The difference between human incarnation and human being

[dattaswami]

The difference between human incarnation and human being

 

is that in the case of the former God exists as the extra fourth item. In both human being and human incarnation the common items are matter, energy and awareness which constitute the medium (Prakruti). Matter and energy constitute the Apara Prakruti and awareness is para prakruti. Thus, the human being is part of prakruti or nature or creation only and not the creator. When God takes the human form the soul (Pure awareness) and the external body (Matter and energy) exist in such human form as in the case of a human being.

 

In the case of human being the soul becomes the house owner in the absence of God. In the palace of a king, the servant is a slave to the king and he is treated as a part of the inert house. We say that the king alone lives in the palace. It does not mean that the king alone is in the inert house with out the servant. In the absence of the king the servant becomes the owner of the house! Therefore, in the human incarnation both God and soul co-exist (Dvaa Suparnaa…veda). But the soul is as good as the inert body without any freedom and hence becomes a part of the house. For the sake of counting there are two living beings which are king and his servant. But for all practical purposes there is only one human being that is king and the second is the inert house which includes the servant.

 

In this sense we say that only the king lives in the palace. In this way the Lord said in Gita that God exists in the human body in the case of human incarnation (Manusheem Tanumasritam…). Hence, there is no difference between Veda and Gita. You may say that only God is in the human body as per Gita or you may say that God and soul co-exist in the human body as per Veda.

 

At the Lotus Feet of His Holiness Sri Dattaswami

 

Anil Antony

 

www.universal-spirituality.org

Universal Spirituality for World Peace

antonyanil@universal-spirituality.org