šæ The Journey of the Soul
āWe are not these bodies. We are eternal souls who once lived joyfully with Krishna. But by misusing our free will, we fell into illusion, forgetting our divine identity. Now, through scriptures, saints, and the holy name, Krishna calls us back. This is the soulās journeyāfrom illusion to awakening, from Maya to Krishna.ā
Who we truly are, why we are here in this material world, and how we can return to our eternal home with Lord Krishna.
Let us walk step-by-step through the journey of the soul, guided by the light of scripture.
šŖ· 1. We Always Existed With Krishna
The soul (jīva) is eternal. Just like Lord Krishna is never born and never dies, we too are beginningless and endless.
āna jÄyate mriyate vÄ kadÄcinā ā Bhagavad Gita 2.20
āThe soul is never born and never dies.ā
We are not created at a point in time.
We have always existedāas part of Krishnaās divine familyāin the spiritual realm.
šŖ· 2. The Soul Has Individuality and Oneness with Krishna
We are described as āmamaivÄmÅo jÄ«va-lokeā in Bhagavad Gita 15.7.
This means we are part and parcel of Krishna, like a spark from a fire or a drop of water from the ocean.
- We are spiritual in nature like Him.
- But we are tiny, while He is infinite.
Thus, we are one with Him in quality, but distinct individuals eternally. Each soul has its own unique relationship with Krishna.
šŖ· 3. The Soul Has Free Will
Unlike lifeless matter, the soul has consciousness and free will.
Why?
Because love cannot be forced.
Krishna does not want robots.
He wants loving servants who choose to serve Him out of joy, not obligation.
In the spiritual world, we freely serve Krishna with pure loveāsinging, dancing, playing, and engaging in divine pastimes with Him.
šŖ· 4. Why Did We Fall Into the Material World?
Some jīvas, out of misuse of free will, developed a desire:
āWhy should Krishna be the center of everything?
I want to enjoy separately!ā
This tiny envy was enough to disqualify us from the realm of pure love. Because in the spiritual world, only those who serve Krishna selflessly can stay.
Did Krishna punish us? No.
In His deep compassion, He created the material worldāa temporary place where souls can try to fulfill their selfish desires.
šŖ· 5. Krishna Created the Material World and MÄyÄ
This world is a product of Krishnaās external energy called MÄyÄ (illusion).
Her job is to cover our spiritual identity, so we can try to enjoy separately, just as we desired.
We forget our eternal relationship with Krishna and become entangled in this illusion of āIā and āmine.ā
šŖ· 6. Even In Illusion, There Are Rules
The material world is not random. It works on strict laws of karma and dharma:
- If we follow dharma (righteousness), we experience temporary happiness.
- If we violate dharma, we suffer.
- Every actionāgood or badāhas consequences.
This cycle of birth, death, disease, and old age continues endlessly for the conditioned soul.
āduįø„khÄlayam aÅÄÅvatamā ā Bhagavad Gita 8.15
āThis world is a place of misery and is temporary.ā
Eventually, the soul becomes exhausted and starts asking:
āIs there something beyond all this?ā
šŖ· 7. Krishna Never Leaves Us Alone
Even when we forget Him, Krishna never forgets us.
He constantly sends help to bring us back:
š Scriptures
Such as Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam to reveal the truth.
š³āāļø Spiritual Gurus and Saints
To guide and awaken us.
šļø His Own Incarnations
He personally descends as Rama, Krishna, Narasimha, and in this age, as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
š The Holy Name
In Kali Yuga, the easiest and most powerful way is to chant:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare
āsatataį¹ kÄ«rtayanto mÄį¹ā¦ā ā Bhagavad Gita 9.14
āAlways chant My Names with devotion.ā
šŖ· 8. So, What Should We Do Now?
We must purify our heart and return to Krishna. This is the goal of life.
