Appeared in Speaking Tree on 22nd January 2013
vividly described by wide-ranging ancient scriptures, but individual experiences
of near-death events and of alternate healing techniques like past life and
spiritual regression also reinforce the existence of our spiritual being as
soul.
Our soul is the formless life force, the consciousness, that
brings alive our human form. It is also our true essence, our eternal self. As
French philosopher Teilhard de Chardin said, “We are not human beings having a
spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human
experience.”
While many of us connect with this realism, rarely do we
reflect enough on how souls possibly operate. Every individual soul is bound by
its eternal journey to be one with the Supreme soul, the source of universal
consciousness. However, interestingly, it is only in the physical form of a
human body that the soul can progress on that journey.
Stating
simplistically, at the time of death, the individual soul leaves the human body
and reconnects with the Source. While this provides the soul a comforting
homecoming and some sense of being whole again, the soul still carries the
karmic imprint of its cumulative existence across various lives. The soul’s
recognition of its karmic imperfections and its motivation to continue to purify
itself, in line with its eternal goal, leads to its need for
rebirth.
Among other possibilities, the soul eventually takes birth in a
new body on earth. It is important to emphasise here that every such birth has a
special significance and purpose for the soul – the specific aspects of its
karmic imprint that it wishes to neutralise and thereby progress in its eternal
journey towards merging with the Source.
However, human life throws up
interesting challenges to the soul. The strength of the human brain, coupled
with the powerful experience of physical senses, often makes the soul lose track
of its original objectives of reincarnating. Egoistic desires, sensual pleasures
and materialistic pursuits consume us. In the process, we forget our deeper
purpose of being on this planet.
This is a kind of spiritual amnesia –
loss of memory of the soul when overpowered by the physical form. The less
advanced the soul is in its eternal journey, perhaps the greater is its
propensity to be forgetful in the physical form.
Our recurring sources
of suffering, whether physical, mental or emotional, are invariably clues for
personal spiritual lessons we need to learn in this lifetime. Ask yourself if
you need to be more patient, accepting or grateful; or be less judgemental,
aggressive or fearful. Do you need to make extra effort to cultivate equanimity
or compassion?
Each of us has a unique and special purpose for being
here. However, we need to slow down from our fast-paced life to discover that
personal purpose. We need to create moments of quiet solitude to connect with
our inner self; practice meditation to recognise our true nature; and listen to
the voice of wisdom that resides within each of us, so we can recollect our core
purpose.
Once we can identify that purpose and commit to living it, we
start to experience greater inner strength, peace and happiness. Aligning our
life to our soul’s purpose makes the human journey effortless and vastly more
meaningful. It also helps the soul progress on its own eternal journey towards
becoming one with the Source.