To Tanmaya about the soul (was My Introduction to this Group)

[Guest guest]

Tanmaya wrote:

....What, in your opinion is the soul?Some say it must be "saved"; some

not. Some say it evolves; othersthat it is eternal. Do we have a

relationship with our soul; can onecommunicate with it, and to what

purpose and to what effect?...

Dear Tanmaya ~ what a terrific question. I'm not sure views on the

soul are so different between East and West, but it depends on which

aspect of the spiritual culture of these seemingly opposite

representations of geographic and cultural duality one is referring

to. For example, in different forms of Christianity, the soul is

immortal, but only gets one chance to get it right. You might end up

in Hell. But in Christian or Western metaphysics, the view of the

soul is very different. The soul is eternal, taking a journey in a

process of evolving, as one psychic wonderfully put it: we are not

physical beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual

beings having a physical experience.

 

The movie "Audry Rose," based on a true story about a little girl is

an example of this. She began having terrible nightmares that became

more and more lucid, that is bleeding into her waking life. The

nightmares were about dying in a car accident and being burned to

death.

 

A man, played by Anthony Hopkins, whose daughter had several years

before been killed in this very manner, had been on a journey to the

East where he became a believer in reincarnation and other Eastern

spiritual beliefs. He heard about Audry Rose and began to hang out

around her. He believed she was the reincarnation of his daughter.

There were repeated incidents where Audry woke in a panic and went to

her bedroom windows, beating on them and screaming. Her mother could

not stop her or help her, and whenever she finally calmed down, there

were burns on her hands and arms. This became a living nightmare to

the family, and only when the Anthony Hopkins character rather pushed

his way into the house and into Audry's room, was there any hope. He

began to say, "Audry Rose, Audry Rose; it's daddy. Everything is

alright, Audry Rose." And eventually the child would stop her

screaming and would run into the mans arms. Being near him was the

only thing that would calm her down.

 

Of course, this freaked the parents out, especially the father who

didn't want the Hopkins character around his daughter ever again. But

eventually the mother began to see the truth to what he was trying to

say. He had told both parents of his spiritual journey to the East,

of his belief in reincarnation, etc. And there was actually a trial

(kind of reminds me of Miracle on 34th Street, where they put Santa

Clause on trial). Was there any validity to the Hopkins' character's

views or not. Unfortunately, I am sorry to say, I don't remember how

the story ended, so you'll all just have to go rent it and watch. It

is a great movie.

 

What are our bodies as listed in the Chandi Path?

om bhuh (gross body)

om bhuvah (subtle body)

om svah (causal body)

om mahah (the great body of existence)

om janah (the body of knowledge)

om tapah (the body of light)

om satyam (the body of Truth)

 

I believe Swamiji would have to tell us which one of these bodies

corresponds to the soul. In my own life, I have had a couple of

experiences having to do with the soul. As a child, I was terrified

of death. When my grandfather died (I was in my early '20s), I became

overcome with fatigue. I didn't go to the viewing or the funeral.

Eventually, I forced myself to get up and arrived at the gravesite

after they had already lowered the casket.

 

Some months later, my husband and I were visiting friends in Boston

for Thanksgiving. I had gone to bed early and was reading. I was in

that in-between state of rest and relaxation, not completely asleep

nor awake. My right arm had fallen to the right, flat on the bed but

with my palm up. I had an impulse to look to my right. To my

astonishment, I saw my grandfather. He appeared in his "Light Body,"

literally particles of Light. He let me know (telepathically) that he

had come to let me know he was okay and that I didn't have to be

afraid anymore. Then he touched my outstretched finger with his

finger. I felt a wave of electricity move through my body from the

top to the bottom and then back again, just like a wave in the ocean.

Then he was gone.

 

Some years later, after I had been practicing TM for several years, I

"came out" of a deep state of meditation with what seemed to me to be

the astonishing realization of: I am a soul.

It was an incredible understanding. I had no doubt. I have also had

other experiences of being visited by those who have crossed over,

primarily my maternal grandmother, but several times, my paternal

grandmother, and even my father.

 

Now I am sitting here thinking, with all of this understanding, with

all the tools I and we have been given by being born in a physical

body and the tools I and we have and are being given by Shree Maa and

Swamiji, and I'm thinking, why should I ever be troubled by anything?

Why should even my illness plague or upset me? Or the shenanigans of

various people, including my family of origin, who cross my pass? Why

should I have anything but joy and fullness and a desire to, as

Swamiji suggested to me, thank the Divine Mother for the immense

privilege of being part of Her wonderful creation. I can't think of

anything. Can you?

 

I think I need to save this as a reminder to myself.

 

Jai Maa , Jai Swamiji ~ Linda