In Proof that you are a Spiritual Being (Part 1/3) I explained that Spirit is that which animates the matter layers of our personality – the body and mind, just as electricity enables gadgets to function.

In the second part, Proof that you are a Spiritual Being (Part 2/3), I went a little deeper and spoke about how the organs of the body – the heart and brain, for example – do not have the capacity to sustain life.

Life is sustained by the life-giving factor called Spirit. And that Spirit is who you really are. When the real you that is inhabiting the body leaves it, the body crumbles and dies away.

The Spirit you is the silent observer of your personality and life experiences

Here, in this last of the 3-article series,I will be talking about how the essential, real you, Spirit, are the unchanging, silent observer of your life.

To be an observer of things, two things are necessary:-

  1. You must be something other than the observed
  2. You must be still to be able to observe

The first point means that the person doing the observing must be different from the object of his or her observation.

The second point is a little more subtle…

You can observe the changes around you only from a still or unchanging vantage point.

Here’s an example to explain this – Say you are traveling with your 5-year old son, on an airplane. After a few hours, he gets restless. He looks outside and sees nothing but blue space. He asks, “Mom, are we really moving?’” You tell him “Of course we are. I’ll show you when we are almost there.”

plane flying over mountainsAs the plane approaches your destination, it starts to drop in altitude. And as it does, you begin to see the land below. Now, you tell your son, “Look outside Honey.” Excitedly, he shouts, “Wow!! Look at that mountain!’ He watches in awe as it slowly disappears behind him. Now he knows they really are moving and that they’ll be at their destination soon.

How was he able to know that the plane was moving? He fixed his attention on the stationary mountain below. Using the mountain as the unchanging, still point, he was able to tell that the plane was moving.

The Spirit you is the still and unchanging inner center, standing apart from your personality and observing all its changes.

The personality ‘you’ is not the real you

Your personality is:

  • What your body looks like
  • Your emotional make-up (sentimental, moody, impatient, calm, kind, generous etc)
  • The thoughts, values and ideals that you hold in your intellect.

These three layers of your personality are constantly changing. You know that the body you have today is not the body you had a few years ago. You know that your emotions are constantly changing throughout the day and your thoughts don’t stay the same from second to second.

To be able to be aware of the changes, you cannot be changing.

You must be something else that is standing apart and doing the observing from an unchanging inner vantage point.

If you were changing along with the changes, you wouldn’t be able to know them.

You, as Spirit are something totally different from them.
 Spirit, the real you, is that motionless witness.

The importance of personal reflection

Now, the concepts that I have shared with you in these three articles require personal reflection. To allow the facts to really sink in, you have to churn them over and over in your mind and ask yourself, “Is this true? Does this makes sense?”

Spiritual growth cannot occur without your active involvement.

Time spent in quiet contemplation is vital for every spiritual seeker. Taking spiritual concepts only to the level of the intellect will simply add more information in the head – there will be no corresponding inner transformation.

I once made a cup of coffee and brought it to my friend. I had added sugar and yet when she tasted it, she winced, pushing the coffee away. “It’s bitter!” she exclaimed. I answered, “I have added 3 teaspoons of sugar to your coffee. Stir it and see!”

Personally reflecting on spiritual concepts is like that – only when you stir them over within yourself will they will sweeten and transform your life.

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Manisha Melwani

Manisha Melwani is a teacher and the author of, "Your Spiritual Journey" She offers spiritual and wellness solutions for life and stress management. She teaches classes in personal growth, stress management and meditation. Contact her for more information or to have her speak to your group or organization. She also offers private counseling sessions on-line.
Manisha Melwani

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