Living as the Divine Soul
We all think we are 'ME',
The Ego, body, and Mind.
When we live as the Divine Soul,
Joy, Bliss, Peace we Find.
As we go through this journey called 'Life', we may be one set of human beings, but we live very different lives. Some of us live purely physical, material lives. How do we live?
Those people who think that life is only from birth to death, and then, it's over - they are pleasure-driven. They seek success and achievement. They don't delve into the true meaning and purpose of life. They may or may not believe in God. But they don't go beyond the skin to find the power that is alive within. They are attached to their family, friends, and their possessions. To them, the more the merrier, as they build an interactive community around them, whether it is partying, playing, golfing or just, whiling away time together. They go through the merry- go-round of life experiencing joy and sorrow. But they rarely experience peace and tranquillity. It is strange, but most people live and die this way.
There are a few people in this world, who realize that there is more to life than just the physical aspect. They are driven by ethics and values and their life has compassion and love. They believe in the Law of Karma- As we sow, so shall we reap. They realize that death is not the end. While the body dies, these people believe that they will be reborn as per their Karma. So, while they may live like the first group, which is how the majority lives, they are different in as much as they are conscious that death is not the end. They know very well that we cannot escape from our actions. Therefore, while they may be pursuing success and pleasure, the river of their life is controlled by strong banks and they try to flow towards their destination with righteousness within the prescribed limits of their religion, philosophy, culture and their belief system.
There is a third category, a minority that is different from the two groups as given above. They are less than 1% of the world who go on a quest to realize the true meaning of life. They know that life is not all about success, achievement, money, and pleasure. Their life too is built on the strong foundation of Karma, but they go beyond. They ask questions and they investigate as they try to realize the purpose of life. This small group of people live far more peaceful and blissful lives, as they start their journey as the Divine Soul. They seem to understand that they are not the body, but they look deeper and try to realize the true meaning of life. This quest takes individuals on a journey, through different paths. Many of them are religious, just as others may be spiritual. Not only do they read scriptures and books on philosophy and theology, they also go in search of spiritual masters, mentors, or a life coach. They seem to have a thirst for the true nectar of life.
Of this 1% whom we can call 'seekers', a very small fraction realizes the truth about life. This is a unique blessing and this rare group of people who experience self-realization, transform their lives. They realize that we are not the body that dies. We are not even the Mind and Ego, ME, that is reborn as per our Karma. We are the Divine Soul. We are all manifestations of the Divine. Our Ultimate Goal is Liberation while alive and Unification at death. These unique realized beings live in this world of pleasures and illusions, as they fight a war within. They experience the wandering of the mind, and the craving of the body, as the ego struggles between a material and spiritual life. While they have realized the truth, they are not yet free from the ignorance that constantly attacks them. But they have started their journey of living as the Divine Soul.
Realized beings are rare and few, just about 0.00001 % of the world's total population. These blessed few, a handful of people, have spiritually evolved beyond the rest of the 99.99% people in the world. They realize that this world is a cosmic drama. Nothing is real. We are all Divine manifestations, the Soul. We are not the body and mind that we appear to be. Not only do they realize this truth, but they also live it! Such a state is called Sthitpragya by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. The Upanishads and the Vedas title such people as the Jivanmukta. They live as a Divine Soul that is liberated while they are still alive. They live with a steady intellect, having full command over the mind and the body. They live a life of bliss and peace.
Such people enjoy a state where they live a life of eternal bliss and everlasting peace, as they are conscious of the truth. They overcome the cravings of the body and the wandering of the mind, as they become an observer of the life drama that is being enacted on planet earth. They overcome the misery that is experienced by those who think they are the body. They also overcome the stress and anxiety that fills the lives of those who think they are ME, the Mind and Ego. As they let go of their Karma, realizing that they are not the doer of the action, they become liberated from all the petty annoyances, experienced by most others who just live and die.
People who live as the Divine Soul, just have one goal – not to sink into this world or Samsara, but to escape Mithya and Maya, the illusion, and to be liberated. At death, they seek to be united with the Divine. They seek nothing else. They live as Divine manifestations realizing who they are and why they are here. They are the ones who truly live.
IN A NUTSHELL