We are proud of ourselves. We should definitely be proud. If someone asks you your introduction, you would introduce yourself as a boy/girl, a son/daughter, a father/mother, a husband/wife, a student, an employee, a friend, a brother/sister, a Manager, a CEO, a film-actor, a director, a President, or your name itself (i.e. "I am Sagar") depending on the situation you are in. However, don't you think, these are actually the tags we have attached and acquired over a period of time?

First we acquire the body, and then our name and then so on. Thus, gradually, I become a son, then a student, then a professional, a husband, a father, a grandfather, and our introduction keeps changing with time. However, due to continuous change in our identity, today, many of us have the question, "Who am I?", "What is my purpose in this world?" and this chapter should definitely solve these questions.

When you wear a ring or a bracelet or a necklace for a long time, you automatically start considering it as a part of yourself. Subtly, that becomes a part of you, and you get attached to it. Similarly, over a period of time now, we have got attached to this body so much that we consider that we are this body. Thus, we think we will perish after a stipulated time.

We also say that we are what we have acquired i.e. "I am an engineer", "I am Sagar", "I am a dancer". Let us change these statements and be a bit clearer about the same facts above: "I work as an engineer", "My name is Sagar", and "I dance as a passion". Well, grammatically there could be not much difference in the two statements comparatively, but then why is it necessary to give so much importance to framing our sentences?

It is not just about English Grammar, but more about what we believe about ourselves. We believed we are this body, but looking at the latter sentences, we realize there is some "I" who is saying "this is something of mine" i.e. the ?I' is separate from the ?tag'. When we say my body, we understand that there is someone who is saying "my". We always say, My body is paining. We never say I the body is paining. Thus, it is clear that there is some ?I' who is saying all this.

So, who am I?
Within this assembly of bones and muscles and plenty of organs is the energy making this body (instrument) function. Be it breathing, moving, talking, walking, or any other voluntary/involuntary function, everything is controlled by this energy. This energy is like a tiny point of light. This point of light is present in the center of the forehead, behind the eyes, amidst the brain (in between the thalamus, hypo-thalamus, pituitary, and pineal glands). "I" refers to this point of light. This point of light is called the "soul". The other words for soul are aatma, consciousness, energy, being, rooha (in Hindi). Thus, it is the soul who is doing and saying all this. Thus, you are that soul, and your body is just the instrument, the costume that you have worn to express yourself. So, whenever you refer to "I", it is the soul. You are a soul. It is just that we have forgotten it over a period of time.

Soul is energy, but how to believe it?
You are a soul. The soul is a meta-physical energy, smaller than an atom, invisible through the naked eyes. How to believe it? We often talk about the mind, which is invisible. Do we need a proof that the mind is present? Not really. This is because we experience the mind each moment. Human Being is composed of humus, means the body made of five elements (water, air, ether, fire, earth), and being, the energy making the body move. If you can experience the presence of your mind, you can even experience the soul, because mind is just a part / faculty of the soul.

Faculties of a Soul
Soul is energy, which is manifested into three faculties and plays three different roles. It is playing in each one of us every other moment. The three faculties are Mind, Intellect, and Sanskars. Whenever we think and create thoughts, soul plays the role of a mind. Whenever we make any decision, soul plays the role of the intellect. Whatever we do is a part of the actions we perform. These actions can be physical or even arriving at a conclusion within the mind. Such actions generate results of some kind, which are fed back into the Soul as Sanskars (or impressions or habits). Thus, Mind, Intellect, and Sanskars are not the parts of a Soul, but the roles played by the soul.

What is the use of knowing this?
Energy can never be created, nor be destroyed. So, once you understand, realize, remember, experiment, and experience that you are soul, and not this body, you will automatically understand that you can never be destroyed. So, the fear of death vanishes. It is you who changes the body once it becomes old and takes a fresh new body.
It is just that we have forgotten this fact, and due to fear of ageing, death, we have lost patience and have been doing so many wrong things at the wrong time, trying to acquire as much as possible as soon as possible. Since the Sanskars are the impressions stored within the soul, and a soul takes births and re-births, all these Sanskars are carried forward to the next life. This is the reason why most of us know things without having to be taught. These could be good Sanskars or bad Sanskars.

Is it "my soul"? Or am I a soul?
Soul is not another label to attach onto ourselves. Meaning, I was so many things earlier, now, I am a soul also. We all are aware of the concept of the soul. We have heard about it, seen about it. However, we do not know it in the right perspective. We feel that the soul is somewhere in the body, or the soul exists after our death, or soul means ghost etc. However, we could not experience any of this. It is now that we understand that it is not "my soul", I am the energy, the soul, who is doing everything through this body. Everything I do, is a part of my role. Most importantly, after learning this knowledge in its right perspective, we not only know it as a concept, but also experiment and experience being a soul. This is when we are in the "soul-conscious" state. Thus, we now shift our focus from body-consciousness (i.e. thinking you are the body) to soul-consciousness (i.e. understanding you are a soul). Thus, reading the rest of the booklet, keep this fundamental truth in mind. This will help you understand it much easier.

So, why is it necessary to realize "Who am I?"
It is important to realize this and experience this in the right perspective (i.e. "I am a soul"), because of a simple reason. When I thought that "I am a boy", I did my best to live up to my own expectations based on the fact that (I felt) I am a boy. Thus, I was how a boy is, in the best possible way. When I thought that "I am a doctor", I considered my entire self to be a doctor, and hence I adopted the best traits, talents, and values of a doctor, and strived to be the best doctor, and radiated my energy around as a doctor.

Now, that I realize the truth, "I am a soul", I will try my best to look around in the right perspective, and realize and radiate my qualities (i.e. Love, Peace, Happiness, Purity, Knowledge, Power) around. Moreover, we realize that everything around is just the role we are playing. We realize that everything that happens is external. I am separate from my body, my roles, my designation. I am not all these, I play all these.

All that we acquire is our possession, which is not the I. The designation, the house, car, and all other possessions are our acquisitions, but finally, who we are is all that matters. A soul at the highest designation may not be happy, but even a soul in a hut can be completely content with life. Thus, separating the self ("I") from the acquisitions ("mine") helps us understand that no matter what happens, I am still a peaceful, loving soul. So, even if we come into a financial crisis, lose our job, lose our loved ones, it becomes understandable that you are still intact. Your virtues are still your own. Hence, I do not even need any external stimulants to be happy. I am already happy. I do not need any other person to "give" me love. I am already loveful, and now I start giving love to everybody. I do not search for Peace, because I am made of Peace.

Simple Example
A driver drives a vehicle. (Usually, in traffic, we talk to the driver, not to the vehicle) Similarly, the soul drives this body. Without the soul (driver), the body (vehicle) is of no use. Similarly, without the body (vehicle), the soul (driver) cannot express his talents. Both are complimentary and very important for the living, however, realizing that I am a soul, and not my role gives us a clear understanding.

For example, if someone comes to me and criticizes your work, now, you will no longer say that he criticized me, but you will say, he criticized my work, which can be improved easily.
If someone laughs at that pimple, you will not feel that he laughed at you, but he laughed at your body, which is just matter. If someone is no more, you will not say he is dead, but you will say he has left this body to take another one.

The biggest fear of death disappears, because you, the soul, never dies. You just change costumes (i.e. body). This is what is meant by saying "Do not take anything personally" Whatever is happening around you is happening to your role, not to you.

The diagram below depicts this in a pictorial format.