Does the idea that matter can be a means to spirit have any basis?
Question from Shivantrabo. In deity worship, we accept as an axiom that matter can be a means to access the spirit. So is there any basis for this action? Answer, in general, the Vedic scriptures talk about the unity of everything.
For example, we generally talk in terms of duality. This is good, this is bad. This is auspicious, this is inauspicious.
This kind of duality is good. So in the Abrahamic religions, there is duality of matter and spirit, earth and heaven. The dualities, dual categories are quite radical and differentiated.
In fact, in Islam, matter is considered to be entirely profane, entirely unspiritual or anti-spiritual. But such an attitude begs the question, then where does matter come from? If God is sacred, then how can, is there something that exists beyond God, separate from God? Or is there something that has not come from God? So the idea of matter as being intrinsically evil raises questions about its source, its connection with God. And then is there something intrinsically evil within God? Or is there something which exists separate from God entirely? Both questions militate against the definition of God as is accepted by all the great theistic traditions of the world.
God is the source of everything. And God is intrinsically good. So the Vedic understanding is that matter is also an energy of God, just as spirit is an energy of God.
In the Vishnu Purana, this is described as that, avidya karma-sanghya tathiya shakti-rishuti, vishnu-shakti-para-parokta, kshetra-jna-khya-tatha-para. So vishnu-shakti-para-parokta, there is one shakti of Vishnu which is transcendental. Then kshetra-jna-khya-tatha-para.
So there is another shakti which is kshetra-jna, kshetra refers to matter, which knows the material world and matter. That is also para, so it is in contact is all of us conditioned souls who are in the material world who are in touch with matter but even we are transcendental and then avidya karma sanjnaya tritiya shakti rishya tendra third shakti which is which puts us in avidya and makes us do karma sanjnaya makes us do karma that is third shakti so all these three are the energies of the Lord and because they are energies of the Lord they are connected with the Lord the level of their connectedness Jiva Goswami gives the example based on the Vedic scriptures in Sandarbars that when we have the Sun the Sun's immediate fire around it that is there that is Sun's energy and the sun rays that go far away from the Sun that is also Sun's energy so the corona around the Sun and its existence on the rays although they have the same energy the extent of the heat present in both of them is different that's because the level of connectedness that they have with them is different so similarly that actually matter and spirit are both energies of God but Krishna talks about this repeatedly in the Bhagavad Gita in 7.4 and 5 he describes how both matter and spirit are his energies and then emphasize it again 7.6 he describes that everything that exists in this world is a combination of matter and spirit and it comes from me it is maintained by me it returns back to me nothing beyond this Krishna says very clearly so the level of connectedness between the two is different but both are energies of Krishna and both are connected with Krishna and when we use them in Krishna's service we revive our spiritual connection with Krishna so it is not that the idea of matter connecting us with Krishna is a mere conceptualization that we have to accept as a axiom rather it is a ontological reality it is a fact of existence that even matter is connected with Krishna because matter is an energy of Krishna however we in our condition stage are unable to perceive that connection of matter with Krishna because we tend to use matter for our own enjoyment but if we learn to see the connection of matter with Krishna and use it in his service then matter becomes a means by which we can return back to Krishna and that is what the basic principle of the Tantra Shastras especially Pancharatra so it is not just axiomatic principle it is an ontological fact of existence so does.