Why Do You Imprison the Soul?

Hinduwebsite.com presents many informative articles on eastern relgions. Read an article on the subject of soul and ego : http://www.hinduwebsite.com/divinelife/essays/soulandego.asp

The Ego is  a layer, an impurity, a construct or a veil , formed around the soul, like soot on the glass of a lamp. It is made up of the body and mind complex. It  envelops the soul and prevents it from shining through. It extends itself into the world through the senses. Its consciousness is made up of instincts, emotions, thoughts, impressions, memories and other mental formations. The arise in the citta and cause afflictions. Some of them become latent impressions (samskaras) and accompany the soul to the next birth. The soul is eternal. the ego is temporary. The soul is a passive and self-absorbed. The ego is dynamic and outgoing. The soul is a divine entity. The ego is a Nature's construct, one of the tattvas (building blocks) of Nature. It perceives and experiences everything as separate and distinct. It is its nature to expand itself in all directions both physically and mentally, through acquisitions, influence and attachment. In  short the ego is the mind and body complex with which we all identity. It cannot be destroyed unless one wants to destroy life. That was what some ascetic groups used to do in the past. They used to wear away the mind and the body through rigorous fasting. It is surely an extreme way of doing away with ego. Hinduism encourages more moderate methods such as self-control, restraint and withdrawal of the senses, detachment, dispassion, purification of the mind and body, cultivation of sattva or purity and gradual elimination of rajas and tamas, yoga and meditation, surrender and worship of the soul or God and pursuit of dharma or religious duty. The soul is veiled by the mind and the body. It is the veil which needs to be purified to let the soul shine through. A gross body and a gross mind prevent us from seeing the soul clearly in ourselves and others. If they are purified, then they reflect the brilliance of the soul and channel its awesome power, brilliance and unconditional love. Purification of the mind and the body and its transformation is key to self-realization. Self-realization means the realization that we are the obstacle. We have to remove ourselves from the scene to let the soul regain its freedom. This is the ultimate sacrifice expected of human beings to let the souls return to their source.

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