Talk 8 by Prabhuji
So the question is….
Is there relationship or bonding between two individual souls?
Sunlight reflects in river, in a stone and in a mirror. The reflections are many, but how many Suns are there? Sun is only one, similarly there is only one and that Paramatma reflects in many body-mind complexes. In a body-mind-intellect complex, intellect is the sharpest and most clear surface of reflection. So the reflection of the Paramatma is maximum in intellect. Now the reflection appears to be a Jiva an individual soul. So how many individual souls are there? As many reflecting surfaces are there, this person, that person etc. But the reflection has no existence of its own, only the original is real. So how, many originals are there? Only one!
In our illusion we start thinking that each of these reflected souls has its independent existence which is not true. Because we identity the individual soul with the body but not with soul. Soul is just a reflection of the supreme. Reflection has no existence only Supreme has existence. Should you see the reflection or should you see the original?
Let’s take another example, you have a dream. In your dream you go to a zoo and there is an elephant, there is crocodile, there is a Zoo keeper, and many people visiting the zoo. You tell me now, how many beings are there in your dream? Seems to be many, but are they real? They are the projection of your mind, and who is there in all of them? Only you! You are seeing them as different beings because of your mental projection, in reality they are only you. So in reality in this universe only Paramatma exists, and he appears as many. Reality is only one supreme reality, Paramatma, everything else is just reflection.
Now will there be attachment? It will be only if you are confusing the body with the soul, or body with the jivatma. The moment you realize that the body is unreal and jivatma is real, then a pure love develops, not attachment. Attachment is for the body and love is for the Atma the soul.
Somebody is sitting in car, and you say ‘I love you’.
Are you saying that you are loving the car or the person sitting in the car?
Similarly body is a vehicle, the Jivatma or the soul is sitting inside. When you say you are not loving the body but the Jivatma then there is only pure love. But when it is for body, the it only attachment as body is physical and Jivatma is universal. That pure love is called devotion, and that pure love is called ‘Para Bhakti’, the ‘highest love’. Whereas the Bhakti which we do without understanding the principle of divine as Consciousness is called ‘Apara Bhakti’, the ‘lower love bhakti’.
Sometimes we feel that we are connected to some individuals.
Connection can happen at physical level, mental level, and intellectual and Atma level. Which of them is true? Only Atma level connection is true and everything else is temporary and apparent phenomena. The real connection is the connection of the Self, the Atma, the ‘Light of the Self’. Rest of them is because of some relatedness, mental or physical, psychological or intellectual we feel connected to somebody. Only real eternal connection is, of the ‘Self’, that is called Atma’. Others are temporary, changing, today you feel connected, tomorrow you feel disconnected, don’t bother about these temporary connections and look for permanent connection.
Transcription by Atmajyothi Satyavathi
Light of The Self Foundation 