[Advaita-l] Rebirth

[Shyam]

The answer to your question is that it is the sukshma shareeram that takes rebirth.
What is sukshma shareera is answered in the TattvaBodha as

Apancheekrithapanchamahaboothaihi kritham Satkarmajanyam
SukkhaDukkhaadhibhogasaadhanam PanchaJnaanendriyani Pancha
Karmendriyani Panchapranadayaha Manaschaekam Bhudhischaeka
Evam Sapthadashakalaabhihi saha yaththistathi tatsookshmasareeram

That which is composed of five elements before undergoing the process called Pancheekaranam, which is born out of action, which is the instrument to experience the pleasure and pain, and which contains 5 sense organs, 5 organs of action, 5 pranas (prana, apana, vyana, udana and samana), mind and the intellect with the total of 17. This is subtle body.

The sense-organs of the sublte body are the principles lending sentiency to their respective gross sense organs - for example when you say touch, and try to analyze what it is - all that you can describe scientifically is the anatomic correlates of touch - you can describe depolarization of ion channels like sodium or potassium, or you can talk about action potentials transmitting along the nerves, or you can even localize certain areas in the cerebral cortex where these signals are eventually relayed and processed and again that involves more neurochemical activity. Now what part of this is what is touch - if you succeed in creating an isolation preparation  of all these intact components you may wel reproduce the exact same ionic currents but can you say "that" preparation "felt" touch? No. So what Vedanta talks about is that each of these sense organs has a presiding deity which is the nothing but the specific sentiency governing that particular
 sphere of activity.

So analyzed in this way, none of the 17 components of the sukshma shareeram have any identity with the gross body parts at all. 

And it is this sukshma shareera that on the death of one physical body, finds itself occupying and lending sentiency to the next one based on Ishwara's Order - vassansi jeernani yatha vihaya as the Bhagwad Gita states.

I had provided a perspective on sooskhma and karana shareeras and rebirth in a response to a different set of questions which may also be relevant here. You can read it at:
http://www.adi-shankara.org/2009/08/karana-shareera-response-to-some.html

Hari OM
Shri Gurubhyoh namah
Shyam

--- On Sat, 10/24/09, Vishy <vishy1962 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> From: Vishy <vishy1962 at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Rebirth
> To: "A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
> Date: Saturday, October 24, 2009, 5:19 AM
> Anbuji,
>  
> Namskaram
>  
> Pl bear with me for the questions that may appear stupid ,
> but nevertheless throw some more light on the following
> aspects, please
>  
>  
> What is exactly 'Prana' , is it not just the energy  (the
> prakruthi)??
>  
> Are panchayandriyas  not part of physicalbody...just  as
> organs?
>  
> "As directed by Eswara gets into another body according to
> karmapala" you said,
> but treating Eswara as someone sitting away accunting for
> all karmas appears more dwaitic why even abrhamic
>  
> Please, please dont ever conclude I am critical or
> sceptical ..... I am trying get how Advaita vedanta sees all
> these things whose very basic  is " aham Brahmasmi' and
> asserts realizing that is that waht amounts to mukthi
>  
> As I said earler , my little knwoledge about the whole
> vedanta/ scriptures is from english translations and books
> like that of swami Vivekananda, swami Ramateertha etc. may
> be due to this limited knwoledge I am asking these questions
> so that I can get the whole picture
>  
> Pranams
> Vishy
>  
>  
>  
>  
>  
>  
> 
> 
> --- On Sat, 24/10/09, Anbu sivam2 <anbesivam2 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> 
> 
> From: Anbu sivam2 <anbesivam2 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Rebirth
> To: "A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
> Date: Saturday, 24 October, 2009, 12:39 PM
> 
> 
> Vishyji,
> 
> When the gross body is dead the praana leaves the body
> carrying with it the
> mind and the panchendrias and is directed by Easwara into
> another body
> as the person's karmaphala warrants.
> 
> 
> 
> On Mon, Oct 19, 2009 at 11:49 PM, Vishy <vishy1962 at yahoo.com>
> wrote:
> 
> >
> > Dear Michealji, Sadananadaji, Sunilji, vyasji, Anbuji
> and other learned
> > members
> >
> > Pranams to all. As a novice to scriptures, I would
> like to raise genune
> > doubt so that I can get calrified by the learned
> >
> > Generally we all beleive in the theory of rebirth and
> that is very basic of
> > karma theroy too, but I am not clear as what is that
> dies at the time of
> > physical death of this body and what is that takes
> rebirth??
> >
> > All of us are made of the physical body (made of five
> elements ) , Mind
> > (Manas...made of chitta , buddhi and ahankara) and the
> Atman( the
> > consciouness, the real life)
> >
> > The physical body which is made of the five elements
> of nature goes back
> > once burried or cremated
> > The Atman which is teh Bathman itself is common in all
> living beings that
> > is never born or never dies
> > Than we are left with only the mind....  here chitta
> is storage of all
> > thoughts and experiences, buddhi is the intelligence
> and ahankara is an
> > illusion. Out of these which, I am not able to
> understand,  takes rebirth!!!
> > These three can be at the most can be contenets, but
> what is the container
> > that carries?
> >
> >
> > Please dont think I am sceptical, but this is genune
> doubt for which I
> > couldnt
> > get answer anywhere?
> >
> >
> > Pranams once again
> > Vishy
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >      Yahoo! India has a new look. Take a sneak
> peek
> > http://in.yahoo.com/trynew
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