(Further from the previous blog)
CHAPTER 7: HONORING OUR INHERENT UNDERSTANDING
Every human being understands that they are not merely their body. In conversations, we say, “this is my hand,” “this is my leg,” “this is my eye,” “this is my mind,” and “this is my intelligence.” Nobody identifies themselves as just a hand or an eye; yet, we often live under the misconception that “I am the body.” We tend to forget that we are not our bodies, leading us to equate the pleasure and pain of the body with our own feelings. As a result, this inconsistent, fleeting, and imperfect body appears to us as permanent and beautiful.
The sense of oneness with our body and the people associated with it creates a feeling of attachment, which is referred to as kaam (desire or sensual propensities). This desire for pleasure extends into the longing for various material possessions, the capacity to enjoy these possessions, and the yearning for circumstances that facilitate indulgence. According to the laws of nature, human beings tend to develop habits based on their desires; however, in the end, these habits lead to nothing meaningful. While a person can eliminate their desires, they cannot fully satisfy them. What is the result of seeking worldly pleasures? The ability to enjoy decreases, while the desire to indulge only grows. Consequently, there is always a sense of deficiency, a feeling of lacking something, and true happiness or peace remains elusive.
Seekers should respect and effectively utilize the self-knowledge available to them while firmly believing that they are not the body, and that the body does not belong to them. If the body does not belong to us, then all people related to this body, along with all connected materials, cannot truly be ours. Once this conviction is established, all types of desires are eliminated. The conscience becomes pure, peaceful, and tranquil, making it easier to affirm the following beliefs:
“God is mine because I belong to Him.”
“My inherent being is similar to that of God.”
“By nature, He loves me, and I am His beloved.”
“Even when I forget my relationship with God, our eternal connection remains intact without any breach.”
When the conviction about our relationship with God becomes strong, a powerful desire to meet the all-loving and ultimate beloved arises. This desire does not fade even after it is fulfilled; it remains ever new and fresh.
- (Rest in the next blog) From the book “The Grace of a Great Sage”
(Page No. 14-15)