Welcome to Adiyen Sri Ramanuja Dasan !
" Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha !"
124) Can the soul be destroyed?
The soul is eternal and permanent, i.e., always existing. Since it is atomic in size, it cannot be cut by a sword, it cannot be burnt by fire, and it cannot be thrown about by air. It is so minutely small
125) What is the meaning of saying that a person is born or a person is dead?
When the soul has taken on a new body, we say the child is born. Similarly, when the soul leaves the body, we say the person is dead.
126) You said the souls are infinite in number. Is there any variation between these different souls?
There is no variation. They are all atomic in size. However, the souls are divided into three categories.
127) What are the three categories?
1. The souls or Jivatmas, which are still bound by samsara-pass through the cycle of births and deaths. They leave one body after death, but are again bom in this world in some other body and go on rotating in the cycle of samsara. Thus, these souls are called Baddha, i.e., Bound (by samsara).
128) Who are these Baddhas?
They start right from the four-faced Brahma and include the various devas, gandharvas and so on, viz. people in the other worlds. They include human beings, animals, trees, insects, birds and those in water like fish, ants and everything.
129) Do you mean to say that trees also have souls?
Yes. The trees also have souls. It has been proved by modern biologists that the trees and plants have life in them.
130) How many sub-divisions are there in the first category of Baddhas?
We can broadly say that there are four subdivisions.
These are:
1. The Devas. Under this group we include the pitrus, siddhas, gandharvas, kinnaras, vasus and yakshas.
2. Human beings.
3. The animal category. Under this are included all animals, birds, those which crawl like serpents and worms.
4. Trees and plants, whose knowledge is much less.
Jai Srimannaryana !
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