TheBhagavad-gita in its second chapter repeatedly stresses the indestructibility
of the soul. Yet the same Gita in its sixteenth chapter talks twice (16.09;
16.21) about the destruction of the soul.
Why
this contradiction?
Because
the initial verses refer to the constitution of the soul, whereas the later
verses refer to our spiritual cognition, our capacity to perceive the existence
of the soul. Though the soul can never be destroyed, our awareness of its
existence can be.
Fanatical
materialists, by their ideological narrow-mindedness, leave no place in their
conceptual cupboard to even consider the possibility of the existence of the
soul.
Our
awareness of things depends largely on how our intellectual and emotional
faculties are tuned. Among the many things that surround us, we become aware of
those things that either challenge us to make sense of them or stimulate us to
feel them. Accordingly, our awareness of the soul can be destroyed either
intellectually or emotionally.
The
first Gita verse (16.09: nashtaatmaano) refers to intellectual destruction. It
talks about those who accept a fanatically materialistic worldview. Such
people, by their ideological narrow-mindedness, leave no place in their
conceptual cupboard to even consider the possibility of the existence of the
soul. That’s how they intellectually destroy their awareness of the soul.
The
other verse (16.21: naashanam-atmanah) refers to emotional destruction. It
talks about those who are totally captivated by the materialistic emotions of
lust, anger and greed. The consciousness of such hedonists is so consumed with
hopes for getting material enjoyment and worries about not getting it that they
just can’t think of anything else such as the soul. That’s how they emotionally
destroy their awareness of the soul.
Thankfully,
such destruction of awareness is reversible. We can counter intellectual
destruction by studying Gita wisdom and emotional destruction by elevating our
emotions through the practice of bhakti-yoga. Thus, we can regain our spiritual
awareness and rejoice eternally in the soul’s joyful nature.
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