Identity

Who are you?

Have you ever tried to play football in a field ?

  Most of us will nod with a 'yes'. If some say 'no' they must have atleast watched it once on T.V, Smartphone, or somewhere on a playground.

This question is not intended to check your familiarity with football, but to know if you have ever imagined playing football, without knowing which team you belong, what's your Role or even where the goalpost is. Sounds weird, right?

But this is a good example to present the average knowledge, people have regarding 'themselves' and 'life' in this age . 

People today are blissfully unaware of their actual identity and purpose as 'living beings', considering themselves as what others have a say on them, like a madman who has forgot who he is and should be.

The Bhagavad-Gita (song of God) which is considered as essence of all Vedas, reveal that we are neither the body, nor part of any artificial difference created by 'humans' ( i.e; Nationality, race, religion, etc) but parts and parcels of God called 'soul'. One may accept it as a matter of faith or even commonsense.

For people who can't accept it as faith,can have a question from me: What is it which differentiates between the body you cover right now and a body of a dead ( who passed away recently)? Is it some metabolic reaction, absence of certain chemical, loss of consciousness, or total loss of energy?

Happily enough, nothing from the above. It is the presence of spirit soul which differentiates between a living and dead. 

Theoretical knowledge of self is not as useful as recognizing the self. So, as we learn who we are, we should also have some knowledge about our real characteristics which we've, unfortunately, forgot long before:

"You" the soul who controls the body you cover , reside in the heart of the body.

 "You" are one ten- thousandth part  the tip of your hair.

 

"You" are indestructible and imperishable.

 

Since ,"You" are living in the body you've got, it is called a living body.

Thus, if we learn to know our true self under the guidance of scriptures and a bonafide spiritual master we can again bring out our eternal traits as a part and parcel of God and also re-establish our lost relationship with him.

Reference:-

Bhagavad-Gita as it is

See also:-

Atman: The Soul, the true self