Annihilation of the Material Body Does Not Destroy the Eternal Soul
The material body is destined for annihilation, but the soul is never destroyed. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that death means the end of the temporary covering, not the end of the living being. The body changes even during one lifetime, and death is another change under the same law of transmigration. Kṛṣṇa consciousness begins with understanding this distinction between the eternal soul and the perishable body.
The Soul Is Not Destroyed With the Body
The most essential spiritual knowledge is that the soul continues after the annihilation of the material body. The body may be burned, buried, or otherwise destroyed, but the conscious living being is not finished. This truth is repeatedly taught in the Bhagavad-gītā through the principle that the soul is not killed when the body is killed. Without this understanding, one mistakes bodily death for the end of existence.
- As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita, na hanyate hanyamane sarire: (BG 2.20) the living entity never dies, even after the death or annihilation of this material body.
- Na hanyate hanyamane sarire. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (2.20), there is neither birth nor death for the soul. The soul is not destroyed when the body is annihilated.
- The soul is eternal, everlasting, and primeval (nityah sasvato 'yam purano). The soul does not die with the annihilation of the body (na hanyate hanyamane sarire) - BG 2.20.
- The spirit soul is never born, nor can he ever die. He has no past, present, or future, because he is eternal. And although very old, he is always fresh and does not become annihilated even after the annihilation of the body.
Bodily Annihilation Means Transmigration
Death does not erase the living being; it moves the soul from one body to another. The change of body during life, from childhood to youth to old age, already demonstrates that identity continues through bodily change. At death the old bodily dress is discarded, and another body is accepted according to higher arrangement. Śrīla Prabhupāda uses this teaching to free the mind from the fear that annihilation of the body means annihilation of the self.
- Annihilation applies to the body, but the spirit soul transmigrates from one body to another. If this were not the case, how can so many multifarious bodies come into existence.
- As he is changing different types of body during this duration of life, similarly, after this annihilation of this body, just like old garment or old shirt cannot be used - it is thrown away; another new shirt is taken - the soul accepts another body.
- From the Bhagavad-gita it is understood that one does not die with the annihilation of his body. The annihilation of one body involves changing to another.
- We existed in the past in different bodies, and after the annihilation of this body we shall exist in another body.
Material Achievements Vanish With the Body
Everything gained only for the body is lost when the body is finished. Mundane knowledge, wealth, prestige, and bodily arrangements cannot protect the living being from death or accompany the soul as eternal treasure. The body is an external dress, and all achievements based only on that dress are temporary. Spiritual intelligence therefore asks what remains after the body is annihilated.
- Anything that is material or mundane - be it acquisition of knowledge or of wealth - is vanquished along with the annihilation of the material body.
- During one lifetime, a materialist engages in acquiring land, money, friends, society, friendship, love and so on. He also wants to enjoy the heavenly planets after the annihilation of the body.
- That is a factual law of nature. It (material body) is manifested and again annihilated, just as waves in the sea rise frequently and then recede. The materialist, however, is simply concerned with this mortal life, which can be finished at any moment.
- The men of the present day are almost unaware of their spiritual identity. They think that they are products of the elements of the material world and that everything will end with the annihilation of the body.
Spiritual Consciousness Is Not Annihilated
Spiritual activity is different from material achievement because it belongs to the soul's eternal life. When devotional service spiritualizes consciousness, that advancement is not destroyed with the body or mind. This is why Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the safest investment of human energy. The body is temporary, but devotion connected to Kṛṣṇa continues beyond bodily change.
- As spirit is not annihilated even after the annihilation of the material body, so also spiritual consciousness is not annihilated.
- Just as the soul is not annihilated, even after annihilation of the material body, so also these spiritualized activities are not annihilated, even after the annihilation of the body or mind.
- Living force is not finished even after the annihilation of this body. Very nice statement by Krsna.
- This body is to be annihilated, but I am not to be annihilated. Nityasyoktahsaririnah. Saririnah means "one who possesses." He is nitya.
Human Life Should Seek a Spiritual Body
If all material bodies must be annihilated, then the intelligent goal is not another temporary body but a spiritual body. Existence continues, so the question is whether the soul continues under material coverings or attains its eternal spiritual position. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the solution is given by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā. By knowing Kṛṣṇa in truth and practicing devotional life, one can transcend repeated material embodiment.
- Existence continues, but if we positively want to annihilate the material body, we have to accept a spiritual body; otherwise there can be no eternality for the soul.
- If all material bodies are doomed to annihilation, we must obtain a nonmaterial body, or a spiritual body, if we wish the next birth to be anything but false. How the spiritual body is attained is explained by Lord Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita - BG 4.9.
- Vedic literatures are the guiding directions for the conditioned souls so they can get free from the repetition of creation and annihilation of the material world and the material body.
- The spiritual nature is eternal, and even when all the material universes are destroyed, the planets in the spiritual world abide. They remain exactly as the spirit soul remains even after the annihilation of the material body.
Duty Should Not Be Disturbed by Bodily Death
Because the soul is eternal, one should not abandon righteous duty out of fear for the body. Arjuna was instructed to fight for the right cause because the material body is only an external dress of the living soul. This does not justify violence for selfish purposes, but it establishes that spiritual knowledge removes bodily fear. A person who knows the soul cannot be bewildered by the temporary destruction of matter.
- A ksatriya is bound to fight for the right cause, regardless of the opposite party. In such discharge of duty, one should not be disturbed by annihilation of the material body, which is only an external dress of the living soul.
- O scion of Bharata, knowing this eternal truth (that no one can destroy the eternal, ever-existing spirit soul. Although this material body is subject to annihilation, the proprietor of the body is eternal), you can go on with your fighting engagement.
- One should not be disturbed by annihilation of the material body, which is only an external dress of the living soul. All this was perfectly known to Maharaja Yudhisthira, but by the will of the Lord he became just like a common man.
- On the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, Arjuna said to Krsna, - Whatever You are saying is all right. I am not this body. I am a soul, and this is also true of everyone else. So when the body is annihilated, the soul will continue to exist.
Conclusion
Annihilation of the material body does not destroy the eternal soul, because the living being is not the temporary covering. The body appears, changes, ages, and is destroyed, but the soul continues its journey according to consciousness and higher law. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that this knowledge is the beginning of real fearlessness and responsibility. The wise person therefore uses human life to awaken Kṛṣṇa consciousness and seek the spiritual body that is never annihilated.
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