Our Authentic Self

What is your authentic self? What does it need? What does it want? These are some questions which pop up in my mind trying to make some sense of my spiritual life. We relate to our authentic self through this particular body that we have received in terms of our thoughts and actions instead of relating through the core of our being. In this particular body we externally may do one thing and internally feel another. Many times we fear to express truly who we are. Many times we fear judgment from others if we freely express who we are or what we are feeling in that moment.

The mind is our driving force of how we interpret our surroundings. The mind has only one job, to either accept or reject. This accepting and rejecting is based on our conditioning throughout our present life and the impressions we are carrying from our previous lives. So how do we find that authentic self?

The self is described in the scriptures as a permanent individual eternal conscious entity. The self is also called the eternal soul. The particular soul gives consciousness to this otherwise dead body. Over lifetimes of conditioning in material life we get so far removed and covered up from our true authentic self. Our true authentic self knows what is good for us. It recognizes its eternal nature and its connection as an eternal servant of the supreme self, Lord Sri Krishna. The material conditioning causes us to forget our genuine authentic self and our true needs and wants.

The true authentic self then is the eternal soul who is an eternal servant of the Lord. The true want of the self is to establish the lost connection with the supreme self and develop that relationship. The true need of the self is service to Sri Krishna without which one can never be satisfied, ever.

In order for us to be our authentic self, an eternal servant of Lord Sri Krishna, we must first practice being authentic in our material life. Not doing so causes utter confusion within our entire being. This material human body has been granted as a platform to practice and perform those services that we would then perform in the spiritual realm. Being authentic also means being open and honest about our feelings and dealings. Our actions should match our words and our thinking process. It also means not having a duplicitous nature. All our dealings should be straightforward. We say and use terms like self-satisfaction, self-fulfillment, self-esteem, and self-confidence, etc. These can only come if we understand our authentic self and our relationship to the supreme Lord. Once we know that we are an eternal servant of the Lord, satisfaction comes not from material things but from understanding that Krishna lives within all beings and there is no competition with anyone. Then one becomes self-realized, self-satisfied, and fulfilled. Self- esteem comes from knowing that we all are parts and parcels of Krishna, His very children. When we eat, sleep, walk, talk, and work for Krishna we surrender fully and have full confidence that Krishna will protect us. Unless Lord Krishna is in the center of our lives moment to moment no satisfaction or fulfillment is possible.

So living a genuine authentic life here as a surrendered servant of The Lord, one will rid oneself of all fear and express oneself freely. That expression will be from the core of our being.

By chanting the holy names we can remove this ignorance of lifetimes from our consciousness and we are able to then realize our true authentic self.

HAPPY CHANTING !!

Here are this week’s tunes