What is Soul

Many of us have heard the word “Soul” or “Spirit” probably many a time in life.
I am sure that we have either embraced or ignored it. The reason being, either we understand it or do not know even know what it is.
Especially in the “Age of Experiments and proofs”, it becomes quite hard for us intellectuals to understand what is Soul.
Many people ask me, “What is Soul?, How can I find it?, Where do I look for it, Do I have to pray to find it, Is it defined clearly in Bhagavad Gita, or Bible or Quran?

Well, I had a tough time to figure a way to explain it. Because Soul is something that none of us have seen.
But still we keep hearing the word Soul everywhere, including a guy like me who is so obsessed with it, that he names his blog, “Song of Soul”.

Yes, it is hard for any common man like me to know what it means. I am sure Jesus, Krishna, Prophet had a tough time to figure it too.

Let us try something here to see if we can get to understand what "Soul" is.
We all know that there are at least 2 parts that exist in us, “Body” and “Mind”. How do we know?
We all know that there is a physical part that does some functions for us that we can touch and feel, that is called ”Body”, hands, legs, fingers, face and so on.

But, How do we know that there is Mind? We cannot see it, we cannot feel it, we cannot touch it?
Good question. OK Now, slow down, stop and sit at a place. When we are not doing anything and just sitting or lying down, we are still alive, right?
There is some thing that is still going on inside us, Right? There are some things called “Thoughts” that keep running in the background and whether we want to use the mouth to speak or not, they keep rolling in the backdrop.
We also say that these silent movements in our Mind (like a background score in a movie), are in the head, inside our brain, are responsible for these thoughts. Right!

So we were able to find that there exists a Body, and when we stop the body at a place and sit, and when the body physically is not moving, we can actually observe that there is another part called “Mind” that creates thoughts.

In the similar manner, when we slow down the Mind, and the thoughts take rest, we go to a next level, and this is the 'Soul or Empty Mind'. Somewhere between the resting body and resting mind is Soul.
Wow, that was easy, Isn’t it? OK, now I will not guarantee that. You have to try and see.

Well, many people might still have doubts whether this is true or not. Whether this soul exists or not?
OK, I am still with you on this. Let’s take out this mystic word “Soul” out of the picture here.
And let’s do an experiment, a small little trick in the laboratory called “Body and Mind”.

Let’s sit at a place, close our eyes, and sit for 30minutes. And simple pay all the attention on to our breath, Just notice where the breath is going inside and how it is going outside.
Any layman can do this, anyone who is alive, Right!
Just keep doing that, and for 30min close your eyes, all your attention on your breath, how it is going in and how it is coming out. That’s It, No Other Business.
Then you will feel something, some emptiness, some silence, some calmness, something that draws you deeper and deeper, and something that keeps expanding into silence.
You can give any name to that experience; people call it Soul, Light, Spirit, God, Peace or Real Self.
This process is called “Meditation”, by the modern world, you can call it anything you want, Soul Searching, Breathing exercise, Creating Gaps between thoughts, Creating Peace, Finding Balance.
Again, please do not think that the essence of this article is to justify the so called, overly used word, Meditation.
I am not obsessed with Meditation. But I am obsessed with that experience that happens when I sit for 30 min in silence and observe the breath.
Do that process every day and you will keep experiencing the subtle feeling. Yes, you will get zillions of thoughts initially, but your duty is to just pay attention to breath, not the thoughts. Some thoughts can be very strong. But we just simply try our best to ignore them. Like some one said, "Ignorance is Bliss", that is exactly what we are trying to do.

My dear buddies, what do we do, when we are tired with our body? We put it to rest. What do we do, to rest our mind? Sit in silence like what we have done.
Can we walk every day from the time we wake up till we rest in the night? NO. We do sit some times during the day, we lie down if we get a chance. Same way what are we doing, when we have too many thoughts running in the mind. Nothing.

Well, atleast we start doing this exercise from now. Call it Meditation or Soul Searching, or whatever name you want to call, but please do close your eyes for 30minutes in the morning after waking up and 30min before going to bed in the evening.

To go into a little more complex phenomenon, and if you wish to read further, All the problems in today’s world are caused by the Mind, except for the natural calamities that are caused by the Mind of the Universe (we will not worry about that now).
But the calamities that we face, like Anger, Frustration, Depression, Loneliness, Excess Desire for anything, Attachment that is obsessive, are because of what happens with the thoughts in our mind. Too many thoughts or too much attachment to throughts creates a vicious circle and we unknowingly tend to enter into the twister of emotions. These emotions causes turbulences.

Most of the crimes and atrocities in this world happen when there are too many thoughts in the mind, and the person gets tired mentally. Overlapping of thoughts takes place, clarity of thoughts is lost. Then Man adopts some repressing way of relieving these thoughts, by use of drugs, tranquilizers, alcohol, tobacco and Some people use purging ways of eliminating these thoughts in form of revenge towards what they think is the cause of chaos in form of abuse, violence, terrorism and crimes.

Unfortunately we were taught by parents and teachers, how to rest when body is tired, but never on how to give the rest to the mind.
Parents, Teachers, and My dear friends, please make this "Experience of Silence" part of all your life styles. Give that little rest to your churning minds and thoughts.
Listen to Silent Music of your Inner Minds. You can call this Finding A Soul, or Spirit or Atma or God, Or you define your own name for that experience, you do not have to follow the crowd.
At last, it is your own inner experience. You have the right to remain silent.

Free Will

A simple law that governs this universe "Every Action has an equal and opposite reaction" - This is law of Karma. These actions might not be from this birth too, it might be from previous manifestations. So everything that happens, happened and will happen is based on that. Then people say “Then let me live with no responsibility this moment if it is all Karma”. But that is like digging another grave for the near future with our own hands, It is like shooting our own leg. Because what we do now in this moment, affects the next moment or moments after some time. Yes, what ever happens and happened was based on some previous actions, but what can happen is based on action in this moment. Simple Law of Physics, we do not need Vedanta or some spiritual jnaan for this enlightenment. Even a little kid can reflect on this. But How do we control, the choices we make now, in this moment? That is exactly where the subtle force called 'Free Will' comes into play.

Free Will is the Divine grace for humanity. That is where Mind can be beautiful or ugly. If we can use the mind to turn the Free Will into a nice handy tool, then we make life beautiful to the best extent possible. It can be Ugly if we do not use that Free Will. Beautiful, in the sense, detached to the results, and absorbed in action, living in the moment. Free will is what allows us to make choices as we keep going in life. Apart from Free will, there are other factors that keep influencing us. Many people also tend to say that when there are so many factors that are influencing us that are mysterious, then why do we need to even worry about doing anything? Well, it is almost like saying, I will put the food in my mouth, but let the destiny take care of how it has to come out.
Come on Guys and Gals, we use our free will to do our basic eating, excreting and sleeping activities. Then there is no question in saying “Why use Free Will?”
This Free will is accessible to us, within us. It is freely available. If we are not accessing the Free Will, It simple means that we are ‘Ignorant Lazy Buggers’.

Free Will becomes easily available only when we become aware of ourselves, when we can get in touch with our inner self, when we slow down and watch ourselves.
Infact "Free Will" is none other than, the "Prana" energy that is moving in and out of us. Prana forms the basis of our existence. Everything in this world moves because of Prana.

Prana does not mean just the breath, it means the life force that sustains us. It is like the fuel of a car, Not just the engine, but everything that makes the car run.
If we are not aware of the life force, it causes derailment of a Machine and Man.
Prana is out, we are out. So Prana forms the foundation. The moment focus goes onto Prana, we slowly start realizing Free Will.

We all know that Breath is very important. How much time a person spends in being aware of Prana, that quicker and faster he gets access to Free Will.
Free will is something that allows us to make balanced choices, not emotional choices. Balanced choices do not mean good or bad.
Free Will is something when we use, we make detached choices, so we do not care about the result.
That is when a Man becomes Free Spirit. See the journey, From Free will TO Free Spirit.

But how de we become aware of prana, the answer is simple and straight forward –Yoga and Meditation.
Slowing down and being aware of Prana makes us accessible to Free Will.

So My Dears, Let GO everything. Do you realize that without our control our heart is beating, without our control we are actually reading, without control our eyes are perceiving the meaning of these words and processed inside, Do we have any control any of these things? NO. Same way to think we have control over something external is Maya.
Truth is, we have control only over our inner selves through Free Will/Prana.

Embrace Yoga and meditation, please find a Guru, and surrender to the divine energy flowing in the universe.
Anytime a person complains of life, I ask 2 simple questions: "Did you brush your teeth this morning". YES is the answer usually I get, unless that person really stinks :-)
The next question is "Did you clean your brain/mind today?" NO is the answer 100% of the times.
People expect Life to be beautiful without giving space to the mind and cleaning it. See, How selfish we humans are.
We want everything on the bed nicely arranged. God did create everything for us on this beautiful bed called Earth.
But still we want something else. We are blessed with two great tools, Body and Mind. These two tools are to be used to find our real self and be aware of it in the journey of life.
Use the Free will of Mind and put the body into appropriate actions. Be aware that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. That is the true definition of “Law of Karma”. The Definition does not mean that "Yaa, whatever has to happen will happen, so why do anything".

Life is too short to suffer. It is not meant to suffer.

Slow down my dear friends; take time for your inner self. Go for Yoga and Meditation classes, make them part of the life.
First make your inner self stronger and outer world will mean nothing afterwards.

Melting Mind

My Journey with divine has been very interesting, a blend of ego and Doubt mixed with Faith and Love. What a roller coaster ride it is!
Inspite of feeling the divine energy in various forms and actions in this material world, My Ego mind sees you as a normal human.
It forgets to go beyond the harshness and wounds of life, that are the stepping stones to the eternity of Liberation.
Especially the wars on my humanity and personality that have left the scars of failure and turmoil? Is it a test for my Ego?
I go through a range of emotions, from pain, with drawl into myself like a little kid who is little pissed with his parents with locked lips and droopy face

Then after a few minutes, the introspection kicks in, the question of “What is HE angry about?”, “What is HE not happy about?”.
But that questioning triggers twists of events. It is that fraction of moment that can transform a person either into a saint or a sinner.
You see, how Stupid is human mind!
Every saint and sage from the ages of stone, have written endless pages of agony of mind and the poison of its egocentric pangs, from Rumi, to Thyagaraja to Annamayya and Ramadasu.
The same way they have pleaded to the divine energy innumerable times to surrender their ego to the Gods of Heavens, I do the same today.
Under your able guidance I am put to the test of Fire.
I am sure, I will come out as an ‘Agnihotri’ and that moment would be the end of the life time,
because to be sanctified completely by the egoless mind, is journey of a life time for ordinary mortals like me.
I look at my own Ego with humiliation.
At crossroads of confusion like this, the Divine energy instantly seeps into the crevices of Minds gyrations and solves the Puzzles of Mind.
And the blossoming Soul, instructs my mind to surrender and flow with the divine energy. This process is the Melting of the Mind.
At this moment of surrender, the tears of heart flow through the eyes and the Mind drowned in the abyss of blissful honey.

Thanking the Supreme for accepting me as a disciple and allowing me to grow and evolve as a spiritual being, is the least I could do.
Heart melts in joy of surrender to the innocence of silent eyes of creation and the love flowing through every being.

Human Mind is always looking for judgments that have been made by people and that it wants to make about others.
That is its nature. Sometimes I feel the advancement of Mind in the animal species is a curse.
Why Did God create a Mind? Why could not have he created a Soul and Body and left us peaceful?
See, How brutal is human creation? If a single mind can do so many weird monkey jumps, Imagine, how the whole world, with a billion minds is juggling in the circus of darkness.
It is unfortunate that most of the humanity is stuck in the cyclones of mind and its thought waves. These waves engulf the soul and throw life into the hurricanes of disasters.
The climate of the Human is devastated by the Titanic waves of Ego.
How wonderful this universe would be with no Minds in Action, but just Souls in play?

The greatest test for the humanity is to Conquer this Ego. There are no prescribed books or standard degrees that are given to finish this course.
It is just the right guru and Serpentine Minds that goes to the school to learn, The school called “LIFE” and the Guru is “Divine Energy”.
Any number of words written on solving this puzzle is a waste, because it is just the experience that stands like a feather in the cap at the graduation of life.
The Spirit inside and the Guru outside are the sole witnesses to this transformation.

Who is He

He came back into the world of Light from the dreams of night. It could be his past or present, But now the moment. The dream was an icing on the baking cake of life.
Periods of pain, joy, exhilaration, realization, and many ahaa moments.
But what did they do together, not much. Same fluctuating thoughts, not sure about what is next. Want to do something but unable to do that.
Not that he is not making attempts, but just the feeling of stagnation and suffocation.
Life should be like a river they say, ever flowing, but why is it always here, same work, same people, same food, same clothes, can it get faster, smoother and easier, with no effort? Just like the water is forced to drop from top of a mountain, like a beautiful water fall, becoming a decoration of itself and every passerby says “Wow! What a Life.”

Do not feel like talking to anyone, because every one else seems to come with their own problems and overhead of baggage.
A stream of ‘Whys’ hitting the subtle Mind from all directions, like arrows aimed at an already wounded warrior, who is trying to recuperate.
Why did life turn in so many ways? Why did life create such a havoc? Why so many ups and downs?
Want to write, but cannot write. Want to act, but cannot act. Want to chat, but cannot.
Life feels frozen, passing through the worst of the winters, never like this in the past. Feels like dead end. Is this the arctic of life?
Inspite of the storms of emotions, and the gales of thoughts, he realises that there is a purpose for him.
He knows that he is the lamp in the deadly black cloud. But he is not sure of the purpose.
Many spiritualists say that Mind is the problem. He approves that too. So does he Meditate,

He knows it all. He has read a lot. He had heard words from many a good and great, knocking his own life in different phases, and he had experienced ‘em all.
He has seen the best, and created the worst too. For every rise he fell down and he knows he will rise again.
But Life is at a cross roads. He wants do something meaningful, He knows that meaning needs to be found in what we have and what we do.
He never had passion for what he is doing. It was more of a destiny’s plan. But he is good at whatever he does.
He cannot wait any more and he wants to make a plan now. He wants to do something bigger, beautiful and lead life to its fullest beauty and glory.
He is balanced. He is a perfect balance of yogi and bhogi. He knows one day just like the big bang, the whole formation is going to happen,
a star is about to be born, from the broken heart and charred mind.

All these thoughts came in at once, when he got up from the dream.
He stood and he knows it is another day. He reiterates that it is going to be better.
He is known for his positive energy, he can influence people in very inspiring way. He knows that when he does that it inspires him too.
He accepts everything that comes around. He does not like to Judge, for he knows that there are greater laws of universe that are effective, and the czar of life, is omnipresent.

He acts as if he is always alive and empty, so that he can receive many gifts from heavens. He believes in heaven and not in hell. He believes that Heaven exists in the moment, NOW and rest is Hell.
He has not read everything, but he has insight in to all the things.

He is a beautiful soul, with this thought, he walks through the rooms of life. Washes the past and looks into the mirror of Self. The face of life is beautiful.
No sign of any tiredness, no scars of the past, as fresh as a bud blooming into a flower. Ready to spread the fragrance of love, peace and joy into the universe.
He resolves, and says, “You can do it”, one more day, making a mole of confidence into a mountain.
He knows how to use the hidden energy in the remotest cells to rejuvenate the strength. He is a warrior who fought many battles.
Failures and Success for him is only a numbers game. He knows that Battle with the inner self is the toughest of all.
To bring glory to the soul is the ultimate goal of creation. Realizing himself is a way of life.
People come and become the pages of his life, Friends exists, Foes never last his glow. Friends are for the times to come and times gone.
As he thinks, all the people who walked in his life with and around him, pass like an unedited frame in the editor’s room, shadows of past dancing to the music of organic silent noise.
The noise creeps in now, shaking him from the roots, drawing him into the abyss. He cannot handle it anymore, as he slides down the tunnel of darkness, he asks with a voice so deep, that only he can hear, but very clear, "Who are you?". This Echoed every moment of life in the space of his own creation, and he finally had the strength to face it, to look into the face and simply stare.

He says to himself “Enough is enough” and jumps out in to the world again, wiping himself clean and fresh with the fragrance of self, caressing the corners of the body and glistening in the golden glow of tungsten light of the universe, that served as a shield of protection, in the wars of love and pain.
As he walks out, he looks at the clock, the time is ticking and the moments rolling, as if the seconds needle of the clock needs to catch the missing love of the hours and minutes, not realizing that time is a myth, and what’s gone is gone. “Live in this second”, he asserts himself.

At the final leap into the reality, evolves a moment, as if the hurricane of thoughts vanished into the sky of eternity, As if the heavens of Gods said, "Let's give him a break", a moment of silence dropped as a reward for bearing the will of supreme, just like a dolphin is rewarded after a feat with a small little treat.

The moment whispered to him, “He is you and Me, all that makes up the Thee.”