So the question asked is: The answer is none other than our soul. We have already pointed out that without the soul man’s body is nothing but a stinking corpse. There is no question of love and affection existing in a corpse that is totally inert. It is the soul’s subtle power that controls man’s mind, vital force (Prana) and physical body. The moment the contact between the soul and the above 3 becomes imbalanced or weakened all our bodily activities too get disarrayed. An otherwise healthy and balanced body is now rendered weak and imbalanced. The vital force weakens a great deal and the mind becomes imbalanced and lunatic.
Under such fearful circumstances no individual of the world can love another individual nor harbor any goodwill towards anybody. Thus it is man’s own soul who is his true friend, relative and benefactor. The onus lies on man himself that he augments his character for the better and thus augments the value of his presence in society. It is most required that man turns to his beloved soul for joy, happiness and creativity. Man should search for joy, peace etc on an eternal basis in his very soul.
Joy does not lie in an individual’s body, sense objects etc. True joy rests in ones own soul. All the objects of the world are inert and lifeless. By themselves they cannot give joy or sorrow to anyone. We experience joy and sorrow only when our soul contacts objects or individuals. When this soul contact is snapped we neither experience pain or pleasure. It is our soul that influences objects etc so as to make them desirable or otherwise. Without this soul’s influence all material objects are insipid and lifeless. Inertness renders objects ugly and unwanted.
The more one’s soul gets attached to a person, object etc the more the latter become dear to us and the lesser the attachment of the soul the more one detests them. Bliss is related to ones sole only and not to any object etc. Thus love your soul and make it radiant and attractive. With this radiant soul one can contact the world of material objects and beings without undergoing bondage. Our soul is the centre of knowledge and wisdom. It is the foundation stone of bliss and peace. The seed of prosperity and all round progress lies hidden in it. It is the very substratum of heaven and salvation. The proverbial wish fulfilling tree (Kalpa Vriksha) grows not outside but it does so in our own very soul. Everything exists in the soul and the soul is the be all and end all of everything. One should meditate and worship the soul because it is the infinite store house of peace, prosperity and eternal bliss. He who masters his soul, masters the external world too. He who has seen his soul has seen all that needs to be seen. He who attains the soul has definitely attained all that requires to be attained. This is because the soul abounds in joy, peace and eternal infinite bliss.
It is sheer stupidity on our part to search for eternal joy in external material pursuits when the fact remains that true joy lies within i.e. in our very soul. Inert objects can neither give joy nor sorrow. If one analyzes this observation more closely it becomes clear that it is more prudent to search for joy within ones soul and not go astray like that deer which runs after an illusory dessert mirage in order to quench its thirst. Maya is nothing but our spiritual ignorance which erroneously induces human beings to focus on gross material aspects of the world. Such ignorant men do not make efforts to make a deeper and subtle analysis of life and this material world and thus they run miles away from true reality. Great seers of ancient India called Rishis have pointed towards eternal peace and happiness by saying: The light of research should be turned inwards (soul). The famous Western philosopher Carlisle too proclaims: Turn the search light inwards.
No force of attraction exists in objects or individuals. When our soul experiences oneness with them they appear dear to us. We all are attached to some special set of people and objects. But the moment we succeed in attaining them our attraction for them starts depleting. If for some reason our attachment towards these objects/individuals diminishes we feel a sense of aversion to them in spite of the fact that very recently they were very dear to us. The object/individual is the same yet for some time they are dear to us and later they fail to attract us any more. The reason for this is very clear; our attachment at the mental level towards these objects has diminished.
If we succeed in deeply imbibing this precept we can continue our attraction for people/objects for a long time span by remaining attached to them. But the idea is to enlarge our attachment to a wider range of objects/individuals of the world and ultimately a day will dawn when every pore of the cosmos will be dear to us eternally without exceptions. Despite being aware of this great spiritual truth people feign ignorance. In order to search for joy they run amuck after a few individuals and objects. If only one renounces this illusory mirage one can manifest oneness with the entire world and thus enjoy untold eternal bliss and peace.
Generally one experiences grief and pain when one is separated from ones beloved people/objects. If one truly realizes that separation is bound to follow union just as death follows birth one will always be mentally prepared for separation at any point in time. When we inhale air we know that the very next moment it will be exhaled and thus our breathing activities continue smoothly and uninterruptedly. When we inhale there is no joy and when we exhale there is no grief. One dies and the other is born. Birth in any household is strongly related to the grief of death. It is only when one businessman incurs losses that another makes profits. If we mentally imbibe the fact that just like darkness-light, day-night, heat-cold etc separation follows union and that losses follow gain one will neither experience too much joy or sorrow in the realms of attachment/aversion and loss/gain in ones daily life. Our spiritual ignorance is that culprit which induces intense pleasure when we like something and intense hatred when we dislike something. Thus like pendulums or waves in the ocean we arise to great heights and then dash on to the ground with the same intensity. This is the root cause of our transient joys and grief which lead to emotional and mental stress. If only our thinking which is ensnared by spiritual ignorance is freed from the latter’s shackles and if only man deeply understands the relentless cosmic cycle of birth, death, creation, destruction etc he can become mentally serene, poised and contented on an eternal basis. In a flash this divine mental state can give us heavenly bliss and joy. It is the virus called spiritual ignorance or Maya that deludes our psyche and thus like children seated on a seashore we foolishly clap our hands in joy when waves arise to great heights and lament when they dash down with a bang on to the shore.
Nature has covered a bag of urine and feces with an attractive wrapper called the human body so that this foul smelling bag does not spread its stench everywhere. People are mesmerized with this attractive covering along with its youth. The eternal thirst for beauty can be easily satiated right from an enchanting flower to the innocence of a child but our distorted minds full of lewd lust agitates every male and female. Thus they end up doing things which they should totally refrain from doing. Slight scratching of the lowly urinary area can induce human beings to carry out undesirable lustful acts. If only the veil of illusion called Maya had been lifted from our psyche all our lustful thinking could be destroyed. Such a person overcomes all attachment and attraction for this transient body and instead the ever radiant soul full of bliss and serenity would have manifested in his/her bosom. Lewd lust could have been replaced by sacred divine love for all. Such sacred hearted couples could then have jointly showered this all encompassing love for world welfare and well being. Today’s hell like married life based solely on physical attractions could have been made more sacred and all encompassing. Households with the pillars of sacred ideals and human values could have then made the entire earth heavenly and divine. It is the witch called spiritual ignorance which mesmerizes our senses to mere physical attractions and consequently we lose the paradise of eternal soul bliss and peace.
If only man understands his true nature, goal of life and righteous duty his thinking and endeavor can become outstanding both materially and spiritually. Such a person is none other than God Himself because even the dust of his feet spreads the fragrance of sanctity in all directions of the world. But alas! The veil of ignorance in his mind has made a beast of him and he does not think twice while indulging in unethical lowly acts. It is ignorance that makes our life a living hell and thus we hear wails of anguish and grief just about everywhere.
Our perception and visualization of the material world is based on prejudiced deluding beliefs along with the information given by our sense organs, mind and brain. If once and for all we accept this basis as irrational and inapplicable and instead start scientifically analyzing our true nature and our relationship with the world of animate and inanimate beings the reality that will emerge will be totally in tandem with Vedanta philosophy expounded in Vedic scriptures.
Just as we wake up at dawn and sleep at night in the same way at a macro level the cycles of birth and death occur. The sun rises and sets everyday. Our life starts and ends for a particular time span. Just as one day of our life ends and another day commences the following day so too one entire life span of our ends one day (death) and another life span commences (birth). For this there should be no sorrow or fear. If we always maintain this awareness we can truly glorify our lives and live without constant fear and stress that nags us all day in and day out. If in order to make our future bright we have to undergo certain trying times in the present no one will abhor it because the law ‘this moment too shall pass’ will definitely take its course. A wise man will never carry out unwholesome actions which no doubt gives him temporary pleasure but which in the long run will give him nothing but strife and agony. If we remain constantly aware of the transient nature of both happy and sorrowful circumstances all our mental taints like greed, avarice, lust etc would come to a grinding halt. With the result such a pure minded person will make apt use of objects and circumstances he faces with the intention of working hard not only for his own material and spiritual advancement but that of world humanity too.
Man erroneously thinks that his present life is the ultimate life and hence fritters it away by eating, drinking and procreating. Thus his future becomes bleak and dire. Instead if man learns to look upon each birth of his amongst infinite other incarnations akin to 1 day of his life he would work as hard as a college student or a farmer in his field so as to render his future bright and radiant. He will look upon all hardships he has to undergo due to the fruits of his past actions spanning over millions of lives as very light like a blade of grass. Alas! Does man ever imbibe this attitude so as to avail its benefits? It is spiritual ignorance of his psyche that makes him think his present life to be the one and ultimate life. Such erroneous thinking induces man to act undesirably and thus he accrues sins. In order to overcome this flaw the veil of ignorance in our psyche must be destroyed in totality we will give up childish attitude of ‘eat, drink and be merry’ and instead imbibe mature ways if living ones precious human life.
All of us are living our lives like travelers living in rest houses, hotels, motels etc. We individuals of the world gather together like blades of grass flowing in a huge river. Hence it is most required that we observe the rules and disciplines of rest houses, hotels etc. Let us all learn to carry out our duties selflessly like cogs in a wheel. This will help us overcome the spiritual ignorance of our psyche which erroneously induces to like certain people by saying ‘mine’ and hating the rest by saying ‘not mine’. The right perception is ‘all of us belong to God’ and that God is our ultimate benefactor. Every human being is rotating on his/her axis by being tied to it with the rope of his/her Karma (actions). It is cosmic time that unites people for sometime only to separate them later. If we truly imbibe this fact we will refrain from getting mentally attached like glues to objects and individuals and thus bondage will run miles away from us. We must learn the spiritual art of relating ourselves to all individuals and objects of the world in a cosmic and all pervasive manner. When we attach ourselves to a few individuals like say our family members our psyche gets deluded and hence we will stoop to any level so as to satisfy their lowly desires. There are households who are used to feeding their members by availing free ration etc distributed by governments and other agencies. It is perfectly alright to take free ration in times of hardships but the problem is this becomes an unwholesome habit. Thus these people instead of making apt use of their intellect and hard work live lives of beggary and indolence. Forget working for world welfare such people cannot even uplift themselves either materially or spiritually. All these are the dire fruits of Maya or ignorance that binds us painfully to illusion. Thus the true goal of life which is first the material and spiritual advancement of an individual and then such a person contributing towards world welfare eludes us like the proverbial mirage in a dessert.
Material pleasures have been created so that we make the most apt use of them and thus not only uplift ourselves both within and without but the entire world at large too. Material means lie in the realm of an inert material world and they keep changing their color and form so as add beauty to the world. Where we err is that we wish to possess these inert objects and thus our ego becomes fat and bloated. We will definitely enter the portals of hell and downfall if we insist on bloating our illusory egos, satisfying unholy desires etc. Thus we can lead only selfish and narrow minded lives and fritter away this precious human life meant for higher material and spiritual goals.
It is certainly not wise or farsightedness on our part to look upon this illusory ego ‘I’ and our mind as the be all and end all of life’s potential. This is because our true ‘I’ is an unlimited ocean of divine cosmic consciousness which in daily parlance is called God by us all. If we divert our efforts in the direction of attaining this cosmic divine consciousness instead of running after transient material pursuits devoid of spiritual values, we can attain those divine glories which have been attained by saints, sages, great men, leaders etc all over the world right since time immemorial. It is amazing to see people give up great spiritual gains by immersing themselves in unholy acts for some transient pleasures. Such unholy acts definitely reap fruits of pain and sorrow in future. A wise person will never stoop low for the sake of some fleeting pleasures that ultimately pave the way for his long term downfall both materially and spiritually. It is the play of Maya or spiritual ignorance that induces us to execute unwanted acts for short term so called gains. Just as one mistakes land for water so too man mistakes loss for profits. It is like attacking ones own feet with an axe.
Man is so hypnotized by spiritual ignorance and mental taints that he himself creates his overall downfall in life. Thus he swims in his self created ocean of sorrow and grief. If instead man makes optimum use of 3 mediums available viz. 1) soul 2) mind/psyche and 3) 5 sense organs he not only can uplift himself but can also like a cog in a wheel contribute to world welfare, peace and prosperity. Our sense organs have been designed so wonderfully that in ordinary daily chores one experiences extraordinary ease. It is natural that we eat food to fill our bellies. The Almighty Lord is so great that he has designed our body in such a manner so as to perform our daily chores naturally with ease. By eating healthy food our soul finds contentment and peace.
The function of our eyes is to see external objects and beings for smooth functioning of our lives. Hence our eyes are so amazingly designed that our soul exudes bliss and joy on seeing beauty, grandeur etc in the world. The world undergoes the cycles of creation, propagation and destruction since eons together. In the middle stage everything is youthful/new and beautiful to look at. Be it man, bird, flower etc all have to undergo birth, growth and death. The middle phase appears beautiful. In reality all these 3 stages are beautiful in their own way. Despite this our eyes categorize these stages as desirable or otherwise. Thus whatever is in the growing stage appears desirable to us all. From the absolute standpoint nothing like ‘beautiful’ and ‘ugly’ exists but it is our amazing eyesight that categorizes certain objects, scenes etc as beautiful and radiant so as to manifest joy and peace in our soul.
The same holds true for our genital organ functioning. Procreation is carried out even by mosquitoes, birds, worms etc. This is the natural straightforward function of the world and yet the human genital organs are imbued with so much ecstasy that not only during sexual intercourse but the mere thought of it excites our psyche no end. From the absolute standpoint all this is illusory and non-existent. What is so extraordinary for one human body to touch another body? What is the wonder in this? What does one gain from it? We can understand that actual touch sensation excites us but the important question is why mere imaginations of this touch sensation titillate our senses and psyche? The fact of the matter is that these emotions exist relatively but not from the absolute standpoint. This is because our genitals have been designed in such a way that physical contact between man and woman or either a mental visualization of it evokes excitement in our psyche. Thus our otherwise listless life experiences ecstasy and joy.
In the above paragraphs we discussed the tongue, eyes and genitals. The same can be applied to our ears and nose. We have been given eyes, ears etc so that our lives are filled with joy, zest etc. Without these sense organs our life becomes insipid and dry. The idea is to make apt and optimum use of these sense organs so that both our material and spiritual lives are enlivened and made radiant.