The current global pandemic is forcing many of us to lock down and “shelter in place”. The governments of many countries have implemented unprecedented measures to officially lock us up in a form of house arrest, all in order to stop the spread of this highly contagious and life-threatening disease.
And this entire episode has forced the consciousness to focus on the survival of the body. It has pushed us into meditation on the lowest or base chakra of the body, the red Muladhara chakra associated with human survival, according to the ancient Sanskrit Vedanta texts of pre-Indian history. Now most people are already solely focused on that. Eating, sleeping, mating and defending are the base primal survival programs hardwired into the instinctual body of all living entities. We don’t even have to think about them. They are instinctive. We cannot help but meditate on them.
Firstly we are forced to become overly concerned about our health due to the rapidly spreading virus that could infect us, perhaps killing us; and then secondly we are forced – even if we don’t catch the virus – to think about our economic survival, as the world falls into recession and we lose income like never before. We are forced to think about where to find money for food, so that we don’t starve to death. This pandemic is drawing our focus down to the lowest level of basic human survival, which makes it difficult for us to focus on the higher aspects of life. It’s forcing us to neglect our focus on consciousness and transcendence. And this needs to be rebalanced.
The ancient Vedanta texts not only mention the chakras from base to crown, but they also remind us that we are not only this temporary body that may come and go, but are also by nature an eternal spirit soul. For example if we look at the most well-known Vedic text, Bhagavad Gita, we can see the following insight:
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
bahūni me vyatītāni
janmāni tava cārjuna
tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi
na tvaṁ vettha parantapa
“The Blessed Lord said: Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of the enemy!”
(Bhagavad Gita chapter 4:5 translated by Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta)
Here we have a classic reference to reincarnation. The implication in this text, written down about 5000 years ago according to Vedantists, is that we may have a temporary body, but we have existed in other bodies before this one. We may be in fear of losing this material body, but we are in reality the eternal spirit soul that has existed before this body and will continue to exist after this body is gone. We are eternal.
That is the basic premise in just this one single verse of a vast literature of verses. And repeatedly in varying ways, the Vedas say the same thing, giving references and philosophical perspectives, as well as past anecdotal experiences of self-realized souls. So this is the basic foundation of the most esoteric and metaphysical body of texts on the planet. The first and most important point is this simple one. We are all eternal, have lived before and will live again.
When we grasp this, the entire pandemic pales in comparison. Everything is brought into perspective and we see ourselves as we really are, transcendent. The pandemic may take this body but it will never affect the eternal spirit soul. And this spirit soul it an individual, a singular personality, as is every other individual spirit soul also another person. We are all individual personal spirit souls. This is crucial in the understanding and realization of our true natures.
The speaker of Bhagavad Gita – Krishna – describes the fact that he lived before in a previous birth, and Arjuna – the second character and hearer of the Gita, also lived his own past life. In fact they have both had many many past lives or incarnations. Similarly you, me and all living entities have had many past lives in varying material bodies, although we may not remember them.
When the living entity or eternal individual spirit soul leaves the gross physical body, the subtle material body – the mind – leaves and carries the eternal spirit soul along with it. The subtle body is obliged to take another body according to the actions and particularly the desires or focus of the subtle body. The passenger or the eternal spirit soul is carried along as the observer and must be once more embodied in the fleeting material form. Unless we achieve liberation and return to our original spiritual bodies of course.
And thus we find ourselves here today in this human male or female form, born in one country or another. And we identify with this body and all its trappings. We think we are the body, as well as identifying with the land of birth, the family and society. But those are all simply the current coverings placed upon the eternal spirit soul. The subtle body or mind takes on the new shape and form in which is finds itself in the current birth. And as a consequence of spending nine months in the womb and emerging as an infant with covered consciousness, we forget the past life in our previous incarnation. We automatically adapt to the present form, thinking it to be our self. But it’s not.
And we may go through our entire lives not realizing our existence beyond the limited material body and mind. However, some sincere souls will begin to question, to seek and they may find some information like the Bhagavad Gita that reveals the bigger picture of our true natures. And when a life-threatening pandemic comes along, we will instinctively be pulled back into bodily consciousness due to our programming and forgetfulness. But the good news is that the eternal self is never affected by any pandemic or virus or even by the death of the current body because – as revealed in this text – we have passed on through many bodies already and more will follow, so there is zero need to be overly concerned or to lament or fear in any way.
If you wear a favorite piece of clothing and it wears out after some time, you simply throw it away and acquire a new one. It’s as simple as that. You don’t get too sentimentally attached. There are so many other newer options of items to acquire according to your capacity to afford them and your taste. Similarly based on your state of consciousness and your actions, you are drawn to whatever you deserve or whatever you desire as the next body in which to take birth.
This concept of reincarnation is not only a Vedic Sanskrit philosophical teaching. It was also in the Bible originally. The Greek word for reincarnation is “metempsychosis”. It existed in the original Christian religion or philosophy, as taught by Jesus, but was later removed by the early church patriarchs when they removed certain books from the gospel and edited the Bible (New Testament) to make the masses more dependent on them for salvation. It was a political move as usual. Such is the nature of our religious doctrines through the ages as one politician usurps the previous one and rewrites the religion of the masses.
That’s why we really need to inquire, to research and to question more. Never accept any authority at face value, ever. Mundane leaders are known to hide the truth of our power, potential and true nature from us so that they can have us dumbed down and more easily controlled. But this is not an ecclesiastical or political essay, it is an elucidation into your true nature as eternal spirit soul, beyond the parameters of any virus. So feel empowered and inspired to know that you will shine on for ever, regardless of the current fleeting little issues of the day.
Very nice post, THANK YOu for sharing it. I was literally thinking this morning.. what would this experience be like if you weren't afraid of death.. liberation! Namaste <3
Much appreciated Alex, I appreciate your community and the great posts here from like-minded souls.
thank you. I needed that today..
Happy to be of service.
I learned that the kingdom of heaven is within. We all have it within us, every one of us.
Free flag