Namaste Greg,
By soul I meant your former definition - that is, a portion of the infinite spirit. I subscribe to this view, as somewhere long ago I read about the mahat Intelligence, which forms the basis for individual ego.
Hello Viraja,
And do you believe that this small portion of the infinite spirit travels/transmigrates along with the subtle body during reincarnation?
I asked this question to many but their answers vary. The dualists like the Hare Krishnas (ISKCONITES) believes that this small portion travels, whereas the non-dualists (advaitins) says IT doesn't travel.
What are your beliefs about this if i may ask?
If you have good ideas on creation, kindly share.
Well, i'm familiar with a creation theory. And this is going to be a long one. I hope you won't get bored. lol.
Before i was introduced to non-duality/advaita, i was a dualist (a follower of the hare krishna movement). According to the hare krishnas, Lord Krishna, the supreme godhead resides in his eternal abode Goloka.
1. From there Krishna first expands into Balarama.
2.Then from Balarama, the four divine beings called chaturvyuhas emanates. These four beings are Vasudeva,
Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha.
3.Then from Sankarsana, Lord Narayana emanates.
4.Then from Narayana, another four beings or chaturvyuhas emanates. They too have the same name... Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha. These are the second set of chaturvyuhas.
5. Anyway, from this second set of chaturvyuhas, (from the second Sankarsana), emanates Karanodakashayi Vishnu. This vishnu rests in the heavenly Karana ocean.
6. From this Karanodakashayi Vishnu, millions of egg-shaped universes come out from the body pores of this Vishnu with every exhalation, while he rests in the Karana ocean. That is how the universes come into existence. But at first they are empty shells with no living beings in these universes.
7. Then from Karanodakashayi Vishnu, another form of Vishnu emanates. His name is Garbhodakashayi vishnu. This Garbhodakashayi vishnu enters into each and every universe and creates the vedas and also from its navel sprouts a lotus. From that lotus, the four headed Brahma appears.
Don't confuse Brahma with Brahman. The former is an anthropomorphic being. The latter is infinite spirit/consciousness. I think you probably know this already :=)
8. Anyway, this four headed creator God Brahma then creates all the suns, moons, stars, planets, devas (angels), asuras (demons), humans, beasts, insects, birds, and aquatic creatures within each egg shaped universe. Brahma is pretty much like the Biblical God Yahweh who creates everything. But in (vaishnava) hinduism it is Vishnu who first creates the empty universes and then gives birth to Brahma. Then this Brahma creates the rest of the creation.
This is what i've learned from the ISKCONITES.
I wrote everything down on a peice of paper over the years since the knowledge of hinduism is so vast and one is bound to forget such deep knowledge. So i thought it would be better to write them down. This is just the creation theory of the hare krishnas. There are other creation theories as well, from a Shaivite or Shakta point of view mentioned in the scripture puranas. I ordered my set of puranas from Amazon and i have yet to go through them.
