THE BEFORELIFE
The afterlife has long been the subject of philosophical speculation but then so has the beforelife, or pre-existence. Pre-existence is the belief that each human soul exists before conception, and that at some point in time it enters or is placed by God into a body.
Traducianism and creationism are alternative views which contend that the individual human soul does not come into existence until conception. Traducianism holds that the soul is derived from the souls of the individual's parents, while creationism maintains that the soul is created directly by God. In both traducianism and creationism, the soul is reliant upon conception to come into being.
Ancient Greek thought and Islam affirm pre-existence, whereas Judaism and Christianity, which includes traducianism, generally deny it.
Vedanta is different. In Vedanta, the world is manifested by a transcendental consciousness known as the Brahman. Everything manifested carries with it part of the transcendental consciousness. This part is called the Atman.
The Atman is not the same thing as a soul, as defined in other religions, even though "Atman" and "soul" are, for convenience, used interchangeably in Vedanta.
The Atman is continuous and eternal, not created, and in this way, in only this way, can it be said to pre-exist. Hence in the Bhagavad Gita, the avatar Krishna says to the warrior Arjuna, "Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be."
Traducianism and creationism are alternative views which contend that the individual human soul does not come into existence until conception. Traducianism holds that the soul is derived from the souls of the individual's parents, while creationism maintains that the soul is created directly by God. In both traducianism and creationism, the soul is reliant upon conception to come into being.
Ancient Greek thought and Islam affirm pre-existence, whereas Judaism and Christianity, which includes traducianism, generally deny it.
Vedanta is different. In Vedanta, the world is manifested by a transcendental consciousness known as the Brahman. Everything manifested carries with it part of the transcendental consciousness. This part is called the Atman.
The Atman is not the same thing as a soul, as defined in other religions, even though "Atman" and "soul" are, for convenience, used interchangeably in Vedanta.
The Atman is continuous and eternal, not created, and in this way, in only this way, can it be said to pre-exist. Hence in the Bhagavad Gita, the avatar Krishna says to the warrior Arjuna, "Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be."
posted by Donald L. Simons at
12:07 PM
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