There is a spiritual aspect associated with all matter that is referred to as spirit. In matter that is geological, spirit is locked up within matter, whereas in matter with biological life there are two aspects of spirit. One aspect is the spirit that is locked up within the matter that makes up the biological life form. In addition, there is another spirit entity that is not locked up within the matter of the biological life form. This second aspect of spirit is linked to the biological life form and sustains and fosters it. This separate spirit entity is commonly called the soul or atma and is a spiritual life principle. In order to remain linked to a biological life form and sustain it, the soul works through a material life principle called “prana”. The soul delivers spiritual sustenance to the biological life form it is linked to through “prana”. This ‘prana” principle is delivered to biological life forms through the Five Elementals in varying degrees.
Spirit was created before matter and subsequently, through the process described earlier, an aspect of spirit involved within itself and condensed into matter. Biological life begins at the point when condensed matter has re-evolved to the point that the material life principle called prana can bridge the gap between matter and spirit. When this stage is reached then a biological life form gets linked through the material life principle, or prana, with the spiritual life principle called the soul. It is through the “prana” principle that the soul can provide the spiritual energy needed to sustain and foster the matter of the biological life form within which also spirit is locked up. If the “prana” principle is not available to a biological life form, the soul will be unable to sustain it and the biological life form will die. When a biological life form dies, the matter of the life form will disintegrate and be absorbed by the Five Great Elementals.
Perfect man and perfect woman were created by God and were endowed with the power to create souls. However, to retain the privilege and ability to create souls, the perfect man and woman had to maintain a perfect balance between spirit and matter. Unfortunately, at a critical point, the perfect man and woman desired to experience matter more intensely and as a result they tilted the balance away from spirit and towards matter. Thus, the perfect man and woman fell from the spiritual planes and became bound to matter. This is symbolized in the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, in which it is said that Satan influenced Eve to tempt Adam to eat the apple. This story is symbolic and not factual, even though it is based upon spiritual truths.
The SSG teaches that the sin which Adam and Eve committed was that they pursued their desire to experience matter more intensely. Hence, they fell from the spiritual planes and have lost the ability to create souls. Thus, the ability of human beings is now limited to procreating bodies made of matter. This being the situation, the Divine Plan is that through the process of procreating physical bodies, some souls who take birth as human beings may be inspired to make the necessary effort to liberate the soul that has incarnated within them from the cycles of birth, life and death. Souls are aspects of the Divine and most souls that incarnate in human beings separated from the Divine Source when the unstable fourth beam, which emanated from the Word of God, separated and fell far away from the Word and is now residing in what is commonly called hell.
Human beings are the highest creation on earth, and man, which includes woman, is the only creation on earth that is endowed with a free will that is relatively unlimited, as compared to the will of birds and animals who also have a free will. But in case of birds, animals, fish and other biological life forms, their free will is circumscribed and controlled by instincts. So, like the other biological creations, although human beings have the same two major instincts of self-preservation and self-propagation, because of the gift of free will, they are not bound by these two instincts to the extent that the animals and other creatures are. Thus, whereas the procreative instinct and survival instinct, including eating habits of almost all animals, birds and fish etc., are controlled by instincts, human beings are free to indulge in sensual pleasures of eating, drinking and copulating as and when they desire to do so.
Based on revelations received by Revered Dadaji, Dr. Dinshah K. Mehta, the SSG teaches that indulging in sensual pleasures solely for the sake of self-satisfaction is sinful, because it binds one to desires and the resulting karma prevents one from completing the journey of Life Eternal which culminates in oneness with God.
Instead of ruining one’s health through improper dietary habits and frittering away the procreative energy through wanton indulgence in sexual activity, human beings should eat a balanced diet to maintain their physical health, conserve procreative energy and use it to grow towards God. Revered Dadaji has given many Discourses on the fundamental laws of health, proper dietary habits, as well as on how to transmute and sublimate the procreative instinct, which are all an essential part of the way of life that will lead to spiritual growth and enable one to complete the journey of Life Eternal.
The futility of pursuing desires for material thoughts, things and people corresponds with teachings of the Buddha, where Buddha states that:
- Suffering Is.
- The cause of suffering is desire.
- To eliminate suffering, eliminate desire.
- To eliminate desire, follow the noble eight-fold path.
Up next: Meaning of Karma