Thought 141: You are a conscious being in your body but you are not your body

Every one comes into this world for a temporary sojourn, seeking happiness. While we look for happiness, we end up invariably experiencing sorrow for the most part. That is the nature of life on this planet. Nevertheless, we never seem to learn from experience - we still look, with great expectations, for happiness that is not there. When the visa expires, we exit and reappear later (in the next incarnation), with another temporary visa, looking again for happiness as before. This cycle goes on and on, like this, until one realizes his folly and strives to gain freedom from birth, which is called “Moksha” in Hindu philosophy (Vedaanta). Vedaanta is derived from Vedas, which are the ageless Hindu books of knowledge – which are still considered relevant.

Human birth is a rare opportunity. Of all the lord's creatures, the human being alone is endowed with intellect (Buddhi). Intellect helps you gain wisdom – discriminating knowledge. Wisdom tells you that your goal should be Moksha. Moksha leads to eternal peace and happiness.

The body-mind complex is inert – and you are a conscious being in your body-mind complex. This conscious being is called the Aatma, which is Awareness. Moksha is to know that you are the Aatma, which is the Awareness - and that you are not the body-mind complex.

Time and death are irreversible and their inevitability causes fear. There is no death to the conscious being inside the body-mind complex. Body alone dies because it is born. Everything born must die one day or the other. There is neither birth nor death to the conscious being in the body – because he is not born. He lives on and on, forever, timelessly.

The next thought is about “Time is our most important resource”