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LIGHTHOUSE

by: Starbhen

Anatomy of the Soul

 

(In the previous issues of this Gazette, I mentioned about presenting  some of the truths I learned in my search for the true meaning of life.  In this issue, I’d like to dwell further on the true self   instead of going directly to the topic about the Supreme Soul contrary to what I said earlier.)

            When the soul is in the body it expresses itself  as three faculties just like the human body which consists of many organs and limbs to move around and exist in the physical world. The soul has the subtle faculties of thinking power (mind), reasoning power (intellect) and a unique personality (known as sanskars) to negotiate the inner world of thoughts, feelings, decisions and habits.

Mind is the thinking faculty of the soul. It is the mind that thinks, imagines and  forms ideas. The thought process is the basis of all emotions, desires and sensations. Through this faculty, thoughts can be projected to a distant place, past experiences and emotions can be relived or even the future anticipated. It is the mind that experiences the variations of moods. The mind is a faculty of the metaphysical soul and should not be confused with the heart or the brain which are organs of the body.

Intellect  is the principal faculty of the soul. It is the faculty of understanding and decision-making and is said to be the ruler of the inner state. It is the intellect which remembers, discriminates, judges and exercises its power in the form of the will. A feeble and weak intellect can be manipulated and over-ruled by the external world of the senses and their objects and the internal world of thoughts, feelings and personality traits. The strength or weakness of an individual is connected with the intellect. Strengthening of the intellect can be done through meditation.

Sanskaras is a Hindi word which means the subconscious and unconscious impressions that form the basis of one’s personality. They are the record of all the soul’s past experiences and actions. It takes the form of habits, talents, emotional temperaments, personality traits, beliefs, values or instincts. Every action as an experience either creates a sanskar (this is how a habit is formed) or reinforces an old one. Whatever impression is etched on the soul remains within the soul, forming complete archive of all the experiences that the soul has had. When we speak of defects, specialities or virtues, we are referring to the sanskaras. The sanskaras are the basis of the soul’s individuality.

The three aspects of the soul/self work together in a precise and integrated manner. Each faculty affects both the others. Functioning jointly and simultaneously on different levels, they produce what can be termed the state of consciousness.   

The thought process works in a cyclic pattern. From the sanskaras, various impressions surface in the conscious mind and manifest as thoughts, emotions or desires.  These are then processed by the intellect, and may be expressed as actions through the body. The way in which we act, the results of our actions, and input data from the external world collected through the sense organs, all leave more impressions on the soul, creating or reinforcing sanskaras or canceling the effect of others. Thus, the  understanding of these three  subtle abilities or powers,  how they work and interact will help us immensely  in managing our own personal world.  

(Source: Teachings of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University)

 

Vol. XV No.9 (September - October 2003)

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