I believe that uniqueness of a person lies in the goodness
of his soul... Confused? Maybe it’s an abrupt way to start a deep introspection
into something that is given so less importance even by the dictionary. It says
that the soul “is an immaterial part of a person, the actuating cause of an
individual life.” Pretty accurate, some would say. Others would say that it is
that entity which leaves the bodies of the departed to unite with God. I don’t
wholeheartedly agree with both viewpoints. The dictionary definition is rather
impersonal and practical; who is to judge whether the soul is ‘immaterial’? Who
is to know what the soul wants? Secondly, a soul was born inside of us, when we
were brought into the world by the creator, and will stay with us till we
breathe our last. So why should the soul only be associated with the departed?
To answer the above questions as honestly as possible, let
us first understand why the soul is an integral part of our being. It is true,
that without a soul stirring inside us we would be bereft of emotions- unable
to love, unable to feel hurt and humiliation, unable to feel anger or sorrow.
We would be no better than cold tombstones; cast in a curse of lifelessness and
ignorant of the luxury of feeling the glorious sun beaming down on us in the
warm summers, and the cold breeze stinging our cheeks in the snowy winters. It
is because of this ‘soul’ that we are engulfed by a multitude of emotions every
day. It is the ‘soul’ that blows life into our inanimate bodies and stays with
us through the highs and lows of life.
A person’s action speaks volumes about their character. Good
deeds and bad deeds make a person’s life, for man has to live with the eternal
conflict of choosing the right path between the two. Our lives our full of
trials and tribulations, but a person with strength of character and soul
cannot break into pieces in the face of adversities. We just have to look back
on the lives of our freedom fighters- so many of them were tortured and brutalized
when the British forces rose to vanquish them- despite the atrocities they were
made to face, the British couldn't crush their spirit. They were defiant till
the very end, and so many of them died brave deaths in the name of freedom.
Today we remember them fondly, because somewhere we do realize that it takes a
lot of will power and courage to sacrifice all for a noble cause. It was the
soul residing in their bodies that made them especial and unique. Their bodies
were beaten and bruised, but their souls were emboldened in the face of
brutality.
The cause of negative emotions and ill feeling in people is
also largely connected with the soul. A
deprived upbringing, a life of poverty and degradation compel a person to
resort to wrong means- Hunger and poverty can drive them to a point of insanity
where doing the wrong thing becomes a compulsion. How can such a person feed
his soul? He has seen such appalling suffering and injustice in life,that his
soul withers inside him, and words like ‘faith’ and ‘hope’ are wiped out from his
very existence. He obviously does not believe in good deeds, as fate has been
cruel to him. And yet his soul needs love. Love is, in fact, his only hope for
redemption.
The all powerful soul can make you do great things- whether
you would rather choose to perform good or bad deeds, is dependent on how you
want to live life. It’s important to know such things about ourselves because
as individuals, each of us is special and each of us has something valuable to
give to the world. In present times we see cowardice, corruption, moral degradation sullying our society in general, and our beliefs in good values have started to dwindle. Our own
experiences embitter us and the realities of life start blurring before our
eyes. Those surrounded with such negativity should look within themselves for the answer- An honest and forthright person can never lose himself and his ideals- even in the most catastrophic times!
On the festival of lights, remember to light the fire within
YOU- that fire, which can illuminate your life as well as the lives of
others! Spread joy, happiness, love and mercy, and unburden that soul!! Let
your soul know true freedom!
A very happy to Diwali to all you beautiful people and your
families!! J
Have a Blast, WITHOUT crackers!! Cheers!
