Coming of Age in the Universe
"Like bubbles that form on the bottom of a teakettle, they make their way through the water (universe) until they break free into the limitless atmosphere of illumination (liberation)" (Smith 63). In the lower part of the journey before the jiva becomes human, the progression is automatic and smooth like an escalator but as it reaches human form, the jiva slows and karma is what pushes it forward. Like checkers though, doing something bad doesn't send you backwards it just stops you progress. The human form takes longer to progress and the journey is not straight, it's more of a zigzag. Because of this I think the analogy of a boiling pot doesn't work quite as well as the image of a leaf falling through a tree, it takes a while and is pushed side to side, dropped by gusts of wind and held back by branches. When it reaches the ground some believe that it becomes god and loses all distinction between self and the whole but some would rather that they remain a slight sense of self. "But there is God of forms Infinite, and when a man knows God he is free from all bondage" (Novak 19), so does finding god mean liberation? This distinction is a huge topic of debate and most agree to disagree because with Hinduism there is much freedom of thought and opinion. Hindus believe that everyone will reach the right place when the right time comes.
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