How is it that the soul is separated from the material body? The atma, the eternal spirit soul never actually comes in contact with matter. So how is it that this spiritual element, this anti-material particle, as Srila Prabhupada, how is it that this spiritual element, the soul is surrounded by matter, stuck in the middle of a material body?

It is not aware of how the soul is giving energy to the material body. The actual energy is coming from the soul, how is it working? The soul is actually spreading its energy of consciousness throughout the material body like a light source.

A light bulb is situated in one place, screwed into the socket, mounted on the wall, yet it is spreading it’s light throughout the room from that one place.

Or a magnet – if you put a magnet, you put a board on top of a magnet and put iron filings on top of the board, a thin board and if you move the magnet below the board, the iron filings above the board separating the filings from the magnet, those filings will begin to move, along with the movement of the magnet; although the magnet is not directly contacting the filings. But because of the power of the magnet, it still acts on the iron filings and makes them move on top of the board.

Similarly, in reality the spirit soul, the atma, has no direct contact with the material body. But it has ability to spread its energy of consciousness throughout the life airs.

mamai vamso jiva loke jiva bhuta sanatana

The individual soul is an amsa, a part and parcel of the Supreme Lord Krsna. The living entity is perfect in one sense, but he is not really perfect until he is connected with the Lord. That is the meaning of ‘living entity is a part of the Lord’

A part is useless without connection with the whole. Like a screw is part of the machine, as Srila Prabhupada often said. If it becomes loose and falls on the floor then it becomes useless, although it is existing on the floor, it is separate from the machine. When it is reconnected to the machine then it has usefulness.

So that Bhagvad-gita sloka - mamai vamso jiva loke jiva bhuta sanatana - means the living entity is part and parcel of God.

Unless the amsa, atma, jiva is united with the amsi, Bhagavan, it will not be complete. Aham brahmasmi… Jivera svarupa haya krsnera nitya das