Are
You Nourishing Your Soul
By Rajiv Vij
“Diseases of the soul are more dangerous and more numerous
than those of the body.” – Cicero, the Roman philosopher
While many of us regularly spend some time taking care of
our health, these efforts are usually focused only on our physical well-being.
We rarely focus enough on our emotional and mental health and most importantly
on our spiritual well-being. Nourishing our soul is arguably the most important
agenda we ought to be attending to in human life.
Spiritual well-being
Spiritual well-being is related to our level of
self-awareness, clarity about the purpose of our life and a connection with
something larger than ourselves. It is about knowing who we are, what our place
in this universe is, and the extent of our interconnectedness with the
universe. Soul is the part of us that is eternal and connects us with
everything else; spiritual growth is fodder for the soul.
Spiritual development dictates gaining clarity on the
purpose of our life and committing to that purpose provides strength to our
soul in its own eternal journey. As the soul gets nourished, its energy
reverberates in our physical, mental and emotional state as well. On the one
hand, it fills us with peace and calm; on the other, it inspires our mind and
body towards meaningful action.
An expanded level of self-awareness includes building
awareness of the true self – the Self that never dies and is never born, but
just takes on different forms. Consciousness of our core being helps dilute our
habitual attachment with our ego and guides us towards the principles of
letting go, being present in the moment, and maintaining equanimity under all
situations. Progress in this area gives greater meaning to our life and helps
us to be happier, compassionate and feel fulfilled.
It is the key to our human experience
“You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.” – C.S. Lewis
While different aspects of our well-being are all
important, spiritual well-being is perhaps the most crucial. Our soul is our
eternal core and its evolution is at the heart of our spiritual progress. If
the deepest purpose of a human life is to transcend oneself and become one with
the divine, then the purpose of physical, mental and emotional well-being is to
be the means to accomplishing that end.
Accordingly, we need to take care of our bodies so we
increase our lifespan – not to indulge in greater pleasure, but to have a
better shot at healing and nurturing our soul; pay attention to healing our
mind, so we can gain an intellectual grasp of the spiritual concepts; and heal
our emotional past, in order to open our hearts and soul to greater love,
connectedness, giving and receiving.
How often do we think about our health and well-being from
that standpoint?
The story worth retelling
Once upon a time, there was a rich King, who had four
wives. He loved the fourth wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and
treated her to the finest of delicacies. He also loved the third wife very much
and was always showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. He also loved his
second wife. She was his confidant and was always kind, considerate and patient
with him. Whenever the King faced a problem, he could confide in her, and she
would help him get through the difficult times. The King's first wife was a
very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth
and kingdom. Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her!
One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was short.
He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, "I now have four wives with
me, but when I die, I'll be all alone."
Thus, he asked the fourth wife, "I have loved you the
most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you.
Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No
way!” replied the fourth wife and she walked away without another word. Her
answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart. The sad King then asked the
third wife, "I have loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you
follow me and keep me company?" "No!” she replied. "Life is too
good! When you die, I'm going to remarry!" His heart just sank.
He then asked the second wife, "I have always turned
to you for help and you've always been there for me. When I die, will you
follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this
time!" replied the second wife. "At the very most, I can only walk
with you to your grave." The King was devastated.
Then a voice called out: "I'll go with you. I'll
follow you no matter where you go." The King looked up, and there was his
first wife. She was very skinny as she suffered from malnutrition and neglect.
Greatly grieved, the King said, "I should have taken much better care of
you when I had the chance!"
Key learning
In truth, we all have the metaphorical ‘four wives’ in our
life. Our fourth wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish
in making it look good, it will leave us when we die. Our third wife is our
possessions, status and wealth. When we die, it will all go to others. Our
second wife is our family and friends. No matter how much they have been there
for us, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.
And our first wife is our Soul – often neglected in
pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world. However, our Soul is the
only thing that will follow us wherever we go. We ought to nurture and cherish
it for it is the only part of us that will stay with us through eternity.
Three pointers to nourishing your soul
1. Action: Reflect on your life and
explore what satisfies you deeply – not merely as a momentary pleasure but in a
profound and lasting way. Connecting with nature, meditating, being engaged in
meaningful work, reading inspirational books, enjoying time with your loved
ones, helping someone needy, pursuing a creative hobby (gardening, sowing,
cooking, photography, painting) and so forth.
2. Knowledge: It is greatly helpful to
comprehend the truth about our existence, who we are and what we are doing
here. Building awareness about both, our core identity and our deeper purpose
of life supports our staying committed towards the efforts at nourishing our
soul.
3. Reflection: Irrespective of our best
intentions, the pulls and pressures of modern life take us away from attending
to our spiritual self. The adrenaline rush of success, money and fame easily
distract us from pursuing what’s most important in the long-term. Creating a
discipline of regular reflection time, preferably in the form of a meditation
routine, is much needed to sustain these intents.
Rajiv Vij
is a Life Coach and works with business and social sector leaders to help them
discover and fulfill their potential. He writes a blog on the journey of
personal mastery and its impact on our lives
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(My
humble salutations to Sri Rajiv Vij ji and hindu samskrit dot com for the collection)
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