Chapter II, Hinduism, Coming of Age in the Universe, Summary and Analysis

To the Hindu the spirit does not depend upon the body any more than the body depends on the clothes it wears. The spirit is eternal and changes its habitation when it outgrows an old one. Once residing in the human form, however, the soul ceases its "automatic" growth and the law of karma comes into effect. This idea implies a completely moral universe that requires individual moral responsibility and denies the concept of lucky breaks. Tiring of the mundane, the soul craves a higher stratum of existence when the novelty of daily human pursuits wears thin. This is accompanied by the idea that the soul is never truly alone but is around the nucleus of the Atman, the God within.