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What is the identity of a soul without a body?

Updated with additional points (highlighted in blue color)

[Smt. Chhanda Chandra asked: Paadanamaskaram Swami! What is the identity of a soul without the body? At Your divine lotus feet, By, Chhanda Chandra]

Swami replied:- Strictly speaking, soul stands for the inert energy that is converted into awareness in a functioning brain-nervous system. In such a case, the soul has no identity whether it is in the body or without the body because the specific inert energy happens to be the same general inert energy. But, the word ‘soul’ is loosely used for the individual soul also. Individual soul does not mean the general pure awareness, which also has no identity even in a body. But, the individual soul is a specific bundle of thoughts or qualities, in which case the individual soul has some specific identity in the sense of a specific ratio of the three qualities (Saatvika, Raajasika and Taamasika qualities). There will be several such different specific ratios resulting in various specific souls, which are different among themselves. In this way, if you take a specific individual soul as a specific bundle of the three qualities, then only a specific individual soul attains its specific identity. For example, if you say a specific individual soul having 70:20:10 ratio of the three qualities, you can show another individual soul with 50:30:20 ratio of the three qualities. This specific ratio becomes the identity of a specific individual soul.

February 18, 2024

Swami replied (with additional points): Soul means awareness as per your question. Awareness cannot exist without a container or body. When the individual soul (loosely called as soul) leaves the gross body, it enters the subtle body. There is no difference between pure awareness and material of the container of awareness. The only difference is between the composition of the two individual souls. Individual soul is a bundle of thoughts. These thoughts are of the three fundamental qualities (Sattvam, Rajas and Tamas). The difference between two individual souls is the difference in the ratio of the three qualities and this qualitative and quantitative composition of thoughts present in the individual soul is the specific identity of the individual soul or soul.

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