Go to Vanipedia | Go to Vanisource | Go to Vanimedia


Vaniquotes - the compiled essence of Vedic knowledge


Category

Category:Called a Ghost

Theme Analysis

The category Called a Ghost provides a technical and theological explanation of existence within a subtle body. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that ghosts are not mythological figments but living entities who, due to extreme sin or material attachment, are denied a gross physical covering and must hover in a subtle form. This state of existence is characterized by the presence of the mind, intelligence, and ego without the vehicle of the five gross elements. Beyond the description of these distressed souls, Śrīla Prabhupāda also uses the term to bridge linguistic gaps with other traditions, identifying the Holy Ghost as the Supreme Spirit or Paramātmā.

  • Definition and Origin of the Ghostly Body: A ghost is defined as a soul that has lost its gross material body but has not yet received a new one. Due to being too sinful or too attached to their family, house, or village, these entities are punished by being forced to remain in the subtle body. They hover on the subtle platform, composed only of mind, ego, and intelligence, which makes them invisible to ordinary material vision.
  • Behavior of Ghostly Haunted Men: When a person is ghostly haunted, they lose their own self-control and act according to the dictation of the ghost. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes this state as a dangerous form of madness where the individual may speak nonsense or even attack their own father and mother. This phenomenon illustrates how the subtle body can influence or "haunt" a gross body.
  • The Holy Ghost and the Supreme Spirit: In a different context, Śrīla Prabhupāda identifies the Absolute Truth in its feature as the Supersoul (Paramātmā) with the Christian concept of the Holy Ghost. While common ghosts are suffering living entities, the Holy Ghost refers to the Supreme Spirit. Additionally, the term bhūtejya refers to the worship of ghosts or the dead, which is considered a foolish and useless activity.

Pages in category "Called a Ghost"

The following 17 pages are in this category, out of 17 total.