Asked by 12 year old Girl
Beautiful question for a 12 year old. It seems you are developed far beyond your age to ask such a question so I am very happy to reply.
Let’s go a few steps behind.
How do we know that the soul or something like the soul exists? We may intuitively feel that there is more to life than we see and sense. Or else examining our seeking for perfection, for Beauty, peace, wisdom and love, we may make a reasonable guess that perhaps there is something somewhere corresponding to my seeking.
Next step is to decide whether one genuinely wants to find or the question is an idle curiosity. Because success in any field requires sincerity. And this is the greatest of all adventures, the ultimate discovery.
If we decide to find it then just like any branch of knowledge one must find the right teacher. Here it may be important to understand that while certain religions are based on beliefs, the Sanatana Dharma starts with faith but gives you methods and processes to realise and verify every statement of it. That is why it is considered as the most rational approach to God because it teaches us a way to find God.
So far so good, I suppose.
Well to start with we have to trust the person who speaks to us about it. Now you will see different kinds of teachers who speak about soul and God etc. Someone may say that you must believe that there is soul because X or Y or Z said so but neither have they found it nor can show you the way to find it then we may or may not accept their statement. This will narrow down your search to a few.
Let’s take some examples such as Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Krishna they all say that the soul exists, that they realised it and they also assure that if you follow their instructions you too can find the soul. So the next logical step after finding the right teacher is to read what has been written. Here it is important to remember that you may find several books written by all kinds of authors who simply will confuse the mind because they are playing with thought and ideas about the soul. They have neither found the soul nor can help us to find it. They are like arm chair theorists or coffee table debaters who claim to know about everything though their knowledge is superficial and their understanding is limited. Therefore one must be careful about chosing the right Teacher and the right book. Here too we are following the straight and simple logic of any knowledge. One doesn’t learn Cricket from a cook or understand about the soul by a biologist. Each has their own field and spiritual science is a whole specialised field in its own right, even one may say the most specialised, ultimate field of knowledge. A true Teacher does not give the teaching for a fee. One should be careful of those who ask money and are busy drawing crowd. In fact you will intuitively know about the teacher who is meant to guide and help you. Either the teacher who is meant to guide will come to you or through his representatives he will draw near you until you are ready. For just as a specialisation course is given only after the graduation and there is a right temperament for each subject. So also this deeper knowledge will be given to you at the right time. This is certain that since you have asked this question one day you will realize your soul. And with the knowledge of the soul comes the awareness of some of our past lives as well as the future. Once we discover the soul then fear of death vanishes forever. We know that death is only an appearance. It has no independent existence and is simply a process of material nature to help the soul grow from life to life.
There are many things that await after discovering the soul such as the real purpose of our birth, the knowledge of God, change of our nature that instinctively knows the true from the false, awakening of an intuitive mode of knowing, true love and peace and joy, change of thoughts and feelings into something beautiful and positive, discovery of Truth and Beauty and Good behind everything, compassion and gratitude, true bhakti and many other things besides that make life beautiful and divine, especially the dropping off of all fear and anxieties. Death loses its meaning and we become aware of some lives in the past.
Once one has decided the right teacher and the right scripture then the rest is simple. One has to only follow the way given with faith and sincerity. With time one begins to grow in experiences until one finally discovers the soul and God. But for that you have to wait for some more time. Right now you should study and play and make yourself strong and prepare your body and mind to undertake the great journey. Most important preparation is to become conscious, don’t allow ourself to be disturbed by everything, replace fear with faith in God, do with concentration whatever you do, read from books that show the way and have faith in God.
To complete we can say that the soul is the secret essence of everything, like the fragrance of a flower or the sweet nectar hidden within it covered by the form and colour. Or it is like the driving power within a seed that pushes the genetic code in the seed in the direction of its destiny which is to become a tree. Or we can look upon it as the power within the fire that gives light and heat. This power of heat and light may be buried deep as a possibility making things appear cold and dark. Yet it is there. When ignited from outside the metal or object begins to grow warm and emit light at some point. The substance undergoes a change as a result and can be remoulded into something useful and beautiful.
Similarly the Guru or the Divine ignites and awakens the concealed fire within us. As a result we begin to undergo a change. A purification process begins as the soul awakens turning raw gold with mixtures into pure gold, turning raw iron ore into steel. Similarly the soul enhances our value and possibilities infinitely. It purifies us and turns the human animal into a divine humanity. In fact by the Influence of our soul we discover our true value and power without which we remain very limited and impure creatures though we hardly know it.
Finally the soul joins us to the Divine just as a fire discovers that the heat and light in its flame is no different from the heat and light of the sun. By joining with its Source its potential and possibility become endless.
One also discovers that while forms change the heat energy and light energy do not die but go into the universe. That is why we say about someone who dies that they have become a star. It is a way of saying but it means that the essence of that person, that which gave him some consciousness and force has gone back to its source to rest and return back rejuvenated and strengthened. It needs a new body now as its power increases with every life as we pass through the challenges and struggles of life. So rebirth is a means to progress and get a new and better dress for the soul to wear for a greater work it must do. This goes on until we become conscious of the sun within us. Then the heat and light becomes a source of warmth and wisdom for many others.
Finally it is the soul in us that aspires and always seeks for Beauty, Light, Love, Truth, Harmony, Peace, Goodness despite the opposite appearances. It is our inner driver towards progress and perfection and eventually towards the Divine. It is the seat of aspiration and the source of faith within us. The real worth of a person therefore lies in the degree of development of his or her soul
Hope it is clear now about the soul and its function.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
