Question: In the purport to CC Adi Ch 5 Text 22, in the last but two paragraphs describing Brahmaloka it is said “residents of Brahmaloka do not have gross material bodies to change at death, but they transform their subtle bodies into spiritual bodies and thus enter the spiritual sky”
Does this mean as we go higher in the universe, refinement happens in gross and subtle bodies and that at Brahmaloka gross body is not needed for functioning? Does this mean they have bodies made of finer matter? Does it imply there are bodies made of mind, intelligence, and false ego? Also, how is it different from ghosts who also only have subtle bodies?
Answer by Romapada Swami:
Yes, it is true that as we go higher in the material universe, we see more refinement in consciousness and also the gross and subtle bodies. For example, we see that the residents of higher planetary systems have a much longer life span and much better facilities in terms of enjoyment as well.
In Bramaloka as mentioned in Cc Adi 5.22, the residents do not have gross bodies and they have subtle bodies only. There is no painful death in Satyaloka, as we know death on this planet.
However, there is a difference between the residents of Brahmaloka and ghosts, both of whom do not have gross material bodies.
For those who reside on Brahmaloka, their consciousness is highly elevated and they are situated primarily in the mode of goodness. Such souls are not hankering for pleasures of the material body and do not typically create any disturbances to others. Rather the residents of Brahmaloka feel compassion to see the residents of lower planetary systems suffering during the partial annihilation when the fire of annihilation consumes the living entities.
Whereas the soul situated in a ghostly position is very painful because a ghost has intelligence, mind, and ego and wants to enjoy material life, but because he doesn’t have a gross material body, he can only create disturbances for want of material satisfaction.
