When I was very young I looked out through my eyes and looked at other people. I wondered if they too looked out through their eyes as I did, or was I the only one?
I would walk past a mirror and I would be surprised at the image. More and more I felt I was the person inside this body looking out through these eyes.
Now I know this to be true.
It’s not the best analogy but we are like a person inside and in charge of a large robot. We have a skeleton as a structural framework to which are attached muscles to move our arms and legs like levers. We have senses that send us feedback on what it’s like on the outside. We have lenses we can look through to see what’s going on and audio receivers to hear. Also we have a computer, the brain, so everything functions in unison, and the mind which is a memory chip. We have been inside this robot for so long we start to believe we ARE the robot, not the controller, the driver.
The Bhagavad Gita [2:17-18] describes our real identity very clearly:
“Know that which pervades the entire body is indestructible. No one is able to destroy the imperishable self. Only the material body of the indestructible, immeasurable, and eternal living entity is subject to destruction.”
Meditating as follows will help us appreciate who we really are:
Aham brahmasmi (I am spirit, I am not matter).
I am not the body.
I am not the mind.
I am the eternal spirit soul, the eternal spark of God.
I am only temporarily in this material body.
The body is temporary, I am eternal.
Aham brahmasmi (I am spirit, I am not matter).
Thank You and Namaste
(I welcome and encourage comments and questions on all blogs).
Thank you so much for sharing your story and life’s journey with us, Chaitanya Das. And for your words of wisdom. When I worked in palliative care it was so clear to me that at the time of death the person/soul was leaving the body, a body was left there but the real self had continued on their eternal journey. My best wishes for you and your family.
Thank you Karen. Our best wishes to you also, I hope we can catch up next time you are visiting our area. Namaste.
I love how you voice these feelings I think we all have but don’t often talk about, such an honest and eye opening read.
thank you!