Does the spirit soul remain the non-doer in the spiritual world just like he is the non-doer of his activities in the material world?
From Sushant P
Hare Krishna. Question from Sushant Prabhu. Does the soul remain a non-doer in the spiritual world as it is in the material world? Answer, no.
The soul is always a doer. When we say the soul is a non-doer in the material world, that means the soul is not the only doer. The soul is the doer in terms of the soul is the desirer.
And after desiring, material nature acts when the super soul sanctions the desire. So, the soul is a doer, but the thing that kartaham iti manyate means, to ascribe to oneself the activities which are done by material nature. But the soul does play a role in terms of being the desirer.
So, first of all, we have to understand clearly what it means when we say the soul is the non-doer. It simply means that, So, one must understand that the material activities are done by material nature. And for them the soul is the non-doer.
Just like if a person is watching a video game, and in that video game the person is identifying with the video character, say a policeman who is trying to catch or shoot a thief who is on the run. Then everything that is happening in the video game is actually being automated. It’s happening according to the process by which the video game works.
But the person’s identification with that video game and the character within it causes the emotional entanglement. So, the player is not the doer and he is the doer. So, because the player is not actually in the virtual reality and the virtual reality is operating according to its own mechanisms.
So, like that the material world is operating according to its own mechanisms. And the virtual reality and the soul identifies with it because of the virtual reality. So, because of the attachment to the material reality which is like a virtual reality for the soul.
So, now in the spiritual world the soul is spiritual and the reality around the soul is also spiritual. So, in that sense the soul is actually engaged in activities. So, it’s not that the soul’s consciousness is projected from spirit to matter and things are happening according to material nature.
No, the soul is spiritual and the soul is acting there in the spiritual world. So, this soul is not the non-doer. In fact, the soul is definitely the doer.
Now even in the spiritual world Krishna is the ultimate sanctioner of things and whatever the soul does is for Krishna’s pleasure and by Krishna’s sanction. So, that is Krishna’s supremacy still remains in the spiritual world and that is acknowledged by the soul also. But depending on wherever the soul is in the spiritual world whichever rasa the soul is serving, the soul actually desires to render service.
So, at that time the actions of the soul are expressions of the soul’s love for Krishna and they are definitely involving the heart and the heart is expressed through the actions. So, the doership is condemned when it is a cause of bondage and illusion because it is based on a platform of misidentification and illusion. That is not there in the spiritual world.
So, the soul does act and acts according to the will of the Lord for the pleasure of the Lord and the more the soul acts and serves Krishna, pleases Krishna, the actions become the source of bliss, not of bondage in the spiritual world. Thank you.