True knowledge comes from seeing and experiencing on our own. We may read what others write or listen to what others say, but we cannot be fully satisfied until we experience it for ourselves.
Two aspects of spiritual knowledge can help us realise our soul: theoretical knowledge and personal or practical knowledge. On the theoretical side, a basic agreement among enlightened souls is that we are not just a physical body, but we are also the soul or spirit behind the body. It is the soul that that gives us life. When the soul is in the body, we are physically alive. When the soul leaves the body at the time of death, the body ceases to exist. The body may perish, but the soul that inhabits it is immortal. The soul continues to exist after our physical death.
We are aware of our physical body because we can look at it, feel it, and listen to sounds coming from it. However, where and what is the soul? How can we recognise it? What are its characteristics and qualities?
Some of us may spend our lives searching for knowledge in the world outside. Little do we know that the source of all answers, the universal wisdom, lies within us. Some of us may find that at times our life is thwarted by fear and anxiety, hopelessness and depression, yet we have a source of fearlessness within us that can help us overcome any inner turmoil. We fear our own death and the passing away of our loved ones. We are petrified of the unknown and what awaits us beyond this life. But we do not realise that immortality is ours. We crave love and seek it in many places. But there is an unconditional love that is ours awaiting us with open arms. We need only turn in the right direction to find it. We feel alone and unconnected in this world. But there is a place of unity and connectedness within us. If we could but only tap it we would find the richness of relationships with others, with nature and with all life. True happiness is not as elusive as we think.
Within us lies the unlimited power and energy of the empowered soul. Tapping into it can enrich and transform our life. Its rich qualities include unlimited wisdom, fearlessness, immortality, unconditional love and bliss.
We remain ignorant of these inner gifts because of blockages that keep us from tapping within? How can we remove these blockages? What process do we need to use to discover all that we seek?
There are simple techniques for accessing the riches of our own soul. We need not search the four corners of the earth. We need not travel into outer space. These techniques can be practised in the comfort of our own home.
Exploration within will help us discover our own potential. Once we learn to tap into our inner resources, we experience a profound transformation that will enrich all areas of our life, from personal relations, to physical, mental and emotional health, to our work, our spiritual growth, and the attainment of our life’s goals. This transformation can bring peace and joy into our lives and can contribute to a peaceful, loving world.
The term “soul” is defined as our true essence or spiritual side -- the part of us that lives beyond the death of our physical body. The soul exists whether it has a body or mind. When it enters this world, it is given a body and mind. As human beings, we are thus “embodied souls” or souls with a body and mind.
The terms “we” or “us” refer to us as human beings or embodied souls. The process of finding the soul is referred to as “tapping into” or “discovering our soul within us.” When we finally do discover our soul and identify with it as being our true nature, then the soul is referred to as the “empowered soul”, a soul that has recognised itself and is aware that it is the essence of who we really are, that it is the guiding power behind the body and mind.