It is now becoming something of a cliché in various circles of modern life — from religion to psychology to holistic medicine — to use the phrase “body-mind-soul” or “body-mind-spirit” when referring to our totality as a human being. However, in most cases, people have only a superficial understanding of these words and no concrete idea of their true nature. It is often said that the real self is behind the mind or intellect. It is also said that we can experience and know the self when we go beyond the mind, which is like a sheath of the soul. Seers, philosophers, and common people have often wondered about the nature of the soul, its origin, and its qualities. A lot of people say that the soul is an all-pervading universal consciousness and is everywhere.
There are some who say that the soul is part of the universal consciousness; however, they do not ascribe any form or identity to the soul and believe that it is a form of energy that is present everywhere. Then some believe that the spirit is the manifestation of God or God Himself. They say that the soul and God are one and there is no distinction between the two. The proponents of Advaita philosophy say that souls are part of God or the Supreme Consciousness.
Hence, they say, souls are immune to the effect of actions — that is, they do not get corrupted by bad actions and remain ever pure like God — and it is the body that bears the brunt of sinful actions.
There is a belief that souls go through rebirths. Great souls like prophets, saints, and holy men are believed to have come on earth to spread the good word and do good actions. Many of them spent their lives in lifelong penance, meditation, and spiritual practices, after which they are said to have attained permanent liberation or Nirvana. There are also souls who are believed to have ascended to higher realms and are said to be guiding their followers from there. According to the true spiritual wisdom revealed by the Incorporeal Supreme Soul, all human souls are His children. They are distinct from Him, and each one is unique and distinct. Thus, it must be understood that souls are not God, but they have godly qualities.
They are sentient and conscient self-luminous star-like entities that have the power to think, choose, feel, discern, and act through sense organs. However, they can express and experience only when they are in human bodies. It must also be understood that all souls reside in the soul world, which is a world far beyond this physical universe — a world of absoluteness and permanence where there is no limitation of matter, time, and space. In that dimension, all souls exist in their eternal form of light and are free and pure. They go through their journey on earth, passing through different stages of purity.
Now we are all at the end of the Iron Age (Kaliyuga), when all souls have become vicious and have forgotten their true identity, and because of body consciousness, they have lost their power and become prone to vices. Souls now have a chance to get enlightened and liberated from all bondages and vices because the Supreme Almighty Himself is imparting the wisdom and power to help us. He is guiding us with His love and blessings to our original pure stage and changing this vicious world into a virtuous one. But for that, we need to become soul-conscious and get rid of all kinds of bondages related to our body. This is the easiest way to self-realisation and liberation.
The writer is a spiritual educator and popular columnist
