Man is in search of happiness, but has no peace of mind. Even if he succeeds in achieving his objectives, he remains dissatisfied. His search for peace and happiness, therefore, never ends. Saint Augustine says that God gave us the senses for using them properly, but we misuse them by indulging in sensual pleasures; whereas the bliss for which we should have striven remains enshrined in scriptures only.
Man is an ensouled entity gifted with body, mind, and intellect. He takes good care of his body for the sake of his domestic, social, and political well-being. Intellectually, he has made strident advances. He has successfully explored the earth, oceans, and space and has made atomic bombs. A single atom bomb can destroy millions. Strangely enough, with all his achievements he remains ignorant about the prime source of energy from which his body and mind derive their strength - soul - his true self. He has so much identified himself with the body that he is unable to distinguish his soul from the body. In fact, he does not know that his real self is something separate from the body. Have we ever thought about the propelling force in us? Have we recognized the indweller of the house?
Soul is a conscious entity. Just as any essence has its basic source, soul too has an ultimate source ? the Oversoul ? a vast Ocean of All-Consciousness. The entire universe is His manifestation. The soul is identified with the material body by constant association with the senses. Man does not know that he can have true happiness only when he is able to disfranchise the self in him from the outer vestures. He is so much entangled with the mind and body that he ever remains unhappy and restless. Soul being conscious and body being material, these cannot coexist amiably.
We pretend to ...