THE GOD-MAN The Life, Journeys and Work of Meher Baba with an ...

THE TEACHING 421and that only here could God be realized, which appears to mean that the 'involutionary' processes take placeonly here. 1In conclusion let me add that I use the words 'soul', 'the embodied soul', in the sense of that whichproceeds from 'spirit'. The 'embodied soul' means the soul in matter, which is not separate from that whichcreated it, so that 'matter' is not separate from either soul or 'spirit', except in thought. As we are bound tothink, we must distinguish between them, just as it is important to distinguish between 'soul' and 'spirit'.Much difficulty would be removed by distinguishing between these words. 2 'Soul' passes through theexperience of creation, 'not spirit'. 'Spirit' is the beginningless, unknowable absolute from which 'soul'proceeds as its 'energy' or 'life'. 'Spirit' not 'soul' is 'divinity'. Thus it is possible to think of the perfection ofthe soul, but spirit is beyond perfection, it 'is'. Distinction should also be recognized between 'intellect''reason' and 'mind'. In the same way as spirit, soul and body they are one, though not the same.(6)Meher Baba's doctrine of reincarnation requires some attention. In the course of evolution the soulbecomes self-conscious when man is complete biologically and in his mind. This self-consciousness is hisability to converse with himself so that he knows himself as distinct from others. With the completion ofevolution the soul of man carries within it a great heritage of impressions from his evolutionary past, and,though self-conscious, is still caught up in sleep and spends much time in dreams. In this state he enters uponthe process of involution of consciousness and does not become free from these bindings, which are theconfusion of the illusion with the real, until the involution of consciousness is complete. In the course of thisinvolution he becomes subject to reincarnations, the involuntary 'process of intermittent association anddisassociation of consciousness". Thus reincarnation1 The ideas that evolution continues in mankind on this earth and that progress is the natural law aredangerous fallacies of our time; for progress for man involves his own will and responsibility, his awakeningto his own inner law. The attempt to reduce this into the terms of naturalistic humanist rationalism results inmoral confusion.2 For instance when we read in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (3.7.22), the words 'your self, the Ruler within,the Immortal', and in the Chandogya Upanishad, 'That is the Self' and thou, O Svetahetu, art it', (6.9) what ismeant is not what we should call 'soul' but 'spirit'. St Paul refers to the first Adam as a 'living soul' and thesecond Adam as 'life giving spirit' (I. Cor. 15,45-50).