Spiritual Prescription: Who am I? - Know Your Soul Profile

“I am not my physical body, as I know, once my body dies, nobody wants to touch it.” (Adi Shankaracharya in the Bhaja Govindam) 

“I am not my mind as I know whenever I am in trouble; the mind asks the heart for help” (Deepak Chopra in the Seven Spiritual Laws of Success).

“I am my consciousness which is residing in the core of my heart” (Svetasvatara Upanisad 5.8). 

“This consciousness is nothing but a web of energized information situated in the void” (Chandogya Upanishad Chapter XII — the Birth of the Gross 

from the Subtle) 

“the consciousness is timeless, has no beginning, no end, weapons cannot cut it, air cannot dry it, water cannot wet it and fire cannot burn it” (Bhagavad Gita 2.23, 24).

Each one of us has a physical profile (as defined by our height, complexion, collar number, waist size, etc.) and has a mental or ego profile. A few examples of ego profile: my bank balance, car, job designation, locality of residence, size of house, contacts, power, clothes’, etc.

Similarly each one of us also has a soul profile. We should give sometime to ourselves for knowing our soul profile and revisit it at least once in a week.

According to Deepak Chopra, to know the soul profile one should ask seven questions to his or her consciousness while sitting in a meditative poise or in state of relaxation. The answer to each question should be either in three words or three phrases.

1)         What is my purpose of life?

2)         What is my contribution going to be for my friends and family?

3)         Three instances in my life when I had my peak experiences.

4)         Names of three people who inspire me the most.

5)         Three qualities which I admire in others the most.

6)         Three of my unique talents.

7)         Three qualities I best express in my relationship.

These twenty one answers will characterize your soul profile or will be your passport for every action you perform in your life.

In day-to-day’s life, one should act from the soul profile and not from the ego profile. Soul profile cannot be manipulated while the ego profile can be.

There are only three ways of improving one’s soul profile and these are:

1.         The choices one makes should be soul-profile oriented and not ego-profile oriented. Whenever there is an opportunity for an action, ask the head for choices, then ask the heart to choose one, and finally order the hand to take action. A soul-based action is the one which is based on the truth, is necessary, and which makes the person and the people around him or her, both happy.

2.         Total clarity of vision of “What do I want” and also “What I don’t want”.

3.         Learn to enter into discontinuity of thought processes using “beej mantra” or doing primordial sound meditation 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the evening.

These can also be equated to the eight limbs of Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, where the “choices I make” represents Yama and Niyama, “what do I want” represents Dharma and the “entering into discontinuity” represents Dhyana and Samadhi.