Quest to the Mysterious Self

To gain knowledge in life, we try to go through so many books and explore so many places. How come these books and places couldn’t give the everlasting pleasure? Then, why are we chasing for such knowledge with such labor? Is it only because of merely money, showing off or what? Yes, we need to know things two or three for our survival. But, why isn’t this knowledge given us the everlasting pleasure or peace of mind? Why are they brought the occasional gratification as well as leave us the misery of ignorance? It may be because which we have in our life or what we want to become that we think we want it but the reality,  it is not what we want. Yes, these things are puzzling. But need to know for gaining the self-peace.

There is a gap between we and our knowledge. That gap appears only when we try to intimate in career, personal or social life. One famous quotation from Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self Reliance:

  “Be yourself; no base imitator of another, but your best self.”

He also said, “Listen to the inward voice and bravely obey that.”

Yes, it is true we don’t have the guts to accept our own faults after realizing it but also we overlook our inner voice. Because of these overlooking, we are losing our peace of mind.  Nothing can bring our peace and freedom but our self.  

To gain freedom, according to Iman Al Ghazali in ‘The Alchemy of Happiness’, we start to know our soul, which is cored of our inner self. We are claiming the knowledge of a particular topic. Do we know our inner and outer selves? Do we know the soul of ours? Why do we need the soul of ours?

Because this is the essence of our inner self. Because of it, the reason can play its role. Like other animals, human has the attribute of hunger, anger, and passion which try to control our soul.   The soul is the highest of all insects. If it is controlled by these lower ranks insect, then we, humans, cannot be any high ranker then other animals. The soul is the element by which we can see the unseen world. Because this soul belongs to that unseen world. But this soul is rusted and dirty because of the influence of the other insects; we cannot see that unseen world. To clean this rusted and dirty soul, we need to control our five senses which are metaphorically five streams of the well, heart. To make renew the soul, we have to connect with the knowledge of God. Because the soul gets delighted in the knowledge of God.  

This quest from our soul to the knowledge of God can connect us that knowledge which we try to achieve. It can connect all confusing dots together and give the everlasting meaningful life. If we think it’s the end of our mysterious quest, we are wrong. It is the beginning of quest with the everlasting pleasure and peace. So know yourself, before knowing anything else. And open your heart to know your soul. This is the mysterious journey with lots of ups and downs.