Life — A Journey of the Soul
We have all heard the scientific truth that “energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it can only be transformed from one form into another.”
If we do not look at this merely as a scientific principle, but reflect upon it from a spiritual perspective, our entire understanding of life can change.
Am I the body?
Or am I some deeper life force that is living within this body?
My body is born.
It grows.
It ages.
And one day, it perishes.
But where did that feeling of “I” within me come from? Is it connected only with the body?
Spiritual traditions have been exploring this question for thousands of years.
From that perspective, we may consider that we are not beings who have simply been created anew in this world.
We are in the middle of a long journey.
Birth may not be the beginning of that journey, and death may not be its end.
We may be beings moving from one form into another.
To believe this is, of course, a matter of personal spiritual belief.
We cannot say that science has proved this.
But if we take this idea as a way of looking at life, it can profoundly transform the way we live.
When a person begins to feel,
“I am not merely this body. I am a living being experiencing life through this body,”
the way that person looks at life begins to change.
Why Were We Born?
Why were we born?
Each of us must seek an answer to this question through our own experiences in life.
Was it to accumulate wealth?
To gain fame?
To acquire position, power, a house, a vehicle and comforts?
These may all be necessary aspects of life.
But if these alone are the complete purpose of life, then why do so many people still feel an emptiness within them even after achieving all these things?
Why do those who possess everything still search for peace?
And why does someone who possesses almost nothing sometimes live with profound happiness?
This is where the spiritual journey begins.
If we look at life as something we have come into this world not merely to accumulate possessions, but to experience, learn, understand and grow through, then many things that happen in our lives acquire a new meaning.
Every experience we encounter teaches us something.
Some people teach us love.
Some teach us patience.
Some teach us forgiveness.
Some reveal our weaknesses to us.
Some failures do not come to bring us down. They come to reveal the strength hidden within us.
Some separations do not come to destroy us. They come to help us understand the nature of attachment.
Some sufferings do not come to punish us. They may help us look at life more deeply.
That is why, instead of asking,
“Why did this happen only to me?”
if we begin to ask,
“What am I meant to learn from this?”
then our entire life can become a spiritual school.
The Purpose We Have Forgotten
From a spiritual perspective, we may consider that perhaps we came into this world with some purpose.
What experiences will help us grow?
Which people do we need to meet?
Which circumstances will open our hearts?
Which challenges will take us to the next level?
Some spiritual traditions suggest that we may have been born as infinite beings who knew all these things.
But when we are born, we do not remember them.
This is one of life's greatest mysteries.
A child is born.
It does not know who it is.
It grows.
Family, society, education, religion, money, position, competition, fame, fear, desire and expectations begin to create identities within its mind.
Many voices begin to surround us:
“You must be like this.”
“You must achieve this.”
“You must rise above others.”
“You must possess this.”
“The world must appreciate you.”
At some point, we forget who we really are and begin to believe that we are whatever the world tells us we should be.
That is where the voice of the soul gradually becomes silent.
Life's Greatest Challenge
The greatest challenge in life is not acquiring everything.
The greatest challenge is rediscovering who we truly are.
At some point in the middle of life, or perhaps standing at the doorway of old age, a person may begin to ask:
“Why did I spend all these years running?”
“Was what I was searching for really what I needed?”
“Did my achievements truly fill my heart?”
“Did I give enough love to those I loved?”
“What did I do with the time I was given?”
“Did I really live, or was I merely managing my life?”
The moment these questions arise may be the beginning of spiritual awakening.
You do not necessarily have to go to a temple for this.
You do not have to climb to the top of a mountain and meditate.
You do not have to leave the world and go into a forest.
It is enough to turn inward and look at yourself.
Who Is Spirituality For?
For many people, the word “spirituality” immediately brings to mind monks, saints, yogis, meditation, mountains and ashrams.
But spirituality goes far beyond all of these.
A mother raising her child with love is spirituality.
A father working honestly for his family is spirituality.
A worker doing his job with integrity is spirituality.
A person treating someone who asks for help with humanity is spirituality.
Choosing not to do something wrong even when nobody is watching is spirituality.
When someone has hurt us, choosing to think rather than immediately seek revenge is spirituality.
Controlling our words when we are angry is spirituality.
Respecting the opinion of someone younger than us is spirituality.
Admitting our own mistakes is spirituality.
Trying to forgive even when forgiveness seems impossible is spirituality.
Sharing what we have even when we do not have much is spirituality.
In other words, living our everyday life with higher values, awareness, love and responsibility is itself a form of spirituality.
The Home Can Become an Ashram
The home in which we live can become a spiritual school.
A husband trying to understand his wife can turn that effort into a form of meditation.
A wife looking beyond her husband's shortcomings and trying to understand the human being behind them can make that effort a spiritual practice.
Parents teaching their children not only about money but also about humanity is spirituality.
Children understanding the needs of their ageing parents is spirituality.
Speaking to one another with respect even when there are disagreements within the family is spirituality.
Love does not exist only in grand words.
It may exist in offering someone a cup of tea.
It may exist in telling someone who is tired,
“You rest. I'll take care of this.”
It may exist in saying,
“Please forgive me,”
when we have made a mistake.
It may exist in saying,
“It's all right,”
when someone else has made a mistake.
If this is spirituality, then it has never been far away from us.
It is in our kitchens.
It is in our workplaces.
It is in our families.
It is in our relationships.
It is in our quiet nights.
There Is a Lesson in Suffering Too
When suffering comes into our lives, the first question we usually ask is:
“Why did this happen to me?”
The spiritual perspective gently changes that question into:
“What has this come to teach me?”
This does not mean that we should desire suffering.
Nor does it mean that suffering should be justified.
And it is certainly not right to tell someone who is suffering,
“This is happening only for your spiritual growth,”
and thereby minimise their pain.
But there is something important in how we choose to use the suffering we experience.
A wound may turn us into bitter people.
The same wound may also transform us into people who understand the pain of others.
A failure may break us.
The same failure may make us humble.
A loss may leave us empty.
The same loss may help us understand the impermanence of life.
Therefore, rather than simply dividing our experiences into “good” and “bad,” it is important to observe the inner transformation that arises from them.
What Is Spiritual Growth?
Spiritual growth is not merely reading more books.
It is not simply knowing more mantras.
Nor is it speaking many spiritual words.
If we become a little more loving today than we were yesterday — that is spiritual growth.
If we are a little more patient today than we were yesterday — that is spiritual growth.
If we are able to observe our anger when it arises — that is spiritual growth.
If, before judging another person, we try to understand their situation — that is spiritual growth.
If we feel grateful for what we have received — that is spiritual growth.
If we have the courage to see our own mistakes — that is spiritual growth.
If our ego becomes a little smaller — that is spiritual growth.
If our love becomes a little greater — that is spiritual growth.
Therefore, spirituality is not merely about seeking extraordinary experiences.
Becoming a better human being is spirituality too.
We Must Search for Ourselves Again
No one can say with certainty what our soul's purpose was when we were born.
But if we observe our inner being, we may discover some clues.
What gives us a deep sense of fulfilment?
When do we feel most genuinely ourselves?
What do we do that brings benefit to others?
Which experiences transform us from within?
Which desires arise merely from our ego?
Which aspirations arise from the peace within our hearts?
If we begin to ask these questions quietly, certain lights may begin to appear along our path.
We do not have to change our entire life for this.
First, we must learn to observe our life.
We must observe what we say.
We must observe what we think.
We must observe our anger.
We must observe our fears.
We must observe what we are running after and why.
We must observe whom we love, and why we love them.
This observation gradually becomes awareness.
As awareness grows, our choices begin to change.
When our choices change, the direction of our life changes.
Life Itself Is Our Spiritual Practice
We do not have to abandon the life we have and search for some other spiritual life.
We can transform the life we are already living into a spiritual practice.
We can begin the morning with gratitude.
We can do our work honestly.
We can eat with awareness.
We can speak without unnecessarily hurting others with our words.
We can listen carefully to our family members.
We can spend a few minutes each day quietly observing ourselves.
Before going to bed at night, we can ask ourselves:
“Did I bring happiness to anyone today?”
“Did I hurt anyone unnecessarily?”
“What did I learn today?”
“What can I do a little better tomorrow?”
All of these are spiritual practices.
They do not require great expense.
They do not require a great qualification.
There is no need to prove ourselves to anyone.
What Do We Take With Us in the End?
One day, this body will leave us.
The money we accumulated will not come with us.
The position we held will not come with us.
The house we built will not come with us.
The vehicle we drove will not come with us.
Our fame will not come with us.
But what about the transformation that this life created within us?
Love?
Compassion?
Patience?
Wisdom?
Awareness?
From a spiritual perspective, these are what truly matter.
The important question is not what life gave us, but what kind of human being life transformed us into.
This is the deeper account of life.
It is not about how much we earned.
How much did we share?
How much did we love?
How much did we forgive?
How much did we understand?
How consciously did we live?
These are the questions that matter.
This Is Life
We may not know exactly where we came from.
We may not know exactly where we are going.
But this life we have now is certain.
This moment is certain.
This breath is certain.
Therefore, while continuing to search for the purpose of our soul, living this present moment in the best possible way may be the greatest spiritual act we can perform.
Let us love someone.
Let us forgive someone.
Let us help someone.
Let us understand someone's suffering.
Let us admit our own mistakes.
Let us be grateful for the life we have received.
Let us quieten our minds for at least a few moments each day.
Let us observe ourselves.
Before trying to change others, let us try to change ourselves.
Then our home can become an ashram.
Our work can become a service.
Our relationships can become a spiritual school.
Our suffering can become our teacher.
Our happiness can become an expression of gratitude.
Our old age can become a time of wisdom.
And even our death may be seen not as an ending, but as a doorway to another transformation.
Spirituality is not running away from life.
Spirituality is living life with its fullest meaning.
We are not merely living.
We are learning.
We are not merely going through experiences.
Our experiences are shaping us.
We are not merely passing through the years.
Every year is changing something within us.
Perhaps the true purpose of life is not somewhere far away that we have to search for.
Perhaps it lies in how we live today.
We may have been born having forgotten who we are.
But we are living with the opportunity to discover ourselves again.
That search is the spiritual journey.
On that journey, every experience is a lesson.
Every person is a teacher.
Every relationship is a mirror.
Every suffering is a question.
Every happiness is an opportunity for gratitude.
Every day is a new opportunity.
In the end, what we need to discover is not what the world thinks about us.
It is the answer within ourselves to that one profound question:
“Who am I, really?”
Even if we take just one small step towards that answer today, it is enough.
Because life is not merely an event of being born, growing, living and dying.
Life is a journey undertaken by the soul to know itself.
And on that journey, what matters is not how high we have risen,
but how genuinely we have become ourselves.
This is life.
This is spirituality.
With love,
Sakthi Sakthithasan
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