Even though the gopis had obeyed, they still had much doubt. How did the river part if what they were saying was not the truth? Indeed, the answer is that it was all a matter of “doership.” If your mind says, “I have done it,” you must receive the result of your action. But remember, it is crucial to understand that “doership” comes from the inside, not by saying it with the mouth. If one has the state of knowledge that all work is being done by the body and the senses, one is free from the consequences.
The Jnana Sankalini Tantra teaches us that the vast magnitude of the entire universe resides within the relatively small human body.
We live in a body that is like a house we can live in during one life. Some love the body and become attached to it. Some consider the body everything, and some even think “I am the body.” Some people may not like or love their body. Undoubtedly, we may wonder why so many people dislike their bodies since they chose them. Their suffering is the result of their own ignorance. Indeed, all suffering is due to ignorance. “I do not like this body; I want to change it. I do not look nice; I am ugly.”
The Vedas declare that whatever is seen in the Cosmos can also be seen inside the human body.
The truth is, every individual is imprisoned in a body. A body is a prison, a family is a prison, the world is a prison, and we are the prisoners of our own minds.
“This body is pre-thought, pre-planned.” Before we are born into this world we plan our bodies. We decide what kind of body we want. But we do not remember this; we have forgotten. We also decide where to be born; it is our plan, nobody else’s. The same holds true for the kind of life we want to live. When we travel, we decide where to go. When we go on a trip, we arrange many things. Similarly, when we travel to earth we arrange and prepare our bodies, our families, what kind of life we will have; it was all our doing. That is why it is said, ittham prakalpite dehe: “In this body that was preplanned by you.” Thus, we need not be unhappy with our bodies. Why? We receive what we wanted. We receive the body we desired. If we want to experience freedom we have to cherish this desire in us. Ittham prakalpite dehe: “This body is our thought, our creation.”
Through our karma we made some plans and acquired a body. We arrived in this world decorated with beautiful ornaments. What are the ornaments? It is said, anadi vasana malah: “You have a garland, a necklace, made of desires without beginning.” Vasana means “desires” and anadi means “without beginning”; thus, we have a beautiful necklace of desires without beginning as well as endless ambition. But this garland is not new. Anadimeans that from time immemorial we have been carrying the vasanas, the desires, life after life.
After realization, whether a jnani takes another body is up to them, because he or she has no remaining karma. First, seekers must decide whether they want realization. Then they must ask themselves why they want to be realized. Realization means to be free. Free from what? Free from all suffering: duhkha nivritti. If someone is free from all suffering, what happens? Eternal bliss. If the goal is to achieve eternal bliss by being free from suffering, whether a realized one returns or not, if they are in a state of bliss, does it matter if they stay or leave?
The first part of the verse says, ittham prakalpite dehe: “in this body that was planned before birth by you,” planned by your own karma. Jiva vasati sarvagah: “the individual who is worthy, capable, of going everywhere.” After contemplating these words, should we doubt our situation in life? We plan our lives before birth, as well as our bodies, our environments, and our situations and circumstances. Therefore, we should accept our situation and graciously assume our responsibilities.
The mind is old; the desires are old. A physical body may be only five years old, but our desires can bes of years old.