SOUL
What is the 'soul'?
There are many descriptions, depending on the background of those who wish to describe it in words. My belief is, that it is simply my "essence", the very "being" connected to all other things and God. Like a wave from the ocean. The wave rushes up onto a beach then melts back into the ocean. It is seperate but not seperated completely. As our soul is from God and what is around us. Our soul is unchangeable, it is "Pure Consciousness" and "Absolute Reality".
The soul is created by Shiva ( name for God ), and is destined to become one, to merge with Shiva. God is one with our soul. We are God's creation, we are immortal and when our 'work' is done, we unite fully with Him. We, as individual souls, are immature and God Himself is perfect. We must evolve, through life, through reincarnation, which leads to "self realization", to melt completely into Him. Some believe the "soul" and "sprit" are two seperate thing. This is mainly religions of the Christian theology and those that use the 'trinity' to explain their God and themselves. I can understand this view in the terms; "physical" for our body, "mental" for our spirit and "spiritual" for our soul. Although I am not sure that is what most religions believe.
Gurudeva states; "The soul's evolution is a progressive unfoldment, growth and maturing toward its inherent, divine destiny, which is complete merger with Shiva".
The soul can be better understood, when it is described in two parts; the "soul body" and the "essence". The "soul body" is our individual selves, and we are still evolving, like mentioned above. The "essence" of our soul, the core of our being, here we are already perfect, identically and eternally one with God. The destiny of all souls is what the Hindus call "moksha", which is the liberation from the cycle of reincarnation, or rebirth, into this physical plane.
Before we reach "moksha" we must go through the cycle of reincarnation. After we die, our souls look over the actions they performed on the physical plane, earth, then decide if they will come back to complete unfinished business, reincarnating into another body. The unfinished business is called "karma" which basically means "deed" or "act".
Karma is often misunderstood. Most believe, that bad "karma" in this life, means "bad" will come back to haunt you in the next. For instance, Karma doesn't necessarily go simply from one life to the next, in that order. Karma can be passed on through many physical forms, jumping from one to the next in no specific order. Also, there truly is not "good karma" or "bad karma". It is neutral. All experience helps us grow. The nature of all beings is their soul, which is goodness. Meaning there truly is no evil on the "soul" level of things. Along with that misunderstanding, people may assume that Karma is "fate", which it is not. We act on our own free will. It is simply "What goes around, comes around", like the old saying goes.
"Perishable is matter. Immortal the Lord, who, the One controls the perishable and also the soul. Meditating on Him, uniting with Him, becoming more and more like Him, one is frees at the last from the world's illusion." - From the 'Yajur Veda' a Hindu Scripture
