Body as the Abode of Inner Spirit

A body is a field of cause and effect. The inner spirit resides in all bodies and keeps them alive. The residence of the inner spirit in a body is being explained now.

Puramekadashadvara/jesyavakrachetasah
Anushthaya na shochati vimuktashcha vimuchyate etadvai tat

A physical body is like a city with eleven gates occupied by the inner spirit that was never born, and hence has no death, motivated directly by divinity. The eleven gates of the body are the five sense organs, the five organs of action and the opening at the crown of its head through which it receives inspirations from higher beings. A person interacts with the universe through these gates. When one identifies with the inner spirit that dwells in the body, and not with the body that provides a dwelling place for the inner spirit, he is freed from all traumas associated with impermanence. He is freed of all anxieties and enjoys total liberation. It is this inner spirit to which one turns to when he withdraws his sense organs and mind from the external world.

Hamsah shuchishad vasurantareekshad hota vedishad atithir duronasat
Nrushadadvarasadrutasad vyomasadabja goja rutaja adrija rutam bruhat

The inner spirit expresses itself as the brilliance of purity in the spirit of discrimination. It expresses as the treasures of rare resources that is available in the atmosphere for extraction. It expresses itself as the fire that consummates all offerings in alters of sacrifices. It expresses itself as the visitations that connect the vessels that mortal beings to the surrounding universe. It expresses itself as humaneness and idealism. It expresses itself in the all-pervading emptiness in which everything exists. It is the active ingredient in the moisture of sensibilities. It is the active ingredient in all processes. It is the active ingredient in the dense presences that keep this world anchored. It is the direct connection to divinity experienced by all beings.

Oordhvam pranam unnayati apanam pratyagasruti
Madhye vamanamaseenam vishvedeva upasate

A living being imbibes life forces. It also gives out life forces. When there is perfect balance between the life forces flowing in and the life forces flowing out one experience the state of Vamana, the ideal for a brahmachari. The apparent insignificance of Vamana comes from his enlightened state where he wears his existence without any effort. In the perfectly balanced state there is hardly anything to signify one’s presence. Vamana occupies the three worlds as well as transcends them all at the same time. All the other ideals are auxiliaries to this main ideal.

Asya visramasa manasya shareerasthaya dehinah
Dehadvimuchyamanasva kimatra parishishyate etad vai tat

The inner spirit resides in the body, but remains detached from it. When the focus is on the body one cannot experience it. One gets glimpses of the inner spirit when he grows out of the identification with the body. The substance that remains when body consciousness is removed is the inner spirit. It is this inner spirit to which one turns to when he withdraws his sense organs and mind from the external world.

Na pranena napanen martyo jeevati kashchana
Itarena tu jeevanti yasminnetavupahritou

Flow of life forces in any single direction cannot sustain life. Neither the process of drawing in the life forces nor the process of giving out the life forces by itself can sustain life. There is something higher that transcends these two and on which these two depend. It is this higher state, which is the inner spirit, which sustains the identity of a living being.

Hanta ta dam pravakshyami guhyam brahma sanatanam
Yathacha maranam prapya atma bhavati gautama

What happens to the inner spirit when death embraces a living being? This question is being addressed now. When the inner spirit is separated from the body that was acting as its host it is totally identified with the subtle eternal principle of Brahman, the essence of the universe. It is totally free from the apparent limitations ascribed to the identification with a personality. It now becomes the seat of effulgence with the potential to identify with infinite varieties of processes.

Yonimanye prapadyante shareeratvaya dehinah
Sthanumanye/nusmyanti yatha karma yathashrutam

What happens further depends on the residues of the actions and the acquired culture of the being at the time of death. If the life was lived in a perfectly satisfactory manner leaving no residues, and if one had got the enlightenment by the refinement of awareness, then the inner spirit remains established in Brahman. If this is not the case and there are residues of actions and imperfections in awareness the inner spirit gravitates to another field of cause and effect determined by the residues and imperfections.

Sa esha supteshu jagarrti kamamkamam purusho nirmimanah
Tadeva shukram tad brahma tadevamrutamuchyate
Tasmimllokah shritah sarve tadunatyeti kashchanah etadvai tat

The inner spirit pervades the states experienced by a living being without being affected by them. It remains awake in the state of dormancy of a living being as the spirit of virility engaged in generating the passions that cause dreams which propel the living being into actions. This spirit of virility is the primordial cause of being. It is verily the Brahman, the spirit of the universe. All domains of transactions depend on it. It is above everything and nothing in this world can transcend it. It is this inner spirit to which one turns to when he withdraws his sense organs and mind from the external world.