Way to the Soul!

Hello all,

Namaste! All of you, my dear blog readers, know about my website-swaroopa.net. I have started my business, Swaroopa store, which can be accessed from Shop tab on my website, for Souls who are interested in a personal reading. There is also the Swaroopa Store link, on my blog. Now to the post.

Last week, we discussed how living from the heart is very different to living from the mind. Mind, if not connected to the heart can travel all over the mental space and never be able to focus. But if the mind is grounded in the heart and the desires are one pointed and focused, then the intentions can be drawn and dedicated actions can be taken upon. This is the dilemma, nowadays people are finding. 

Above living from the mind, there are hundred things to distract us- internet, electronic gadgets, social media, news channels, television, social engagements, family and friends interactions, markets, trades, trends, global and local business space. Can you see how the mind is pulled in thousand different directions? This was the status-quo, we were living for the last ten years. Add, Covid-19, pandemic, sickness, disease and death to it. How would a human mind would ever handle this chaos? No wonder, youth and everyone are finding it very difficult to concentrate on one thing.

Original thought process and creativity emanates from a deep, silent, solid mental and heart space. When the mind is pulled in million different directions, what creativity and what imagination? Humans need to realize this. It is not the lack of imagination or creativity. Every being is highly creative in their own realm of talents. It is the lack of mental focus and discipline. Buddha, some 2500 years ago, already opined:"There is nothing so disobedient as an undisciplined mind, and there is nothing so obedient as a disciplined mind."

A disciplined mind - a true asset!
Image credits - Pixabay.com

As long as we don't realize this, we are stuck within our mind, going round and round in the same energy. The energy would be the same, but the circumstances, people and situations keep on changing. Each human by virtue of their mind gets stuck in these life energy cycles. As we are not aware, we don't 'get' a respite from the emotions and energy that appear again and again. Today it may be the video games wasting our time, tomorrow, an office colleague, a chatterbox, who won't allow us to finish our work. Ten years later it may be the rituals, whether mantra chants or unending fasting. 

We as humans need to realize, our true resources in this life are time, mind and energy. All three of them we have in very limited amounts. So, it becomes imperative, how we utilize them. Think about it. An industry leader or a teacher or a normal person gets the same twenty four hours. Of course, mental faculties and energy levels may vary, but the same twenty four hours. Then why someone ends up as an industry leader and another as an every day employee? The difference is how they use their time, mind and energy.

Disobedient mind: 

An unkempt, distracted mind is a big obstruction in the way of the heart. Only after making it to the heart, we can even think about the Soul. It becomes essential to quieten and focus the mind. Now, we can ask, why do we need to get to the Soul. Why can't we just live from the mind. Our own current social life is a big proof to it. How many are discontent and unfulfilled? Why are so many people lining up to the front doors of psychologists and psychoanalysts? If just living from the mind was okay, all the people should have been happy, isn't it??

The modern life is giving a gala time for the mind and the intellect. A virtual encyclopedia of a library at our finger tips. All the electronic gadgets, video games, virtual intelligence, movies, YouTube videos, podcasts, satellite radios, opinions, punditry, social media platforms, big data, small data, meta-data, analysis, critical thought process- so many. Even then, why are humans sad and depressed? Fighting with each other, dividing, arguing, debating, being depressed and washed out.

Here, two points come to my mind. 1, The mind is dual. Where there is happiness, there is ignorance. Where there is knowledge, there is ignorance. Same way light/dark, light/shadow, love/hate, compassion/anger. The material world is dual. A mind that is concentrated on the dualistic material world also becomes dual. The being whose mind is pulled into entirely two directions lose the direction and gets distracted. When so many different energies of the material world comes as a tornado at a mind, the mind sure loses the footing. Remember, it is not grounded in the heart and gets swayed big time. The person in that mental distraction and confusion loses his/ her footing, gets lost in their own life and goes to get help from a psychologist/ psycho-analyst.

The disobedient mind of the modern world!
Image credits - Pixabay.com

2, The normal nature of the mind is to face outside. It revels in the sights, sounds and senses of the material world. Remember, the horses in the chariot of Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita. This is the sense loving mind going in five different directions. We can even consider this as the five different senses that distracts the mind. In deep esoteric Hinduism such as Upanishads, the mind is the sixth sense organ. As of now that mind is ruling this world through internet, social-media, data and information.

To take this mind to turn it inside, and find the heart within, intentional and deliberate will is needed. Don't think mind is the same as the will. It is not. Will is the focused resolve of a mind. Taking the mind and deliberately making a resolution to do something. So, to turn a mind inward, will power is needed. This energy has to be expended and is tough. A mind that is outwardly focused resists all the way. This is where, the majority of humanity finds itself, as of now. Distracted, hassled, confused, discontent and lost in one's own life.

Connected to the heart: 

This mind has to turn inward and through deep contemplation, find it's own heart. This is where the mind gets the grounding. The deep roots that keep the being totally grounded to their own space within their life. We can see the difference between a person who knows their heart and themselves and someone who has no clue, who they are. A person who deeply explores their heart realizes- who they are, what are their intentions and what they want to do for their life. Of course, they may not have very solid ideas about their life, yet, but may have a rough map of what they want and what they desire.

As mentioned before in previous blogposts, the heart we are discussing here is not the physical heart, but the metaphorical one. This metaphorical heart is situated within the Anahatha chakra, the heart energy center, within which is placed, the Hrudayakamalam- Heart Lotus. This is usually depicted green in color, the same energy as that of the Earth- green. From this point think, how deeply the heart is connected to the energy of the Earth. Hence it is depicted in the nurturing energy of green.

In lower vibes, green also is depicted as the energy of envy and greed. Hence money is sometimes named as green and envy as green eyed monster. But here, we are discussing the highest vibration of green- nurturing and healing. There is no another greater healer than the green Earth. That is why even in the middle of the deepest emotional trauma, if a being goes into the nature, finds calm and peace. The healing power of nature.

The green space of the heart!
Image credits - Pixabay.com

Okay, back to the heart.The second we start to live from our heart rather than the mind, we start to grow roots into our own life. But to get into this heart space, we have to calm and quieten our mind. The mind is calm and turned inward. This kind of mind becomes the quiet channel through which we find our heart. When we start to live like this, we start to feel an innate power- the power of solidly situated in our own life. Being in the mind is always up in our head and brain. But living from the heart is from out chest or heart space.

Many of us have noticed, the Buddha is always placed on a Lotus. This is the heart space- the Lotus of the heart. Even many of the Hindu Gods and Goddesses hold lotus in their hands. The heart space. This has a huge esoteric meaning as well. The heart space is the center of compassion and love.  An opened heart energy center comes in contact with one quality of the Universe- love for all. Universal love. Can we sense the difference? A person operating from the mind and the heart?

A heart centered person sees the Universal love every where. Yes, someone may have difference of opinion compared to them. But that is okay. As they have a right, to write/ speak their thoughts, so can another. That is the huge difference between heart and mind. Mind divides, heart unites. So, if there are so many divisions, arguments, hate, anger and rage in this world, aren't most of the people living from the mind, rather than the heart?

If a person is living from the heart, how can they bring up their group, while bringing down another group? Not possible. So, anyone who is trying to uphold their values for the detriment of others or another group is deeply wrong. They may justify from their mind. But if they listen to their heart- their heart would prod them, "You are wrong". So, whether it is ISIS, Al-Qaeda, fundamental Hinduism, Christianity, Islam or any group, if a group is trying to bring themselves up by bringing another down- they are at fault.

The Soul: 

This is a big hurdle a being has to jump, before they can even think of getting connected to their Soul. As long as they cannot see themselves in another, they just cannot operate from the heart. Unfortunately, no. People can bring hundred justifications as well as excuses. Religion is religion. But that is unfortunately not spirituality. Spirituality is the quality of being one with the spirit.

The spirit of the being is one with the Universal spirit. As we think, the Universal spirit looks at everything, everyone with one eye, same way, as long as the being is not impartial. they cannot live from this heart space. Until they cannot reach this heart space, they can't live in spirituality. Of course, the world is full of fake and hack spirituality. We are not discussing that here, We are discussing true spirituality. Every religion at it's deepest mystic/esoteric level takes us here, to treat everyone as equal, with one eye. But at the surface level, it is from the mind. The mind divides. But the heart unites.

Wisdom (Lotus) of the Soul!
Image credits - Pixabay.com

It is the human mind that thinks, a Hindu Mantra would only work for a Hindu, a Christian Psalm only for a Christian and an Islamic Hadith only for a Muslim. But in the space of the heart and the Soul, we can take anything, put a deep will and devotion behind it and use it towards our life and highest ideals.  This is the difference between the mind and the realm of heart/ Soul. Only once we are able to jump this hurdle of  getting to the Universal love, we can even knock at the door of our Soul.

The Soul is where, the integral code for our life, purpose and Dharma are encoded. But the internal work to reach this stage is enormous. Yes, I can write pages and pages about it. Another would be able to intellectually understand it. But to truly understand this level of spirituality, one has to experience it. The grace of the Soul working in our own life. We can intuitively feel it. But only a reflection of it is seen in our physical life. 

For a long time, for fifteen years, I tried to understand it reading books like Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav or Book of Secrets by Deepak Chopra or The dark night of the Soul by Gerald G. May. Intellectually one can understand only so much. After a time, reading books constitutes no use. One has to take one's mind, turn it inside and look at the heart; and the heart to the Soul. Yes, the process is very difficult and emotionally intense. Upanishads say, a weak mind can fall through the cracks of the mind, intellect, or even the ego, to never reach the heart space and later the Soul self. Upanishads proclaim, it is one of the toughest journeys a being would even take in one of their lifetimes. Emotionally and mentally very tough and challenging.

Whether it is Ramana Maharshi, Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Paramahansa Yogananda, Jesus or Jalal-Uddin Rumi, all gave importance to experiential knowledge than intellectual knowledge. It is the same as thinking about an ice-cream and eating one. To truly experience an ice-cream, one has to eat it. Same way, to truly understand the Soul and the path to it, through the mind and the heart, one has to get set on the journey. The inner journey to the Soul.

Yes, difficult, challenging and many times emotionally mind-bending! But from my own experience, I can say, it is well worth to know oneself, one's Soul self. Next week, let us tackle that.

I wish you a good and safe weekend, and I'll see you next Friday!😉
 
Next week: Soul Self (Atma Swaroopa)!

Image Credits:  Wikimedia Commons and Pixabay