Unlock Your Soul
Today 21st April 2020. Almost 30th day of lockdown due to COVID19. In my last 63 years of life, never seen almost entire world in lock down due to fear and despair. An invisible virus, not sure whether matter or living being, not sure whether human engineered or nature created, appeared suddenly and spread all over world in no time, not respecting caste, creed, gender, political and geographical boundaries. Almost the entire world has halted and feeling chained in the jail. Homes, offices, public places , transports every thing is locked. It seems we are playing a game of statue with the nature and nature has put all of us in statue position.
However when outer world is closed, one has no option but to do internal journey and I had a realisation that my soul is also chained and locked since time immemorial. As per ancient Asian theories, soul is polluted and locked by our day to day karma in endless previous lives, current life and endless future lives. First time realising that soul is feeling so helpless in front of cycle of karma. Karma can be good or bad but it binds. Good karma binds for good reactions and bad karma results into bad actions. And cycle of samsaara or birth and death goes on.
Philosophies have prescribed many ways to free the soul from this cycle- such as sanyam, vrat, tap, daan, swadhyay, dhyaan etc however I will mention mainly 5 ways in this time for people who want to unlock their soul:
1) Ashtang yog’s first limb is Yam and Jainism calls them 5 maha vrat. Non-violence, non-stealing, satya-truth, chastity and non-possession. By following these 5 vrat, one will be able to stop new bondage of karma by his/her 5 senses and mann (mind).
2) Reducing or eliminating 4 kasay. krodha (anger), mana (ego) and maya (deceit), lobha (greed). This will help in not accumulating or bondage of karma through 5 senses and mind.
3) Minimum one hour Aasana and pranayam will help in keeping synchronisation of body, mind and soul. This will also help in stopping of new bondages.
4) Swadhyay or study of scriptures or listening of scriptures will enhance the knowledge and wisdom and will be able to differentiate between soul and karma. It is also called Bhed-vigyaan in Jainism.
5) Dhyaan or meditation. This is the ultimate technique of looking into soul by the soul and for the soul and it has the ability to completely stop influx of new karma and shedding of old karma.