How Karma Determines the Particular Body of the Living Entity
The cycle of birth and death is governed by stringent universal laws that award the conditioned soul a specific material form based on past activities. By studying the profound instructions of Śrīla Prabhupāda, one can understand the temporary nature of these bodily designations, the distinction between the individual soul and the Supersoul, and the ultimate necessity of utilizing the human form for devotional service.
The Law of Karma and Bodily Allocation
The material body is not a random biological accident but a precise instrument awarded by the laws of nature. As Śrīla Prabhupāda explains, the living entity creates his own destiny through fruitive activities, receiving a specific form to fulfill particular material desires under the direct superintendence of the Supreme Lord. If this (rare) opportunity is not used to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all bodily activities ultimately end in frustration.
- A particular body is given to the living entity for a particular type of activity. This process is going on perpetually, from a time which is impossible to trace out.
- By one's karma, one gets a particular body, and if he does not utilize his body to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all his activities are frustrated.
- The living entity receives a particular type of body according to his karma, or fruitive activities. The material pleasure derived in the material world from one's particular body is based on sexual pleasure.
- It is understood from Vedic literature that the conditioned soul creates his own destiny and is offered a particular body by the laws of nature under the superintendence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who always accompanies him as Paramatma.
The Fixed Duration and Destiny of the Material Form
Every material form, out of the 8,400,000 species of life, has a predetermined lifespan and a fixed quota of happiness and distress. The profound wisdom shared by Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals that no amount of material endeavor, scientific advancement, or severe austerity can alter this destiny. Therefore, the only intelligent course of action is to remain alert and utilize the allotted time for spiritual realization rather than wasting energy on temporary, destined gains and losses.
- All living entities have to fulfill a certain duration for being encaged in a particular type of material body. They have to finish the duration allotted a particular body before being promoted or evolved to another body.
- By material means, one cannot avoid the happiness and distress unique to his particular body. There are 8,400,000 bodily forms, each destined to enjoy and suffer a certain amount of happiness and distress.
- Either materially or spiritually, one should be very alert in utilizing the time which he has at his disposal. A conditioned soul lives in a particular body for a fixed measurement of time.
- Severe austerities for temporary gains are simply a waste of time and energy. Material loss and gain are destined in accordance with the formation of each particular body.
The Distinction Between the Individual Soul and the Supersoul
A major source of illusion for the conditioned soul is the misconception that his limited consciousness is supreme. While the individual soul is localized and conscious only of his particular body, the Paramātmā, or Supersoul, is all-pervading and conscious of every body simultaneously. This fundamental distinction highlights the limited jurisdiction of the individual living entity, who is subject to the reactions of his own body, whereas the Supreme Lord remains the unattached witness and ultimate sanctioner.
- The difference between atma and Paramatma is that the atma, or the soul, is present only in a particular body, whereas the Paramatma is present everywhere. In this connection, the example of the sun is very nice.
- Our consciousness is perceived within the limit of our particular body, but the superconsciousness, or the existence of God, is perceived everywhere. He is present everywhere by His energy.
- The Lord is ksetra-jnah, conscious, as is the living being, but the living being is conscious of his particular body, whereas the Lord is conscious of all bodies.
- Since the individual soul is present only in a particular body, he is altered when another individual soul does not cooperate with him. The Supersoul, however, is equally present everywhere.
Transcending Bodily Designations through Devotion
The ultimate purpose of human life is not to remain entangled in the occupational duties or sense gratification of a temporary body, which is compared to a fleeting bubble in the ocean. Whether one is running on foot like a dog or riding in a motorcar like a civilized man, the basic bodily demands remain the same. True intelligence lies in surrendering to the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, thereby transcending the endless cycle of accepting and discarding material forms to achieve permanent liberation.
- As recommended in Srimad-Bhagavatam, tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam hareh. One should take to the worship of the lotus feet of Hari, even if this means giving up the so-called occupational duty assigned because of the particular body one has accepted.
- Just like bubbles in the ocean once formed and next moment there is no trace. Again another bubble forms. This particular body gone forever never to come back again.
- Working is going on according to the particular body. The dog is also running, and a man is also running. But a man thinks he is very much civilized because he is running on motorcar. Both of them are running.
- Sahadeva said, "If anyone is charitably disposed, it will be very good for him to give charity only to Krsna, who is the Supersoul of everyone, regardless of his particular body or individual personality."
The Mechanics of Transmigration and Unfinished Desires
The transition from one material form to another is strictly dictated by the subtle body's unfulfilled cravings at the moment of death. As the teachings of Śrīla Prabhupāda elucidate, the mind's thinking, feeling, and willing determine the next specific vessel the soul must inhabit to continue its pursuit of sense enjoyment. Conditioned living entities, perpetually fooled by lust, remain completely unaware of this continuous change of body, forgetting their past lives as they embark on new journeys of karma.
- At the time of death, according to the thinking, feeling and willing of the mind, which is involved in fruitive activities, one receives a particular body.
- Because we wanted to enjoy. So enjoy, you enjoy with this body, particular body. Either human's body, or dog's body, or cat's body, or demigod's body, you get as you desire. You get a material body and enjoy. This is material life.
- The individual souls in the material world engage in different activities according to their past unfinished desires. After the dissolution of a particular body, the individual soul forgets everything.
- Even in one particular body the living entity changes from childhood to boyhood, from boyhood to youth, from youth to old age and from old age to another body created by his own action.
- Persons who are everlastingly fooled by lust and desire lose all power of understanding their change of body and their stay in a particular body. They cannot comprehend it.
The Unique Arrangement of Material Nature and Duty
The Supreme Lord's external energy orchestrates a flawless system where every living entity is provided with a unique physical apparatus perfectly suited to their specific character and past actions. By observing the natural world, one can see how the teachings of Śrīla Prabhupāda reveal that an aquatic creature cannot survive on land, just as a human being has distinct sensory perceptions and prescribed duties. Until the soul achieves complete liberation, it must faithfully execute the specific religious principles associated with its current bodily designation, known as sva-dharma, to gradually elevate its consciousness through the modes of sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, and tamo-guṇa.
- God's arrangement is so nice that everyone has got his particular body according to his work. It is so nice arrangement. You see. You'll find millions of persons, and everyone you'll find different from the other. You won't find two similar persons.
- When the Supreme Personality of Godhead creates different types of bodies, offering a particular body to each living entity according to his character and fruitive actions, the Lord revives all the qualities of material nature, sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna.
- Aquatic animals have particular bodies suitable for living their whole lives in water. Similarly, if one takes a fish out of water and puts it on the land, it will die instantly.
- The living entity in another type of body sees only by instinct; he knows only the agreeable and disagreeable sense perceptions of that particular body.
- There are two kinds of svadharmas, specific duties. As long as one is not liberated, one has to perform the duties of that particular body in accordance with religious principles in order to achieve liberation.
Conclusion
The profound wisdom shared by Śrīla Prabhupāda establishes that the material body is merely a temporary, karmically awarded vehicle with a fixed duration and destined experiences. By recognizing the localized nature of the individual soul and the supreme, all-pervading presence of the Paramātmā, the intelligent living entity abandons the futile pursuit of bodily sense gratification and dedicates his life to the loving service of the Supreme Lord.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category A Particular Body. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.