I often wonder as to how many people really contemplate upon the reason of their existence in this world? How did we come into this world, what really happens to us after we die, and further, what regulates our life as living creatures ? There were so many such unanswered questions which used to run in my mind. I now finally feel complacent by realising that the answer to all my questions lies in my belief in the existence of “soul” in all living creatures.
Most often, all of us may believe in the soul, but many of us really wonder if the soul and body are the same. In reality, the soul is different from the body, in fact they are two distinct entities. Without the soul, there is no life. Everything that is alive including plants and animals have a soul. There is absolutely no difference between the soul of a human being, plant or an animal. The only difference really lies in the type of body that soul is in. The soul is eternal, and may go through billions of bodies. **
Now having said this, we must understand as to what is the function and attributes of each one of them. The nature of the soul is to know and see, it does not have any shape, size and structure. It is invisible and a sentient being. However, the body is made of non-soul elements that have defined shapes and sizes. Matter and all others are non-soul objects. Further, once we realise this fact, we can go a step further and conclude that a soul, which is a living being never transforms into a non-living being and a non-soul entity will never transform into a soul.
In this mundane world, this relation between the soul and body can be compared with that of water and milk, both of which though being blended with each other are yet, distinct and separate.
In fact, this difference between body and the soul can be well understood through the phenomenon of death. What happens when a human being or an animal dies? What is the difference between the body of a living being and a corpse? Well, after death, the body gets rid of the soul. The soul though does not die, it just takes a new birth in another body. Each soul constantly passes through countless such birth and death cycles unless it gets liberated. However, the body which is matter gets destroyed, deteriorated and dies, and hence, often burnt into ashes.
The famous Greek philosopher, Plato reaffirmed the existence of the soul that exists separately from the body. Plato’s famous student and philosopher, Aristotle also believed that although the soul is not a material object, the soul does not exist without a body and yet is not itself a kind of body.
So once we accept this truth, what should we really strive for?
Well , the physical body is just a container of flesh, blood and muck, bones and fats . It is an impure and a highly repulsive object. We may improve its external appearances by using the most expensive and well-researched products, which may make us look good from outside but even after infinite attempts to clean it all our life, it will remain impure. To make any attempt to purify it is worthless. Purity is within our soul and hence can be enhanced by our virtues. Therefore, by indulging in passions, sexual pleasures and anger, we make our soul impure, as these destroy the purity of our soul. Even while staying in the impure body, we must not forget the pure nature of our soul.
I am now in a position to now answer my basic question: Who am I? Different from body, mind, speech, delusion, attachment and aversion, ‘I’ am an everlasting, pure, eternally conscious being having perfect bliss and sentience, which is never changing.
'I' am an eternal indestructible element existing in all the three divisions of time i.e. past, present and future.
"Who am I ?" is indeed a matter of our awareness, and the answer to this question has to be received from our own inner realisation. It cannot be expressed in words or writings. Words and writings can only make indications about this supreme being, i.e the soul. They can point towards the direction, but cannot bring about its modification.
** This is also explained in detail in Jainism literature.
Now having said this, we must understand as to what is the function and attributes of each one of them. The nature of the soul is to know and see, it does not have any shape, size and structure. It is invisible and a sentient being. However, the body is made of non-soul elements that have defined shapes and sizes. Matter and all others are non-soul objects. Further, once we realise this fact, we can go a step further and conclude that a soul, which is a living being never transforms into a non-living being and a non-soul entity will never transform into a soul.
In this mundane world, this relation between the soul and body can be compared with that of water and milk, both of which though being blended with each other are yet, distinct and separate.
In fact, this difference between body and the soul can be well understood through the phenomenon of death. What happens when a human being or an animal dies? What is the difference between the body of a living being and a corpse? Well, after death, the body gets rid of the soul. The soul though does not die, it just takes a new birth in another body. Each soul constantly passes through countless such birth and death cycles unless it gets liberated. However, the body which is matter gets destroyed, deteriorated and dies, and hence, often burnt into ashes.
The famous Greek philosopher, Plato reaffirmed the existence of the soul that exists separately from the body. Plato’s famous student and philosopher, Aristotle also believed that although the soul is not a material object, the soul does not exist without a body and yet is not itself a kind of body.
So once we accept this truth, what should we really strive for?
Well , the physical body is just a container of flesh, blood and muck, bones and fats . It is an impure and a highly repulsive object. We may improve its external appearances by using the most expensive and well-researched products, which may make us look good from outside but even after infinite attempts to clean it all our life, it will remain impure. To make any attempt to purify it is worthless. Purity is within our soul and hence can be enhanced by our virtues. Therefore, by indulging in passions, sexual pleasures and anger, we make our soul impure, as these destroy the purity of our soul. Even while staying in the impure body, we must not forget the pure nature of our soul.
I am now in a position to now answer my basic question: Who am I? Different from body, mind, speech, delusion, attachment and aversion, ‘I’ am an everlasting, pure, eternally conscious being having perfect bliss and sentience, which is never changing.
'I' am an eternal indestructible element existing in all the three divisions of time i.e. past, present and future.
"Who am I ?" is indeed a matter of our awareness, and the answer to this question has to be received from our own inner realisation. It cannot be expressed in words or writings. Words and writings can only make indications about this supreme being, i.e the soul. They can point towards the direction, but cannot bring about its modification.
** This is also explained in detail in Jainism literature.
see...this is d fact..~~
ReplyDeletebut stil... in our entire Life..
there are sum Questions.. which we feel like solving them up..''
but still... due to some reasons we never reach the stage of striving the Answers of those immortal questions..
I guesss.. above mentioned are Few Of them..
its Good.. if u atleast reach to certain extent for attaining the reality ..~~
mmmh..!!
Well, I believe that if you really believe in exploring your inner self, you will get the answers to all your so-called immortal questions... But to reach down to that stage, first you should have faith in the whole ideaology, once you develop that the answers would evolve from your inner self, and you probably would not have to read blogs like these ;)
ReplyDeletePlease clarify-
ReplyDelete"By indulging in passions, sexual pleasures and anger, we make our soul impure, as these destroy the purity of our soul."
How only these deeds makes a Soul Impure? Or How does a soul's spiritual or rather purity level changes?
And does the following sentence contradict it?
"I’ am an everlasting, pure, eternally conscious being having perfect bliss and sentience, which is never changing."
Dear Vineet,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the question put forth by you as they indeed appear contradictory statements on a prima facie reading. But if you contemplate upon it, the fact is that to understand the true and pure nature of the soul, you have to get above all your passions, anger, pleasure, etc. So in reality though the nature of the soul never changes, it remains constant, but we fail to realise the same by indulging in the aforesiad things.