What if my Soul Beliefs is forgotten
This article was submitted as assignment for the Coursera course "Soule Beliefs and Consequences" Unit-III. An imaginary What if scenario if realise that our soul beliefs are all wrong or the sol does not exist:
I will first describe the soul beliefs in Hinduism, which is mostly what I believe of the soul and then we will go into the question of “What – if” the soul does not exist.
1) There is the eternal soul that existed before creation that is beyond time and space (This mean infinite time and space and means only here and now exists - Since we are all historically minded, we will go with infinite space and time). Some Call it Vishnu, others call it Siva some others call it Shakthi (the female version). Let us leave it alone for now.
2) The eternal soul created the universe and is not separate from it. Examples give are like a spider that creates the web (creation) and pulls it back (end of creation - leading to another creation). Or a smile on face is distinct expression and part of the face. Way the universe was created was first created the creator (brahma) who started creation as per rules laid out in the Vedic texts (which seem to be eternal as the eternal soul) , who in turn created heavenly beings including Siva (or Rudra) who ends cycles of creation, and sages. The sages were given the job creating the souls, human, animal, birds, reptiles, etc. The physical universe itself is the manifestation of the eternal soul and just a creation.
3) The individual souls are body of the divine soul and hence all are connected to the eternal soul and is also distinct (just as we feel each cell in our body is distinct). Although we think/feel that we are experiencing life, it is the eternal soul that experiences everything
4) Our Body/mind and ego prevents us from realizing this reality (This illusion is called Maya).
5) The eternal soul first created Brahma (Who does the job of creation), Vishnu (is it the same as eternal soul, there are various versions of it the protector of the universe) and Siva (the Destroyer or who helps the soul to return to the source by destroying the Maya). Brahma creates the various souls, initially by creating very may saintly beings, who propagate the creation (Not considered sin but doing god’s work). Even animals, birds, snakes and plants have souls. The physical universe itself is the manifestation of the eternal soul and just a creation.
6) The creation, like seasons goes on in cycles of four (called yugas) . Here is wiki Link to Yugas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuga. and we are in about 155 trillion years of the present cycle of creation (quite small in comparison to infinity). The life of Brahma is about 300 trillion years at the end of which creation is stopped till new Brahma is created first by the eternal soul. The time scale described are nearly eternal and human existence is only minuscule part in the universal scale.
7) The souls go through recycling based on their karmas (actions in present and past lives) and unfulfilled desires. If your final desires are noble you are reborn with good purpose and circumstances in life and the opposite. The person who contemplates on god at the end of life is not reborn. Those who had devoted to god's purpose most of life or had surrendered to enlightened gurus are also not reborn (due grace of guru or God). Mostly we cannot do it ourselves.
8) Our world is called "Lilavibhuti" is where all this happens. There is another world called "Nityavibhuthi" where souls have attained the eternal soul and are never reborn (this 3/4th in size) and ours is only 1/4th in size.
9) The eternal soul or its representative or born in the world to guide others are to establish Dharma (The way it was meant to be), when dharma is disturbed greatly. These birth out choice (not out of Karma or desire) are called "appearances" or avatars and not birth.
10) The eternal soul is considered by some as formless and without any qualities by some whereas other believe that the eternal soul has infinite from and infinite qualities.
11) Hinduism sounds polytheistic with may Gods; but, it is one god with almost infinite forms. This Characterized by "Vishwarupa" where the lord reveals himself to be all the souls). The term I recently learned in "Panentheism", I think it refers someone who is everything (I do not see it dictionary though); something like omnipresent and at the same time external to it and created it. Like the Sun light and the Sun.
1) There is the eternal soul that existed before creation that is beyond time and space (This mean infinite time and space and means only here and now exists - Since we are all historically minded, we will go with infinite space and time). Some Call it Vishnu, others call it Siva some others call it Shakthi (the female version). Let us leave it alone for now.
2) The eternal soul created the universe and is not separate from it. Examples give are like a spider that creates the web (creation) and pulls it back (end of creation - leading to another creation). Or a smile on face is distinct expression and part of the face. Way the universe was created was first created the creator (brahma) who started creation as per rules laid out in the Vedic texts (which seem to be eternal as the eternal soul) , who in turn created heavenly beings including Siva (or Rudra) who ends cycles of creation, and sages. The sages were given the job creating the souls, human, animal, birds, reptiles, etc. The physical universe itself is the manifestation of the eternal soul and just a creation.
3) The individual souls are body of the divine soul and hence all are connected to the eternal soul and is also distinct (just as we feel each cell in our body is distinct). Although we think/feel that we are experiencing life, it is the eternal soul that experiences everything
4) Our Body/mind and ego prevents us from realizing this reality (This illusion is called Maya).
5) The eternal soul first created Brahma (Who does the job of creation), Vishnu (is it the same as eternal soul, there are various versions of it the protector of the universe) and Siva (the Destroyer or who helps the soul to return to the source by destroying the Maya). Brahma creates the various souls, initially by creating very may saintly beings, who propagate the creation (Not considered sin but doing god’s work). Even animals, birds, snakes and plants have souls. The physical universe itself is the manifestation of the eternal soul and just a creation.
6) The creation, like seasons goes on in cycles of four (called yugas) . Here is wiki Link to Yugas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuga. and we are in about 155 trillion years of the present cycle of creation (quite small in comparison to infinity). The life of Brahma is about 300 trillion years at the end of which creation is stopped till new Brahma is created first by the eternal soul. The time scale described are nearly eternal and human existence is only minuscule part in the universal scale.
7) The souls go through recycling based on their karmas (actions in present and past lives) and unfulfilled desires. If your final desires are noble you are reborn with good purpose and circumstances in life and the opposite. The person who contemplates on god at the end of life is not reborn. Those who had devoted to god's purpose most of life or had surrendered to enlightened gurus are also not reborn (due grace of guru or God). Mostly we cannot do it ourselves.
8) Our world is called "Lilavibhuti" is where all this happens. There is another world called "Nityavibhuthi" where souls have attained the eternal soul and are never reborn (this 3/4th in size) and ours is only 1/4th in size.
9) The eternal soul or its representative or born in the world to guide others are to establish Dharma (The way it was meant to be), when dharma is disturbed greatly. These birth out choice (not out of Karma or desire) are called "appearances" or avatars and not birth.
10) The eternal soul is considered by some as formless and without any qualities by some whereas other believe that the eternal soul has infinite from and infinite qualities.
11) Hinduism sounds polytheistic with may Gods; but, it is one god with almost infinite forms. This Characterized by "Vishwarupa" where the lord reveals himself to be all the souls). The term I recently learned in "Panentheism", I think it refers someone who is everything (I do not see it dictionary though); something like omnipresent and at the same time external to it and created it. Like the Sun light and the Sun.
Given below is pictorial illustration of How souls evolve and reach Moksha
Now “What if” soul was not present and only a belief and an imagination then the possibilities are that I start to believe in one of the following
1) No soul, no eternal soul leading to modern psychological explanation of Physical materialism. Evolution and science as type of religion. Believe in superiority of brain, and mind is a creation of brain and soul as epiphenomenon of brain functioning. All good and bad emotions and feeling are due to neurochemicals and transmitters. Even in extreme cases, due to my upbringing I might not indulge in mood artificial mood altering substances as shortcut to achieving good “moods” without the effort.
2) Buddhist belief of no soul or no limiting soul or eternal soul but only limitless Sonya. If the space is infinite, it is logical that is also empty of matter and then how did matter and physical materialism come into existence? I would probably end up with Four noble truth, Five Skandia’s, ie., form sensation, perception, mental formations and consciousness, and eight-fold path to end suffering and attain nibbana. The path I choose to live might be compassion, combined with Devotion and , appreciation.
3) Or by default like African tribes and south American tribes be converted to one of the Abrahamic religions who postulate that the soul is separate from god as it disobeyed the god and forever keep fighting to get better and stay away from the designs of the devil (God only knows why he created the devil). Since I am lesser than God for ever I will be trying to get better and improve the circumstances in my life to be closer to that of heaven as I would believe, this is the only life I have got to either go to heaven or eternal hell. This lifestyle will perhaps increase my anxiety and guilt expressed sometimes aggression.
I will be under pressure follow historic revelations and single text and religious authorities to show the way and but my lifestyle so far will make me trust my god given intelligence and intuition for higher realizations. Since god is masculine and I am created in his image, I would under pressure to subjugate the female of my species but due to my lifestyle so far will not surrender to this pressure. And when my and religious book and authorities tell w me whoever does not believe in my book are not religious and their life is worthless, I will resist the pressure to subjugate them, murder them, discredit them and try to convert them to my way.
Given the above three options, I would probably Go the Buddhist way of compassion with devotion as against the way of fear or greed. However, my religion is likely to be good, have positive thoughts, be grateful (to whomsoever), learn more about our internals and stay healthy. Adopt family values like education, culture, respect for women and elderly, eat right, avoid substance abuse, music, games and try to enjoy the life at any moment.
