Why do we need this body and mind?

[Guest guest]

What is the first thing we need to do when we wake up from our sleep?

We leave our shoes outside of the Sai Kulwant Hall, when we walk into

it. Similarly, we have to meditate first thing in the morning to leave

our body consciousness and ego outside of us. This process would help

us recognize who we really are and what is the purpose for which we

have been created.

 

Secondly, does God expect us to worship Him? The answer is " no " . We do

not have to worship Him if we are fulfilling the purpose for which we

have been created. Even though Bhakthi Yoga is a path for realizing

God, what we are practicing is not Bhakthi Yoga. Beginning to feel

that we really know reciting the mantras or we know so much of

scriptures or how to chant Veda only takes us away from God and

identify ourselves with this body and mind.

 

We need to recognize that God is not outside of us and He resides in

us and everyone else in this world. Looking for God outside is

meaningless as He resides everywhere. However, our illusion to

recognize physical form makes us worship only if God is in a physical

form. That is why we go to the Temples.

 

Body is known as Shetra. Shetra also means a holy place or a field

where wars are fought. Therefore, this body is a place where God

(Shetrajna) resides or also where we fight all our desires and vasanas

to develop detachment. We need this body and mind to be used to make

all the effect of Karma to go away. When we use it for that purpose,

automatically, the God in us with Prema, Sathya, Dharma & Peace

manifests Himself. When it happens it makes us recognize that God in

us is the same as God in every other human being created in this world

by God. Action can not be done without this body and mind and

therefore, these instruments help us in the process of realization.

They as independent entities do not have any value but they are the

means to achieve realization.

 

Many of us wonder if this body and mind are not our real identity why

God gave it to us and He could have just provided Atma to exist

without body and mind so that everyone is formless in this world. Why

so many bodies and minds are so different from each other? The answer

is each Atma is given a set of tools to do action that would help

diminish the Karmic burden surrounding the Atma so that it can get

liberated and become one with the bright and Shining Paramatma. The

form of each individual is determined by the nature of the karmic

burden carried over by the Atma. In other words, each life force

surrounded by body and mind come into existence again and again until

it remove its karmic burden completely and become one with Paramatma.

 

We should not feel proud of our body or mind as they are part of our

karmic burden and only enhance our ego. However, consider that it

should be maintained clean because we reside in that house. We come

again and again until and unless this karmic burden is eliminated.