Reply To: Body, Gandhabba & vice-versa

#14298
y not
Participant

Hello Lal:

Thanks for your reply.

This question, along with some others, arise out of inconsistency of the words and terms applied to convey an idea, or the loose or vague use of them – the ‘sweep’ is too wide.

Your #3 has the whole in true perspective, and is as much I can make out myself. But you will recall that in the gandhabba posts it is stated, and more than once, quite simply that the gandhabba exits only in human and animal realm, which statement, taking the gandhabba (again in #3) ‘So, they (Brahmas) have ONLY their gandhabba;’is not consistent. And statements like (again in #3) ‘So, they have ONLY their gandhabba; no other physical body. Yet they can see and listen’ imply that they ARE NOT the gandhabba in actual fact’ THEY only have it; like when I say ‘I have skin, bones, head, arms’ implies, correctly, that I AM not those, I only have them. As stated, it means: They (whatever they may ultimately consist of) HAVE their gandhabba! Why not say flatly ‘ So, they ‘ARE’ ONLY their gandhabba’ rather than ‘have?

This is where language may create difficulties when one goes deep into the details. Or is that ‘too deep’? I remember my parents and elders ‘correcting’ me saying ‘Oh, you are too complicated. Keep things simple. I do not know. It is so ‘ whenever I asked existential or philosophical questions.

y not