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The Science of
Soul
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What is Soul?
• The spark of life force that activates
every body
• The soul is compared to a driver and
the body to a vehicle
• The soul makes the body appear alive
and when the soul leaves the body
we say the person is ‘dead’
Scientific Proof of the
soul’s existence
Common Sense
• When a person dies we say “He has
passed away”.
• Who has passed away? The body of
the person is still there.
• The fact is that the source of life, the
soul has passed away from the body.
Intuitive Understanding
We know that the real self, the ‘I’
is distinct from the body, mind
and intelligence.
We speak of ‘my eyes’, ‘my hands’
etc., This means these things
belong to somebody, an owner.
Consciousness
It is the symptom of the soul.
Just like the sun spreads heat and light all around,
the soul spreads consciousness all around the body,
from the tip of the toes and fingers to the top of the
head.
It is what distinguishes a dead body from a living
one
It gives the proof of the soul
Near Death Experience (NDE)
• Examples of findings show that the mind
is independent of the material body and
brain.
• Out-of-body experiences shows that the
person is able to observe and relate to
things that are happening to his body
from a perspective outside the body
Past life memories
• Rigorous, unbiased researches have been
carried out on past lie memories.
• By thorough investigation of the details of
the things described by the person, like
the place and people they were
associated in their last life, we get
evidences of the conscious self that
travels from one physical body to the
next
Although the above empirical evidences
confirm a conscious self present in the
body, still speculative approach has its
own limitations. If one has to wait for
Science to provide complete
understanding of the nature of the soul,
and its qualities, one may probably have
to wait a million years.
We can get clear
information about what is
life and what is death from
the scriptures directly
without any mental
speculation.
Quote
avinasi tu tad viddhi
yena sarvam idam tatam
vinasam avyayasyasya
na kascit kartum arhati
“That which pervades the entire body is
indestructible. No one can destroy the
imperishable soul.” [B.G.2.17]
Quote
bhumir apo nalo vayuh
kham mano budhir eva ca
ahankara itiyam me
bhinna prakrtir astadha
“Earth, water, fire, ether, air, mind, intelligence and
false ego are My eight separate inferior energies”
[B.G.7.4]
The gross body is made up of the above mentioned 5
elements and it is called as ‘Sthula sarira’.
The mind, intelligence and false
ego constitute the Subtle Body. It
is also called as ‘Sukshma sarira’.
True ego is to understand that ‘I
am spirit soul, eternal servant of
Krsna’.
False ego is to think in illusion
that ‘I am this body’.
A conditioned soul is trapped
in the Gross and Subtle
bodies.
One who is free from these
coverings attains the spiritual
world and is called a
‘Liberated Soul’.
Srila
Prabhupada is
such a liberated
soul.
Quote
Apareyam itas tv anyam
Prakrtim viddhi me param
Jiva bhutam maha baho
Yayedam dharyate jagat
“Besides this inferior nature, there is a
superior energy of Mine, that are all
living entities who are struggling with
material nature and are sustaining the
universe.” [B.G.7.5]
Both inferior energy (matter) and
superior energy (spirit soul) are
subordinate to the Supreme Lord.
Knowledge of the Soul
The soul is Indestructible
The soul is an individual (B.G.2.12,
B.G.15.7)
Soul has form:- sac-cid-ananda form
Spirit gives form to matter which is
asat-acit-nirananda
Soul is eternal (B.G. 2.20)
Spirit and Matter is an incompatible
combination
Soul is situated in the region of the
heart
Soul changes bodies
The size of the soul is 1/10,000 part
of the tip of the hair
Am I God?
The Bhagavad Gita clearly states
that you are not God.
Bhagavad Gita also
unambiguously declares you
can never become God even
after liberation.
Quote
Dvav imam purusam loke
Ksaras caksaras eva ca
Ksarah sarvani bhutani
Kutastho ksara ucyate
“There are two classes of beings, the
fallible and the infallible. In the material
world every entity is fallible and in the
spiritual world every entity is called
infallible” [B.G.15.16]
Quote
uttamah purusastv anyah
Paramatmety udahrtah
Yo loka trayam avisya
Bibharty avyaya isvarah
“Besides these two, there is the greatest
living personality, the Lord Himself, who
has entered into these worlds and is
maintaining them” [B.G.15.17]
Paramatma – Friend of Jivatma
• Paramatma is the expansion of the
Supreme Lord who accompanies the
individual soul (Jivatma) who comes into
this material world in order to take him to
different bodies and to take care of him
and escort him. He is situated within the
heart of every living entity and within
every atom.
The
Paramatma
Quote
Anor aniyan mahato mahiyan
Atmasya jantor nihito guhayam
Tam akratuh pasyati vita-soko
Dhatuh prasadan mahimanam atmanah
“Both the Supersoul and the atomic soul are situated
on the same tree of the body within the same heart
of the living being and only one who has become
free from all material desires as well as lamentations
can be by the grace of the Lord, understand the
glories of Soul.” [Katha 1.2.20]
 Samane vrkse puruso nimagno
‘nisaya socati muhyamanah
Justam yada pasyaty anyam isam asya
Mahimanam iti vita-sokah

“Although the two birds (the Supersoul and the

atomic soul are compared to two friendly birds
sitting on the same tree) are in the same tree, the
eating bird is fully engrossed with anxiety and
moroseness as the enjoyer of the fruits of the tree.
But if in some way or other he turns his face to his
friend who is the Lord – at once the suffering bird
becomes free from all anxieties” Svetasvatara
Upanisad
Differences between Krsna
and the living entity with
respect to Consciousness
Krsna is Infinite but Living entity is
Infinitesimal. ‘nityo nityanam
cetanas cetananam eko bahunam
yo vidhadhati kaman’ – The
Supreme Personality of Godhead
maintains the innumerable living
entities and gives them all the
facility for enjoyment according to
different work.
Living entities are one with the
Supreme Lord only in quality not in
quantity. This is called ‘acintya-
bheda-abheda tattva’ meaning
‘simultaneous oneness and
difference’.
This is the philosophy of Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu.
 The living entity is knower of his body, but Krsna is
knower of all the bodies.
Krsna says, “I am also the knower, but I am not the
individual owner of the body. I am the super-knower.
I am present in every body as the Paramatma, or
Supersoul.” [B.G. 13.2-3, B.G.15.15]
The body is called ‘ksetra’ and the knower of the body
is called ‘ksetrajna’.
Krsna knows what is going on in everyone’s body.
 The living entity is the proprietor of his
body, but Krsna is the proprietor of all
the bodies.
Krsna is the primary owner of the body and the soul
stays in this body for a period of time according to
it’s ability of paying price (Karma). So the soul is the
secondary proprietor in every body.

The Supreme Lord knows both the body

and the owner of the body.
 Living entity can be put to forgetfulness,
but Krsna can never be put to
forgetfulness.
Krsna says to Arjuna, ‘Many, many births
both you and I have passed, I can
remember all of them, but you
cannot.”[B.G.4.5]
A liberated person like Arjuna is also not
equal to Lord.
Brahma Samhita describes the Lord as
infallible (acyuta), which means that He
never forgets Himself.
 Living entity has only direct awareness,
but Krsna has both direct and indirect
awareness.
In Srimad Bhagavatam, Krsna is described
as ‘svarat’, ‘Supremely independent’. He
does not depend on anything for power
and knowledge. He controls everything
through the medium of His energies. His
potency is automatic and spontaneous.
We, the living
entities are eternally
a loving servitor of
the Supreme Lord,
and God is eternally
our loving master.
Krsna, the
father of
all living
entities.