31) The Truth

We are confused about who we are. 

We fight for what we want on an individual level. We feel separate and disconnected from our fellow men. We do not live in harmony, because we do not know who we are. If we don’t really know who we are, then how can we really know what we need or what we want? This is a recipe for constant striving and disappointment.

Somewhere deep down, we accept that we are connected with everything and everyone around us. We love beauty, we know right and wrong, we have our ideals. This is shared with all humanity. This is a connection of the spirit. It is not logic or intelligence. Appreciation of these things are much more than logic or intelligence.

The Bhagavad Gita tells us that the wise do not grieve for the living or the dead. Because the spirit is immortal, we were never born and will never die. This might not be obvious at first glance but as soon as we look below the surface, we see the truth. There was never a time that we did not exist and there will never be a time when we will not exist.

We ignore the eternal spirit, and we ignore the needs of the spirit. Instead, we mistakenly search for things that will never ultimately satisfy us, the short lived cravings of the senses.

As we continue to strive, we even trample on those that get in our way. Not knowing what we really need, leads to constant disappointment, which leads to frustration, which leads to anger, which on a global scale leads to war.

If we are to meet our needs, find ultimate satisfaction in life, we need to understand who we are. We need to go down to the very root of the problem if we are to have any chance of living in peace and real, fulfilling, enduring happiness.

This is where the teachings and ancient scriptures can help us. By studying and learning we can make sense of where we have come from, who we are and where we are going. It is up to each one of us to explore the truth for ourselves, as no one will do it, or can do it, for us.