In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we find a story about a king named Suyajña who died on the battlefield. When his queens and relatives went there to collect his body for cremation, the queens were overcome with love and lamentation. Suyajña had been a kind and generous ruler and a loving husband and his wives were unable to give him up. They held his body on their laps and wept, paying no attention when their hair and dresses became soiled. As the time for the ritual burning of the body was passing, their crying reached the ears of the Lord of Death.
Yamarāja is the lord of karma who keeps account of the living entities’ merits and demerits and finds appropriate incarnations for them. The Greeks called him Hades, the Romans Pluto. In astrology the transits of Pluto bring deep transformations in a person’s life. Transformation is a nice word for the quite often messy and difficult process of karma coming due.
Yamarāja appeared on the spot in the form of a young boy and approached them in the dusky twilight. He spoke of the ātmā’s actual position, saying that since the person they knew as Suyajña was lying there “why are you crying? Actually you have never really seen Suyajña, you have only seen his body.” He explained the process of transmigration and embodiment of the ātmā. Yamarāja ended by telling the queens that even if they lamented for hundreds of years they would never get their husband back and in the meantime their own lives would be wasted. Since he was a child his words were sweet, even if his message was less than palatable, and everyone listened without argument. Realization awakened in their hearts, and they were finally able to release Suyajña to his destiny.
In Yamarāja’s instruction to the queens there are four prominent points:
No matter what his condition, the spirit soul never mixes with matter.
The ātmā accepts bodies according to his desires and merits — the results of his past actions, which are stored in his subtle covering.
As the indwelling Supersoul, the Īśvara is the organizer and controller of the spirit soul’s sojourn. He is conducting the activities of the body but is different from the body and individual soul.
The subtle body creates the illusion that “I am the doer, the controller and the enjoyer.” Lord Yamarāja says clearly that the Supersoul is the doer, the controller and the enjoyer.
The Supersoul is described as the witness (upadraṣṭā) and the sanctioner (anumantā). He is the conductor of activities of the individual soul and is the controller of their results as well.
Śrīla Prabhupāda says that material consciousness has two psychic divisions:
I am the creator
I am the owner and the enjoyer
Actually, the ātmā is the created and enjoyed. He is a cooperator with the Īśvara. The theory that the seeker becomes the seer — that the ātmā becomes the Īśvara by yoga — is not supported in the Bhagavad-Gītā.
Becoming one with God really means to stop disagreeing with Him.
Ego — True and False
False Ego: “I am this body, and everything related to this body is mine.”
Material consciousness as defined above is what is commonly called egotism (asmita). Today, more than ever before, there is a split between spiritual seekers who strive for non-ego and upright persons who are trying to be effective in this world. This schism exists not only in society but within the individual. Bhāgavat Vedānta provides a key for healing this dilemma but we require sagacity to use it. We need to be careful of moral cowardice; of knowing what is right but when the time comes not taking appropriate action. This is one reason for practicing the dishonest technique of stepping on one plank and then the other, also known as waffling. When it is convenient or pleasurable, I am a person. When it is inconvenient, I “renounce” everything including my opinion under the plea of being spiritual and ego-less. This inconsistency must be avoided. Spiritual techniques are very easily appropriated by the false ego and the materialistic mind can twist them this way or that. Without sufficient purification, renunciation is a dangerous disturbance to social order. Ego means identity. Realizing that identity, or personality, through the vehicle of the body and actualizing its nature in the world of form is called individuation. "Personality is the supreme realization of the innate idiosyncrasy of a living being. It is an act of high courage flung in the face of life, the absolute affirmation of all that constitutes the individual, the most successful adaptation to the universal conditions of existence coupled with the greatest possible freedom for self-determination." — C.G. Jung, The Development of Personality.This is part of awakening from soul sleep; undertaking self-initiated effort to find the source of our being rather than remaining in the robotic existence of merely reacting to sensual stimuli in our environment. Our activities in this body after enlightenment, however, do not change. Only our consciousness is different, which in turn necessarily changes the direction of our lives. Bhāgavat Vedānta teaches the difference between false ego and real ego. Real ego: “I am the eternal servant of the Īśvara. I love Him and He loves me — forever.” In effect, each of us in conditioned life has two identities: the temporary material identity and the eternal spiritual identity. When the eternal identity as servant of the Īśvara acts through the temporary identity of the body it is real ego, as long as the activity follows the path of goodness and is offered to the Īśvara with devotion. False ego acts for the body and mind only without regard for that Other within us who is directing us on our path. This moment to moment flow of awareness — toward the Īśvara or Self, and not to any other thing — is called samādhi. It is initiated and maintained by devotional service. सर्वभूतस्थितं यो मां भजत्येकत्वमास्थितःसर्वथा वर्तमानोऽपि स योगी मयि वर्तते॥३१॥
sarva-bhūta-sthitaṁ yo māṁ
bhajaty ekatvam āsthitaḥ
sarvathā vartamāno ’pi
sa yogī mayi vartate
"The yogi who knows that I and the Supersoul within all creatures are one worships Me and remains always in Me in all circumstances." (Bg 6.31)
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