*Death Is When You Are Out-of-body* *Life and death are two sides of the same coin. And the coin is Soul. When the soul assumes a physical body it is life and when it discards the physical body once the purpose — as designed by the Almighty — is completed, it is death.
Life and death are transitory phases till the soul completes its cycle of life and death. Our physical bodies are vehicles for the soul, for its journey towards the ultimate destination, uniting with the Supreme Soul. That's salvation. Life and death are steps to reach Him. Soul is an embodiment of Supreme Consciousness or energy flow that keeps the body alive, just the way electricity powers light, fan, television or any micro-function. We can switch off any electrical gadget; God, too, switches off this energy flow when His work is complete. The soul continues. Life, like death, is an evolving course and evolution is a continuous process. Every begin-ning has an end and every end has a beginning. A plant flowers, the flower in turn sheds its petals giving way for fruits or seeds. Then the plant wilts but continues as a new plant through its fruits or seeds. Death, too, is a process in the evolution of soul. Death is just an out-of-body experience. Then why fear death? Fear of death arises when we identify ourselves with our physical bodies forgetting we are pure consciousness which is eternal. Senses and mind control our body. We identify pain and pleasure with the illusory material world and body. When we celebrate birthdays, in a way we are also celebrating death, as each year carries us towards a new life and conclusion of the present chapter. Life can be compared with the phases of the moon. The waxing moon reaches its prime with the full moon and then wanes to become what we call the 'new' moon which is in fact is a moonless night. Like life, death too is an illusion. What is real is that your soul is eternal. Your identity, as you are addressed, lives and dies. The real you goes on in which as in nature, there are changes of seasons. Life and death are a succession of change of scenes, till our role ends in the play scripted by the Supreme Soul. Failure to comprehend the true nature of the Universal Self causes turmoil and torments in our life. Accept life as His wish, let His will flow. When the mind is not peaceful and the body is not stable, the struggle becomes formidable. Our endeavour should be to live in harmony with nature. As part of the Supreme Soul we have an instinct to free our soul from self-centred existence. Suryayog is for penetrating darkness of gross materialism to find the enlightened domain of inner self. Suryayog can open our hearts and minds to let His grace filter through and show us the path for spiritual realisation as well as drive away physical afflictions and ignorance. The healing powers of the Sun's rays and love-energy bring about balance and harmony of body, mind and soul. Make your soul your Sakha, a constant companion, who will guide you through the ups and downs of life to the world of bliss where there is eternal peace, light and love. Based on Swami Suryaji's talks in Kerala*
