AJIT KUMAR BISHNOI says our main duties are towards soul, body, mind & intelligence
If you do your duty towards the soul, then doing other duties becomes easy because help from God will be available. let us first understand what these duties are, which we, human beings, are expected to perform. There are four main duties. The first and the main duty is towards the self, ie the soul, which we actually are, though we invariably identify ourselves as material bodies. This duty is very simple. We have to establish a loving relationship with God. It appears difficult but can be achieved by practice and devotion.
Our second duty is towards the body, which is so dear to us. The human body is a precious gift from God to us. It is a wonderful machine, which is so versatile that sometimes it becomes hard to believe what all it is able to do. It is our duty to maintain it well. lord Krishna has guided in the Bhagavad Gita: “One whose eating and recreation are appropriate; of one who strives appropriately in activities; and of one who sleeps and stays awake as required, he or she reduces his sufferings.” When we speak of the body, we include the bodies of our near and dear ones.
The third duty is towards the mind, where we do all our thinking. This faculty given to us is even more precious than the body. Our feeling and willing parts are also performed by the mind. Since the mind is a function of the brain, they affect one another. A disturbed mind affects the working of the brain and a diseased body, whose part brain is, adversely impacts the mind. It is our duty to make our minds peaceful.
lastly comes intelligence, which is even more valuable than the mind. We need proper intelligence to control the fickle mind. When I speak of proper intelligence, I mean higher spiritual intelligence, which includes the knowledge of both matter and spirit. And intelligence is the ability to learn, understand and think in a logical way about things; the ability to do so well. Its purpose is to make correct decisions in life. It is our duty to develop sharp and decisive intelligence.
Now let us understand how doing duty towards the soul helps in performing our other duties well. Taking up the body first, as mentioned earlier, there are clear instructions given by God for the proper maintenance of the body in bona fide scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita. Not only that, God helps through others. These are family members, friends and well-meaning persons. If we follow what the lord expects us to do, we can maintain good health throughout our lives, ie we have done our duty towards the body well.
In case of the mind, the connection is more direct. There can be no lasting peace, as is our experience also, without being connected to God. Consequently, there cannot be much happiness in our lives. Our minds without the active assistance of God are controlled by Maya — the material energy of God. This Maya bemuses us by its allure such as monetary, sexual. Only a person linked to God can overcome these temptations. Only he or she can be peaceful and happy.
Real intelligence comes from the omniscient God only. With our limited knowledge, we lack the ability to judge what is good, true, etc. It is no wonder that we make so many mistakes in our lives. When we are connected to God, our intelligence becomes steady or discriminating. Only then, we have done our duty towards intelligence well.
Can we now agree that doing our duty towards the self — the soul — helps us in doing our duties wellIJ For such persons, God takes personal charge; he manages their lives in his own mysterious ways. Personally, I have, like so many before me, attempted to do so and am benefiting greatly by the benevolent God’s merciful ways. I welcome your comments.
Bishnoi is a spiritual writer and can be reached at spiritual@ajitbishnoi.com