Wow, ziplock! Well let's get started. . .
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Originally Posted by ziplock
Verk... what neccessitates the seperation? The distinction? Where does this material existence reside? From what fabric is it made of? Is it a part of the flame?
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According to the Vedas, the material sphere and the untold number of universes within it accounts for roughly 1/4 of all existence: so you can see what level of imortance the material is given in the Vedic literature. All existence is composed of Krishna's divine energy, there is nothing else. This energy is manifested in different ways, of which there are three principle divisions: the spiritual, the marginal, and the material. Krishna Himself, His expansions, His incarnations, and His abode are the spiritual energy. We, the living entities, regardless of the body through which we act (dog, cat, fish, tree, human,
et cetera), have the same spiritual quality as Krishna, but we are called the marginal energy because we can associate with either Krishna's spiritual energy or His material energy. The material energy is anything which is non-living, including dead bodies.
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Originally Posted by ziplock
Is an atom a spark?
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As far as comparisons with the fire and spark go, consider your own body. It is (limitedly) self-sufficient of its own accord. But within every cell which composes your body is a DNA strand, which can only continue to function so long as your body is living. Now, this DNA strand has all the information which defines the qualities of your body. You are continually shedding DNA in the form of dead skin, hair, nails,
et cetera, so in essence this DNA is a "spark" of your body. It has your body's potency, but due to its current position of being seperated from it, this potency is inadequately expressed. It is minute while your body is very large. In other words, like the spark to the fire, it is equal in quality to your body but inferior in quantity.
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Originally Posted by ziplock
It would seem you want to escape this reality, this cycle of rebirth, this cycle of change. . . I take it you are unaware of any sort of seperation in this bliss. Unaware of your identity? Unaware of any individual perspective outside of this eternal one? Makes sense, as you say we lose all our memories, etc, when we die.
To me this sounds akin to dying and simply not being conscious anymore. Only you keep coming back to this existence through a cycle of reincarnation until you can finally become unconscious, liberated of all chains, burdens, etc. It's not bad, definitely was appealing to me a lot as well. I mean you can put another spin on it and say you rejoin this collective unified consciousness where it's all an eternal infinite moment of oneness, and I believe that that is indeed out there. Has many different names too.
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This is a very common misconception, that liberation means to re-enter the origin: such is not the case. I must admit that I am not very well versed on this matter, but I can tell you that individuality does not end with material liberation. In the Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna describes the individual spirit-soul thusly:
acchedyo 'yam adahyo 'yam
akledyo 'sosya eva ca
nityah sarva-gatah sthanur
acalo 'yam sanatanah
This translates as "This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, all-pervading, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same." In his purport on this verse, Srila Prabhupada states:
"All these qualifications of the atomic soul definitely prove that the individual soul is eternally the atomic particle of the spirit whole, and he remains the same atom eternally, without change. The theory of monism is very difficult to apply in this case, because the individual soul is never expected to become one homogeneously. After liberation from material contamination, the atomic soul may prefer to remain as a spiritual spark in the effulgent rays of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but the intelligent souls enter into the spiritual planets to associate with the Personality of Godhead."
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Originally Posted by ziplock
[What the Vedas authors wrote] is an interpretation of a phenomenon. A concept, a theory.
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I'm sorry to lump all your illuminating discourse on beliefs into this simple line, but, as I explained elsewhere, this is where one finds it hard to seperate my beliefs from blind dogma. The knowledge contained within the Vedas comes from God Himself, and the Vedas describe the original state of the spirit-soul as eternally associating with Krishna directly. Thus, it is our natural disposition to be rendering service to God, and any belief, concept, or theory which teaches this idea (and there is almost no religion which does not) is teaching the truth. But ultimately, the Vedas are the origin of all such thought and philosophy (as sanskrit is the origin of Eurasian languages), so it is only natural to accept them as the supreme fountain of this knowledge with other beliefs being small, bubbling springs.
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Originally Posted by ziplock
It's the same design, the same pattern everywhere, conscious and physical. They apply to one another, compliment one another. (Cue Ego Tripping's spiral) My beliefs are that existence would seem to reside in eternity, not be apart from it. The physical is as spiritual as anything else, if transcending it is your goal more power to you, however I enjoy it, and will most likely come back many times given the choice. Even if I could carry on I'd enjoy coming back simply to interact, to experience it again and again. I got an eternity after all. Once I'm done here I don't think I'll go to eternal bliss, but seek out other existences, other experiences. Ones far different then the physical. If they're not there, why not create them? Paint, be artistic. Change would seem to be eternal, as the flame would be creating the sparks eternally. There is purpose and reason behind every spark. It's a unique, individual existence. One that imo, holds the entirety of existence internally, while being submerged in it externally. A frame of reference, relative to the whole. Each action, each moment holds this potential, the key to unlocking it is within the conscious mind, as they create it in turn. I don't hold this existence to blame for my discomforts and misfortunes, my pains and woes. I hold my mind accountable. I find this existence to be extremely beautiful and satisfying, if one can but take the time to see it. It indulges my creative, expressive side. While eternal bliss is great, it only satisfies the experiencing portion of me. I would still wish to express. And thus the cycle would continue ad infinitum.
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I could not bring myself to scale down this wonderful paragraph. The material world is indeed very beautiful! I myself at times have trouble thinking that the material conditions which bear such beauty are imperfect and corruptible, but a quick look around the world and all its problems will remind me of the nature of our condition. The spiritual platform is very much alike this material one we inhabit, but within that sphere everyone is working for the benefit of the whole. No one is seeking mastery over any other, everyone accepts the mastery and authority of Lord Krishna and works for Him. In this way, every desire is constantly being fulfilled as every necessity for a tree's growth is provided by watering its root. This is why we aim for a place in the spiritual worlds, because there is all the beauty which is present here in the material realm, but none of the imperfections. Everyone is eternally satisfied: this is the meaning of the term "eternal bliss."