Body consciousness is a challenge for the soul because it creates discriminatory attitudes and ego-driven complexes in our minds, says Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj ji
It’s a fact that no one would deny that in the present world, fear and worry are constant companions of humans. One who is immersed in the mundane world is not free from these unpleasant states. So,why and what do people worry about IJ Well, most of us worry about our health, safety, career, relationships and our overall well-being. There is not a single human being on earth who is free from fear. RightIJ Of course, because we all have one or the other kind of fear. Of all kinds of fear, the greatest fear is of losing. It could be fear of losing a loved one, a valuable possession, role, status or anything else to which we are deeply attached to because we believe our security and happiness depend on these factors. However, the greatest fear that most people have is the fear of death. Just the thought that it will all end is the most frightening fear that hounds people. No matter how far we have come in terms of material progress we still cannot avoid grief, suffering, physical disease and mortality. As long as we are bound by our physical existence, we do experience these in our human journey. We all know that our physical body is mortal, perishable and subject to decay and disease, yet we are so attached to our physical form that we cannot overcome the fear of losing it. Many people across the world believe that there is only one human birth and there is no after-life. Hence, they are even more fearful of dying. They live on a gross physical level indulging their sensual desires as much as they can before dying because they think that is the whole purpose of their physical existence. But, in this whole process, they often get tempted and trapped by vices, which in turn lead them to sin and suffering. We must understand that when life is seen as a onetime physical existence that is driven by desires for sensual gratification or material progress, then people tend to ignore the law of karma and they do anything to get what they want. They go to an extent of stealing, grabbing, borrowing or begging to have what they desire. As a result,their plans are limited to this life only and they fall into the trap of limited desires, greed, attachment and ego. All this stems from the fundamental belief that we have wrongly created and sustained for ages—that we are physical bodies instead of spiritual beings or soul. We have forgotten that the body is a medium through which a soul expresses itself and experiences life and that it is subject to decay and death and is limited by time and space.
Today, most of the humans are living in body consciousness — resulting from the false identification of self with body. When a soul identifies with the characteristics of the body, we limit ourselves as being a male or female, young or old, ugly or pretty, black or white and so on. Such limited identities then influence our thoughts and actions. Body consciousness is the greatest challenge for the soul because it creates discriminatory attitudes and ego-driven complexes in our minds. We act and relate with other humans in a very limited way and such a limited consciousness gives rise to insecurity, fear, selfishness, hatred and all other vices. Those who are ignorant of the soul are severely bound by their body. They think, act and live their whole life in a narrow limited way that makes everything in their lives limited. Hence, in order to live a liberated life, we need to realise the truth that we all are spiritual beings in a human body and birth after birth we continue to play different roles. Thus, by being soul conscious, we can transcend our fears, attachments and vices and we can also conquer the fear of death and any kind of physical loss, thereby experiencing our original qualities such as peace,joy and love in an unlimited way.