3 Misunderstandings:
An Existential Faux Pas
There are some common misunderstandings regarding the function of three entities—’ the World,’ ‘the Self,’ and ‘God.’ This confusion about their proper role causes chaos in our existence and leads to misusing one’s life in false, meaningless pursuits of no significant consequence.
This is a huge blunder—a faux pas, an embarrassing foolish mistake. The term faux pas is often used in a social context when someone makes a fool of themselves. I have taken the liberty of coining the term ‘existential faux pas,’ referring to the unfortunate situation of a soul who makes a foolish blunder in their human existence due to these faulty understandings.
So, what are the misconceptions about the proper functions of these three important entities?
WORLD:
We erroneously understand that the world is a playground meant for our enjoyment, where we can fulfill all our desires as we see fit.
In case the world does not deliver these goods or fulfill our demands for a so-called ‘happy life’, we feel agitated, depressed, anxious, frustrated, or angry. This misunderstanding about the true purpose of the world as a field of enjoyment leads us to exploit people, mother nature, and worldly resources.
However, Vedic literature tells us that the world is designed for our reformation, where souls undergo miseries and difficulties, such as loss, pain, and disappointment, leading to their transformation and purification. In other words, the world is a place of purification for souls where they can exhaust their desires for enjoyment and seek liberation from the frustrations and anxieties of this world.
SELF:
We have misunderstood the identity of the true self and have misidentified with this body.
We mistake ourselves to be this body, leading to a very significant bodily identification, bodily obsession, and attachment. Therefore, we see everyone preoccupied only with the maintenance, well-being, and grooming of their body and paying no heed to the care or nourishment of the real self—the soul.
This bodily misidentification leads the soul astray from its real function in this world. Its true purpose is to serve the Supreme person, the world, and its people and upgrade its consciousness through the purificatory processes provided in the sacred wisdom texts. Thus, the soul must make its way out of the prison towards home, utilizing bodily and worldly resources. Yet, it is absorbed in bodily affairs and further strengthens its bodily attachments in the world.
GOD:
We commonly misunderstand God as a supplier of our demands and often approach Him only in times of need to request favors that fit our plans.
However, the Lord has His own plans and wishes for us, which He reveals only when one develops a relationship with Him. This is not a relationship between consumer and supplier- a business transaction, as we commonly misinterpret. Rather, it is a loving bond between father and child where the child’s demands may or may not be fulfilled if they do not align with his past reactions or are deterrents to his spiritual growth. Thus, the Lord may not grant favors that one does not deserve or benefit from in the long term.
He is our best friend and best well-wisher who accompanies the souls on their journey into this mortal world and constantly guides them from within to help with their spiritual growth. However, most souls choose to tune out His voice and only turn to Him in times of short-term bodily needs and protection according to their own ill-constructed plans.
Therefore, we have misunderstood God's position as someone who caters to our bodily demands according to our whims and fancies. Rather, He is our parent and well-wisher who is most concerned with the spiritual progress of the soul back toward Him and facilitates that journey through this world and this body.
MISTAKEN UNDERSTANDING —> MISUSE
This confusion and misinterpretation of each entity's proper role leads to a frustrated, misdirected, and disillusioned life. This is the source of sorrow and anxiety in the world. If souls lived with a proper understanding of their own identity, knowledge about the nature of the world, and relationship with God, their lives would become meaningful, their existence more subservient, and their demeanor more carefree and pleasant.
These misunderstandings arise from a lack of proper education regarding the role, identity, purpose, and position of these three critical entities. It is crucial that we invest in our spiritual education to gain a deeper understanding of these concepts.
There is a dire need in the modern world to train souls regarding their own purpose, the function of the world, and the guidance of the Supreme Person while existing in the physical realm. We need to shift the vision from ‘body to soul,’ from ‘enjoyer tendency to servant mentality,’ from ‘exploiting the world to being purified by the world,’ and ‘soliciting the Lord to serving the lord.
This is a journey from Bhoga (selfish enjoyment, exploitation, and consumption) to Yoga (connection with the supreme consciousness, love with the divine, and service).
AN EXISTENTIAL FAUX PAS: ‘An embarrassing mistake’
Souls who adhere to these mistaken notions and misconceptions in this life have made a huge, existential faux-pas—an embarrassing blunder!
These mistaken ideas will lead such souls on a wild goose chase through this life and this world. This makes for a very awkward, confused, and chaotic existence. On the other hand, a soul that understands its correct identity, true nature and purpose, relationship with the Supreme, and role of the world in its purification can navigate this life with confidence, clarity of vision, and meaningful purpose. Therefore, we must seek knowledge from enlightened souls and sacred texts to shatter these false, mistaken concepts prevalent in the modern world and avoid a major existential faux pas- created by these-- ‘3 MISUNDERSTANDINGS’.
