary process of different types of bodies is something like that of a fructifying flower. Just as there are different stages in the growth of a flower-the bud stage, the blooming stage, and the full-fledged, fully grown stage of aroma and beauty-there are 8,400,000 species of bodies in gradual evolution, and there is systematic progress from the lower species of life to the higher." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.31.19, Purport).
“This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same”- Bhagavad gita, verse 2.24 -
How soul transmigrates in heavenly and hellish planets
According to scriptures, Soul doesn’t transmigrate into the new earthly body immediately after death, instead it first either enters hell to get punished for its wrong deeds or enter heaven to enjoy the fruits of its good deeds. Sinners get born as vampires in Patala Loka(hellish planet) where they are subjected to fire, burning oil and other torturous process till they pay for the sins they did in their previous life. Such sinners for their whole life crave and run for blood and food in hellish planets.
Blood thirsty vampires of hellish planets
After their strict penance, soul re-enters back to the earthly kingdom as one of the living forms which may be as small as bacteria or as large as elephant.
“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 2.22)
“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.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita)
Below are the qualities that compels the soul to fall down to the hellish planets
Violence
Untruthful
Materialism
Pride
Arrogance
Conceit
Lust
Anger
Greed
Harshness
Ignorance
Ego
Good-doers on the other hand take birth in one of the heavenly planets and enjoy the fruit of their good deeds. If the soul doesn’t get attracted to pleasures and comforts of heavenly planets and continue doing meditation and chanting god name, it would be elevated to higher and higher levels of heavenly planets until they reach the abode of god after which the soul merges with the super soul (God) and hence get liberated of future rebirths.
“That supreme abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by fire or electricity. Those who reach it never return to this material world.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita)
At any point in any of the heavenly planets, if the soul does mischief or misdeeds or falls under the illusion of materialistic pleasures, it falls back again to the lower planets.
“Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita)
Below are the qualities that lift the soul to one of the heavenly planets
Non-violence
Truthfulness
Simplicity
Charity
Self-control
Austerity
Cleanliness
Forgiveness
Devotion
Conclusion:
Thus, Vedic transmigration of souls is about the evolution of soul than the evolution of materialistic body. Hinduism believes that each soul that is born in this world is in one of the stages of evolutionary life whose only aim is to free itself from the state of ignorance and darkness to the stage of perfect knowledge and enlightenment. Chant the name of the all pervading ever merciful lord to get liberated of the ongoing cycles of birth and death.
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