Most of us identify ourselves with our bodies, because we are unaware about the immortal entity called soul which resides within us and functions through the body. As a result of this ignorance, one letter that dominates our lives is ‘I’. Even when we are thinking of something or someone it is linked to the ‘I’, that is, to the needs, desires and feelings of the self in relation to objects and people.
The ‘I’ manifests in different forms, literally and metaphorically. There is a capital I and the small i.
‘I’ has no dot above it while ‘i’ has one. In that sense, ‘I’ represents ego while ‘i’ represents its antidote humility. When we are acting from ego, we think of ourselves as larger than life, whereas in humility we are aware of our true self and we feel grateful to the Supreme for all the goodness that we see in ourselves and others.
Our ego stems from the body’s consciousness, that is, the false identification of the eternal spiritual self with the mortal physical body. Since the body is made up of five elements, it is lifeless without a soul.
A dead body becomes hard and loses its softness as soon as a soul leaves it. Likewise, ‘I’ has no soul and a person full of pride is rigid in his opinions, beliefs and attitudes.
Whereas the dot above ‘i’ symbolises the soul and its lower part may be seen as representing the body. The soul is a sentient point of light, while the body has a vertical shape. So in that sense, ‘i’ connotes a complete human being, that is, the soul and the body. The ‘i’ connotes the soul, the spiritual life force.
In a true sense, we only live when we are aware of the self as a soul, however, when we live and act out of ego or ‘I’ consciousness, we are as good as dead, because the ego is an illusion created by our ignorance. Reflection would show that when we pronounce ‘i’, it conveys a sense of humility, gentleness and
flexibility whereas ‘I’ is pronounced in an emphatic and loud way.
A lighted candle is similar to ‘i’ and it’s flame represents light — the light of an enlightened person who is always aware of the self as a point of light. That is why we see that during Diwali people light up rows of lamps, lights and candles and it spreads so much light and joy. It represents the Golden Age — the soul-conscious community and era in which all humans are naturally aware of themselves as souls and live in peace and joy.
The more we come back to our original state of being, that of purity, love and peace, the easier it will be for us to connect to the supreme source and draw on the powers of peace, love and truth to share it with others around us, thereby bringing peace within the self and the world. So, let’s embark on this wonderfu