Previously in my Blog “Soul – A brief study” we had discussed that human life is composed of body and soul. Soul is a creation of God without any matter and that also by His command or as His work. I apologize to my Readers to make the repetition of the above findings as you may perhaps think them sounding like a broken record; but it is necessary to link the same with our further discussion in the subject here.
God has created souls for some objectives which are expected to be attained by the human being. Here, we will have to leave these objectives aside as it is the independent subject and the same is not related here. Now, we should bear in our mind that soul has been provided a body in which it can dwell and attain its objectives. An efficient horse-riding is only possible when both the horse and its rider are efficient. The efficiency of any single cannot bring the expected results. Same way, the soul is a rider and body the horse. Conclusion is that both soul and body must remain healthy. It is said, “Prevention is better than cure.” Now, we have to find out the root cause which makes both body and soul unhealthy or sick.
Body and soul need nutrition and hygienic care. Biological sciences and spiritual philosophies have found out a conclusive finding of the same in the words ‘balance’ and ‘imbalance’. The root cause of sicknesses of both body and soul come under this theory and to say in a single word resulting from ‘imbalance’. The slightest imbalance makes the body as well as soul sick. We take an example of an athlete walking on a horizontally hanging rope. While walking on the rope, he maintains his balance. If he fails to do so, he immediately falls down. Similarly, the same thing happens in the cases of both body and soul, an unfair state of sickness resulting from any imbalance.
Before going further into the discussion of the titled subject in detail, we will have to drop here also the discussion of body aside as the researchers have provided us a lot of knowledge in this regard. Now, we will concentrate ourselves towards ‘soul’ only in this brief essay regarding its sickness, nutrition, care and cure.
Spiritual nourishment is the food of the soul. The principal sources of this nourishment are ‘faith in God’ and ‘moral disciplines’. When the soul becomes the victim of spiritual sickness coming from psychological disturbances and complexes, the above two main remedies come forward to help us to maintain the balance of our soul.
Above two remedies, faith in God and moral disciplines cannot be found out from any outward sources. They can be created from within ourselves. Moreover, their only creation is not sufficient, but we will have to make them strong by various means which have been shown in every religion on the earth. For physical fitness, the exercises are necessary. Likewise, the exercises of soul for its fitness are common in all religions. They are such as faith, morality, prayers or meditations, adoration, overcoming desires, contemplation over life and its objectives, utilizing the precious gift of reason favored by God etc.. To make our physique sound and healthy, some months or years are enough for result orientation; but to reach towards the spiritual perfection of the soul, the entire life may be insufficient. The life long efforts may bring the satisfactory results. Any imbalance of a second may make everything ruinous.
My attempt to discuss the above subject, which is very profound and delicate also, is like a drop in the ocean; but, I am sure, it may prove to be a “Light House” to some Readers who have not yet given any thought to such philosophical issues due to their busy occupancies in their worldly affairs. Human is a thinking being. Descartes has rightly said, “I think; therefore, I exist.” Every individual’s belief should be as the natural outcome of free thinking. Human being differs from the rest creatures of the earth on the ground of its reason (intelligence) which is gifted by God. The logic of the reason alone is the guide to the right path of human life. After the creation by the God, the human being has been left free to do whatever it likes. It is at liberty whether to uplift its own soul upwards or throw it downwards.
In brief, it can be said that human being is empowered by capability of being a self made super human. Human is the sculptor of its own life. The profound message behind this is to carve own self in a spiritual form, but not the least in a physical form. Our physique is already carved (created) by the God and the making of our own body is not in our hands. What we have to do is to carve (develop) our souls ourselves.
We should try to reach the summits of spirituality so that we can know the God and get His nearness. This is the only objective of human life and to achieve the same, the human being should contemplate over to understand the mysteries of the Creator and His creations. A Hadith preaches the Believers in these words: “One hour’s contemplation is better than seventy years of adoration.”
May God guide us all to the truth and lead us to His divinity by purifying our souls with His mercy.
-Valibhai Musa