When every soul is spiritually individual, how are we all spiritually equal?
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Transcript
This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
It was said that we are materially different but spiritually equal.
But even in the spiritual world, every soul is an individual. They don’t have the same qualities, desires, etc. What does spiritual equality mean? Answer? Every particular analysis has a particular context in which it is stated.
The point is that we are looking, analyzing here in the material world that there is diversity, there are differences which lead to discrimination, which lead to some people being given preferential treatment and some people being given biased treatment. So for example, Pandita has samadarshi, 5.8 in the Bhagavad Gita it is said. So the wise person sees all living beings equally.
Now does the wise person not know that each soul is an individual? Yes, of course. But in this particular context, the wise soul is seeing beyond matter to spirit. And at that level, the material diversity leads to discrimination does not matter.
Every soul is precious. Every soul is pure. Every soul is a beloved part of the divine, of Krishna.
In these aspects, every soul is essentially equal. Now beyond that, of course, in the spiritual world, every soul has individuality. But in this particular context, both in the Bhagavad Gita and the Ishopanishad, the focus is on the diversity in the differences in this world, which lead to illusion, which lead to temptation, which lead to entanglement, which need to be avoided.
And that’s the focus here. Every answer is given in a particular context. And neither the Ishopanishad nor the Bhagavad Gita are going into specifics of the nature of existence in the spiritual world.
That is a quite a confidential revelation given in the spiritual world. Given and given confidential say Gaudiya Vaishnav texts. So, for example, Krishna says, I am equal to everyone.
That I don’t favor anyone. And yet, Krishna has a favorite Gopi, rather than in the spiritual world. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna is not talking about that.
So, first we need to go beyond material illusion to come to the level of spiritual realization, where we see that the differences that are such a huge thing in the material world are actually no big deals in the spiritual domain. And then after that, we can go further and explore and realize how these are beyond the equal vision also there is something more. That is when we start talking about the specifics of the spiritual world.
But that’s not what is being talked about in the context of the scriptures where equal vision is being emphasized. That’s why we are discussing those things. We focus on not getting carried away by material differences and seeing the spiritual equality of everyone.