________________
PRACTICE OF KARMA YOGA
philosophers teach: "There is no more retrogression for a man when once he takes a human birth. There is no necessity for him to be born as an animal for the sake of demerit. He can be punished in a variety of ways in the human birth itself. When a man takes the form of a Deva, all human Samskaras, habits and tendencies will remain dormant. When a man takes the form of a dog, the animal-tendencies, habits and Samskaras only will manifest Human tendencies will remain suppressed. Some dogs get royal treatment in the palaces of kings. They move in cars, eat good food and sleep on cushions. These are all degenerated human beings.
After death this physical body, composed of five elements, is cast off like a slough or the coil of a snake. The inner astral body or Linga Sarira, which consists of nineteen Tattwas, viz , five Karma Indriyas, five Jnana Indriyas, five Pranas, mind, Buddhi, Chitta and Ahamkara, goes to heaven, comes back to the physical plane, puts on another physical body and reincarnates It is this body that contains the impressions of Karmas This body remains till one gets knowledge of the Self and consequent emancipation Then it disintegrates and the components get involved in the ocean of Tanmatras or Avyaktam
Heaven and hell are mental creations only. It is the mind that makes a heaven of hell and a hell of heaven. They are Puranic concepts. For a Vedantin there is neither hell nor heaven. Who is to suffer?
220
