We are not our body - We are the spirit within.
Our bodies are a temporary home. When we leave these bodies, we - the soul - keep on living eternally. It is no wonder that when we see the empty body of a person we know at their funeral, they don't look like themselves. It is because they - the spirit soul - is no longer there. Their very essence is missing. The soul - the person - is gone from the body, leaving a body that is just an empty vessel.
In the ancient Yoga Texts it is said: 'Aham Brahmasmi' I am spirit. I am not matter. I am not the body. I am not the mind. I am the eternal spirit soul, the eternal spark of the Supreme ॐ.
In the famous, ancient Bhagavad-Gita, our eternal nature as a spirit-soul is further explained;
"For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal,
ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain."
(Bhagavad-Gita As It Is 2.20)
In the Katha Upanisad also we find a similar passage which reads:
na jayate mriyate va vipascin
nayam kutascin na vibhuva kascit
ajo nityah sasvato 'yam purano
na hanyate hanyamane sarire
(Katha 1.2.18)
"The meaning and purport of this verse is the same as in the Bhagavad-gita, but here in this verse, there is one special word, 'vipascit' which means learned or with knowledge.
The soul is full of knowledge, or full always with consciousness. Therefore, consciousness is the symptom of the soul. Even if one does not find the soul within the heart, where he is situated, one can still understand the presence of the soul simply by the presence of consciousness. Sometimes we do not find the sun in the sky owing to clouds, or for some other reason, but the light of the sun is always there, and we are convinced that it is therefore daytime. As soon as there is a little light in the sky early in the morning, we can understand that the sun is in the sky. Similarly, since there is some consciousness in all bodies--whether man or animal--we can understand the presence of the soul."
We invite you to come learn more about your true identity and eternal spiritual nature at the Bhakti Yoga Shack in Anahola. We host a kirtan gathering every Sunday and invite you to join us. Please contact us for more details.
www.bhaktiyogashack.com