Essay On Soul

‘Soul’ is consciousness. Soul is the vision in eyes, strength in muscle, intelligence in mind, feeling in heart and so on. Soul can be of a particle or wave or another intangible form. The basic nature of soul is curiosity- to learn, to know. If you feel conscious of something, then your soul is in action. An intangible form of soul is that which cannot be seen, only felt. Probably, it is a ‘force’ or ‘energy’, which is not tangible but still exists and is real. The soul feels the joys, pains, anger, compassion, love, hatred etc. The true sense beyond all physical senses is the soul. The temporary state of the soul is that what it behaves in the material world. The whole universe is built on the bonds that connect the individual souls. Thus, universe is a collective state of consciousness and a hence a collective soul. Humans lead their lives based on instincts and intelligence. This intelligence is the soul of the human mind. I get back to one of my favorite conclusions that ‘mind’ is the best and most important part of human activity. All essence of human activity is to attain knowledge. How and when to attain the knowledge is the main challenge of human life. Every person must have experienced that before being related to others, like a son/daughter, a mother/father, a brother/sister etc., he/she identifies himself/herself as a person, an I. This I is the soul. The ego, the ‘self-fullness’ is the soul. The characteristic of the soul is to love it’s own self naturally. It also develops interest in some other souls that it has the knowledge of and ultimately gets attracted to something far beyond the individual souls. That which is beyond the individual souls and their interrelations is the most positive source of energy and most powerful force. Although the individual soul does not completely understand the true nature of this enormous source of energy, the Supreme soul, while it is still in this material world, it somehow develops a natural affinity and is deeply attracted by the later. This Supreme soul has all the characteristics of an individual soul. But the converse is not true. The relationship of an individual soul with the Supreme soul is the most strongest and desirable relationship as far as the forces of nature and the universe are concerned.

A soul which often gets drifted away from the Supreme soul loses its primary knowledge and thus, starts learning at the earliest possible moment i.e., taking birth. During this process of conception into material form of life, it struggles with other souls and finally enters the materialistic human body in the process of germination. While in the womb, it starts experiencing pain and fear and often wants to get back to the Supreme soul. But once the soul has been into this world, it has to go through certain pre-determined path, all the effects being associated with causes in the past. This is the only law of nature in the material world: the law of Karma. All else is either a stipulated version or derived form of this basic law. Very few souls realize that there is a destiny to reach and there in fact is an ultimate climax. The soul goes through numerous births and deaths and in each life gains knowledge. Only that knowledge will it retain, which is related to the Supreme soul and the cosmic energy. When the soul takes a fresh (human) birth, it begins to gain knowledge in some form or the other. But it cannot know the facts clearly and thus it develops doubts. These doubts may be in the form of innocence, ignorance, skepticism, criticism or disbelief. What the soul then needs is an Awakening. The awakening is possible only when the soul cultivates some prescribed qualities in life. Devotion, prayer, seeking-truth, having compassion are some of these qualities, rather virtues. How does the soul get its awakening? When does the call come?

It so happens that, there is a major encounter of the human soul with situations that set it thinking and change the whole pattern of life. (That is, all the learning that has been done and all the knowledge that’s gained is demanded by the circumstances to put into use). This is a way of getting awakened, another follows: I am not sure of this but I had a past belief in it so I write it here: A soul may meet another soul of greater knowledge, which can guide it through the process of realizing the destiny. This greater soul is what is called the Guru.
The timing of awakening depends on the karma of the soul. Some conscious souls, already in the know of the abstract principles, await their hour of awakening. The awakening will clear all doubts and put an end to all conflicts and expose the truth to the soul. Once the soul realizes the truth, it proceeds forward, on its journey to the end of its destiny. Once a soul is free from karma, then it is free from all rebirths. Then it reaches the Ultimate. What the Ultimate is? How is it perceived? All this and more would only be answered if the soul realizes the truth. The process of awakening is the threshold limit, crossing which the soul becomes omniscient and gains all the knowledge and realizes the truth.

The whole purpose of human life is to reach the ultimate, through the route of attaining knowledge and acting according to the principles and finally shaping the destiny in such a way as to put an end to all miseries and mundane unfulfilled desires.

(I believe I wrote this in all my senses. However, as usual I doubt my sanity. I need to be awakened yet).

(Finished on 11/ 03/04)

P. Siddartha