NITAAI-Veda.nyf > Soul Science God Philosophy > Secrets of the Undiscovered Self > We Are Not These Bodies |
We Are Not These Bodies
The body is not the self. What is this material body? It is a bag
of bones, blood, urine and many other unclean substances. The mind is also part
of the material body and is different from the soul. It experiences temporary mundane emotions as
real, thus causing much anguish and only a little pleasure. We are individual
souls, not these bodies or minds.These bodies are mortal; all the doctors and scientists of this world cannot
prevent old age. One day, twenty, thirty or fifty years from now, we will become
old. Our beauty and power will disappear; we won't be able to walk without the help of a cane, and after some
time we will die. At that time we will have to give up everything we have
accumulated during this lifetime. Nothing in this world will be able to save
us from continued suffering - only God
can save us in all respects. If we realize this and engage in His loving
service, we will become happy.As spiritual souls we are all parts and parcels
of the same God, the Supreme Lord. Souls
in all species of life, from the lowest, such as plants and animals, to the
highest, such as humans and demigods, are His parts and parcels. The
ancient scriptures of India, the Vedas,
say, "God is one. Everything in this world is merely an expansion of His
power, or energy." Atheists, who don't believe in God, believe in the
world of nature. They believe that
everything comes from nature and returns to nature. The world of nature in
which they have placed their faith, however, is simply a part of the energy of
that Supreme Lord.We are like the
Supreme in that we have been created in His image, but unfortunately we have
turned away from Him and have forgotten who we are. We think that these
material bodies are our real selves. We
spend our days collecting money and securing positions, thinking that these
things will make us happy - but this conception is totally wrong.