Material Manifests from the Absolute Self

वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि |

तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णा न्यन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही || 2.22||

Meaning of the Shloka: Just like a person takes off their soiled clothing to adorn new garments, the Absolute Self, at the time of death, casts off the worn-out body and embodies a new one. (Bhagvad Gita 2.22)

Context: Krishna continues to elaborate on the traits of truth, knowledge, or the Absolute Self (the Aatma) to differentiate it from material entities.

He explains how material, including our bodies, is a transient manifestation of the Aatma. 

When someone destroys material manifestations as part of their righteous duty, it has no effect on knowledge because knowledge is eternal.

The subtle manifests the gross

The Aatma or knowledge is subtle. It is endless, formless, and eternal. It is the source of everything we perceive, conceive, and interact with.

For instance, every piece of technology you own, including the very device you are currently using, has its foundations in the truth or the Aatma. It was, once upon a time, a series of equations on a whiteboard.

Eventually, the nerds at the big tech companies churned those strands of truth to manifest a powerful device, a smartphone or a computer, into reality.

If you destroy all the technology in the world, the equations or theorems that created them don’t vanish from existence or become untrue. In fact, knowledge is unbothered by the state of its own material manifestations. 

Similarly, the actions we take on a daily basis, such as working out, reading, and going to the office, emerge from the truth. And again, if you stop doing all those things, the philosophies behind those activities won’t suddenly become false.

The broader point is that everything emerges from and merges into the eternal truth or the Aatma.

Material loss is insignificant

A warrior on the battlefield contemplating the potential loss of lives may experience an ethical dilemma, even though killing off the opposition is his duty. Arjuna felt the same in a more pronounced manner because his opposition was his own kin.

Recognizing that material is temporary and should be sacrificed without hesitancy in the path of righteous duty, no matter how violent or difficult, is essential in this situation.

Even in normal life, you can adopt this mindset.

Sometimes we have to make difficult choices and sacrifices where we give up things we desire or terminate relationships we invested a lot in. However, in the path of enlightenment, letting go of the “easy” or “familiar” is pivotal.

Moreover, we lose things to life as well. Accidents, terrible situations, or mistakes can come with a hefty price tag. 

In those challenging times, you must remind yourself about the fleeting nature of material and emotions to move past it.

Conclusion: Righteous duties are pure

Your responsibilities are the tasks that you must carry out whether you feel like it or not. Some duties may bring pleasure and others offer nothing but pain. 

Regardless of the potential rewards, you must merge into them without laziness, attachment, and desire. Pleasure, whether it comes from pursuing a hedonistic action or indulging in inaction is fleeting just like material, and, hence, must be overlooked while choosing your path forward.

Be virtuous.

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Next Chapter: Coming Soon

Previous Chapter: The Absolute Self is Beyond Creation and Destruction

Index (with Prologue): Krishna Said That: Prologue