Three Sheaths That Surround The Soul
THE pervades all beings.Whatwe call the body is but a garment that the soul has worn. Ancient Indic wisdom likens the soul to a lamp shining within: it is surrounded by three separate sheaths orlayers. The mind is the inner layer, the senses constitute the middle layer, and the flesh is the outermost layer When the mind and senses are unaware of the Atman within, one becomes egoistical, allowing the ego to dominate one's lifeand action. When we are unaware that the soul is eternal, and that the body is mortal we become obsessed with the physical, material, sensual aspects of life. The more we identify with the body, the unhappier we become! If we wish to progress on the path of Self-realisation, we have to stop identifying ourselves with the body Psychologists tell us that there are three 'states' in which human beings exist: thewaking state, the sleeping state and the dreaming state. But a fourth state of intense concentration lies beyond these three, of which few of us are aware. We are content to live our lives on the surface. We occupy our minds with whatwe would like to eat,buy, and what we could do to impress our friends and neighbours. We have no time to think of the world within. Within us, lies a centre of tranquility, serenity, Self knowledge and true awareness. When we touch this still centre within,we will experience true freedom-freedom from the fears, desires, tensions, insecurities and complexities that haunt us in our worldly life. It is within us, that wewill find the peace and joy that we seekso desperately In this state, we will discover our own Divinity-that we are not the pathetic, helpless creatures we take ourselves to be, but the eternal, infinite spirit of pure, true, everlasting bliss- satchitananda. The unbearable stress and strain of modern life needs to be countered with conscious stress reduction techniques. Meditation is the most effectiveamong them. Meditation de-clutters the mind, empties it of negative thoughts and energises the nervous system. It strengthens our creativity, our problem-solving skillsand our inner sense of harmony It enhances our powers of love, compassion, forgiveness and understanding, making us better human beings. Meditation increases what Zen masters call "mindfulness" awareness of the present moment that enables us to get the best out of our life, every moment. It is the best known antidote to restlessness and fragmented thinking. It improves our Concentra focus and memory You can take the following stepscultivate soul management: •Practise silence every day, prably at the same time and at the splace for this is our daily appoint with our true Self. • Become aware of the breathPrana or breath is the primary en of life, linking body with mind. Pranayama is a unique, systematideep-breathingexercise,associatewith yoga and meditation. • Cultivate thespirit of serviceus do as much good as we can, to as mas we can, in as many ways as we ca Learn the value of acceptanNothing ever happens in our lives without the sanction of ProvidencAnd in God's Will is our true peaceMany things happen to us, which cannot fully understand. Thereforlearn to trust in the will of God
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are JP Vaswani kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: JP Vaswani Speaking Tree,Times of India
Three Sheaths That Surround The Soul
THE pervades all beings.Whatwe call the body is but a garment that the soul has worn. Ancient Indic wisdom likens the soul to a lamp shining within: it is surrounded by three separate sheaths orlayers. The mind is the inner layer, the senses constitute the middle layer, and the flesh is the outermost layer When the mind and senses are unaware of the Atman within, one becomes egoistical, allowing the ego to dominate one's lifeand action. When we are unaware that the soul is eternal, and that the body is mortal we become obsessed with the physical, material, sensual aspects of life. The more we identify with the body, the unhappier we become! If we wish to progress on the path of Self-realisation, we have to stop identifying ourselves with the body Psychologists tell us that there are three 'states' in which human beings exist: thewaking state, the sleeping state and the dreaming state. But a fourth state of intense concentration lies beyond these three, of which few of us are aware. We are content to live our lives on the surface. We occupy our minds with whatwe would like to eat,buy, and what we could do to impress our friends and neighbours. We have no time to think of the world within. Within us, lies a centre of tranquility, serenity, Self knowledge and true awareness. When we touch this still centre within,we will experience true freedom-freedom from the fears, desires, tensions, insecurities and complexities that haunt us in our worldly life. It is within us, that wewill find the peace and joy that we seekso desperately In this state, we will discover our own Divinity-that we are not the pathetic, helpless creatures we take ourselves to be, but the eternal, infinite spirit of pure, true, everlasting bliss- satchitananda. The unbearable stress and strain of modern life needs to be countered with conscious stress reduction techniques. Meditation is the most effectiveamong them. Meditation de-clutters the mind, empties it of negative thoughts and energises the nervous system. It strengthens our creativity, our problem-solving skillsand our inner sense of harmony It enhances our powers of love, compassion, forgiveness and understanding, making us better human beings. Meditation increases what Zen masters call "mindfulness" awareness of the present moment that enables us to get the best out of our life, every moment. It is the best known antidote to restlessness and fragmented thinking. It improves our Concentra focus and memory You can take the following stepscultivate soul management: •Practise silence every day, prably at the same time and at the splace for this is our daily appoint with our true Self. • Become aware of the breathPrana or breath is the primary en of life, linking body with mind. Pranayama is a unique, systematideep-breathingexercise,associatewith yoga and meditation. • Cultivate thespirit of serviceus do as much good as we can, to as mas we can, in as many ways as we ca Learn the value of acceptanNothing ever happens in our lives without the sanction of ProvidencAnd in God's Will is our true peaceMany things happen to us, which cannot fully understand. Thereforlearn to trust in the will of God
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are JP Vaswani kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: JP Vaswani Speaking Tree,Times of India