Jahnu
2020-07-27 04:02:01 UTC
The very phenomenon of being alive is an experience of the soul. A
thoughtful person will ask - why am I alive? What is the symptom of a
soul, and how can I know the presence of soul?
Many people maintain that there is no soul, that the experience of
being alive can be attributed to chemical reactions in the brain. But
that is a relatively new idea, that was basically introduced by modern
science. Since the beginning of time, all cultures of the world have
been talking about a soul.
So its a matter of choice. We can choose to believe in science, that
there is no soul, or we can choose to believe in what people have
always believed in - the immortal soul. Personally, I find that choice
a no-brainer.
Consciousness is the symptom of the soul. Whenever we see a living
entity we should identify a soul rather than a body.
"The soul is atomic in size and can be perceived by perfect
intelligence. This atomic soul is floating in the five kinds of air
[prana, apana, vyana, samana and udana]. The soul is situated within
the heart, and it spreads its influence all over the body of the
embodied living entities. When the soul is purified from the
contamination of the five kinds of material air, its spiritual
influence is exhibited." -- Mundaka Upanishad, 3.1.9
People usually identify themselves with their body and its culture,
and that false identification of oneself is due to ignorance of the
real self. So our real identity is as souls, and in Bhagavad Gita, God
offers a brilliant argument to help us realize our identity as souls,
different from the body and mind
Krishna says:
As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood
to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at
death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change. (Bg. 2.13)
What Krishna is saying here, is that the body changes from childhood,
to youth, to old age. But the self, or the I within, remains the
same. One's mind and intelligence change, certainly. One's thoughts,
feelings and convictions change as time progresses. But it is the same
inner observer who experiences these changes. The I-feeling remains
constant.
So, despite the alterations of matter in the body and mind, we remain
the same observer. And that is the eternal soul.
It is the same person, or soul, who sits in a child's body, as the one
sitting in the old man's body. The person didn't change, its always
the same me.
The persons thoughts and feelings and intelligence change, but it is
the same self experiencing those changes. In this way anyone can
experience their own real self.
The soul, or the self, belongs to Gods marginal energy. That the soul
is marginal, means it will be controlled either by spirit or matter.
It will be controlled either by God, or by the body and its culture.
The choice we have is whether we want to be controlled by matter, or
by God.
When one's choice is motivated by the desire to become free from the
false ego, free from bodily identification, then one begins his
spiritual journey back home, back to Godhead.
As long as we think we can become happy in a material body, we are in
illusion, and the minute we realize we are not this body, and that the
happiness of the body is ephemeral and without substance, we can
achieve real happiness - the happiness of the soul.
Krishna says:
A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires -- that
enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled but is
always still -- can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives
to satisfy such desires. --Bg 2.70
thoughtful person will ask - why am I alive? What is the symptom of a
soul, and how can I know the presence of soul?
Many people maintain that there is no soul, that the experience of
being alive can be attributed to chemical reactions in the brain. But
that is a relatively new idea, that was basically introduced by modern
science. Since the beginning of time, all cultures of the world have
been talking about a soul.
So its a matter of choice. We can choose to believe in science, that
there is no soul, or we can choose to believe in what people have
always believed in - the immortal soul. Personally, I find that choice
a no-brainer.
Consciousness is the symptom of the soul. Whenever we see a living
entity we should identify a soul rather than a body.
"The soul is atomic in size and can be perceived by perfect
intelligence. This atomic soul is floating in the five kinds of air
[prana, apana, vyana, samana and udana]. The soul is situated within
the heart, and it spreads its influence all over the body of the
embodied living entities. When the soul is purified from the
contamination of the five kinds of material air, its spiritual
influence is exhibited." -- Mundaka Upanishad, 3.1.9
People usually identify themselves with their body and its culture,
and that false identification of oneself is due to ignorance of the
real self. So our real identity is as souls, and in Bhagavad Gita, God
offers a brilliant argument to help us realize our identity as souls,
different from the body and mind
Krishna says:
As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood
to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at
death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change. (Bg. 2.13)
What Krishna is saying here, is that the body changes from childhood,
to youth, to old age. But the self, or the I within, remains the
same. One's mind and intelligence change, certainly. One's thoughts,
feelings and convictions change as time progresses. But it is the same
inner observer who experiences these changes. The I-feeling remains
constant.
So, despite the alterations of matter in the body and mind, we remain
the same observer. And that is the eternal soul.
It is the same person, or soul, who sits in a child's body, as the one
sitting in the old man's body. The person didn't change, its always
the same me.
The persons thoughts and feelings and intelligence change, but it is
the same self experiencing those changes. In this way anyone can
experience their own real self.
The soul, or the self, belongs to Gods marginal energy. That the soul
is marginal, means it will be controlled either by spirit or matter.
It will be controlled either by God, or by the body and its culture.
The choice we have is whether we want to be controlled by matter, or
by God.
When one's choice is motivated by the desire to become free from the
false ego, free from bodily identification, then one begins his
spiritual journey back home, back to Godhead.
As long as we think we can become happy in a material body, we are in
illusion, and the minute we realize we are not this body, and that the
happiness of the body is ephemeral and without substance, we can
achieve real happiness - the happiness of the soul.
Krishna says:
A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires -- that
enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled but is
always still -- can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives
to satisfy such desires. --Bg 2.70