The Color of the Soul

“Inside us there is something that has no name,

that something is what we are.” 

(José Saramago, Blindness)

I have heard it said that humans are composed of body, soul, mind, and heart. Body I understand; this miracle of cells and biochemical processes, urges and needs. Feed it, rest, work it, and all is well. The other three, however, confound me. Where is a mind located? Is it thoughts or neurons? Likewise, where are emotions generated, and what is the locus of the heart, or the soul? Is there some little yet-unknown-gland that houses such ephemeral extensions of humanness?

Soul in particular is a tough one to nail down. Some use the terms "spirit" and "soul" interchangeably, references to some immortal essence that is particular to the human race. Innumerable authors have written about the soul and its properties: 

“What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies.”
(Aristotle)

“Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes.

Because for those who love with heart and soul

there is no such thing as separation.” 

(Rumi)

"You shall love the Lord your God

with all your heart

and with all your soul

and with all your mind."

(Matthew 22.37)

So what is soul? Can it be seen, touched, heard, or in any way sensed? Can it be experienced? Do those who do bad things have a soul? Can you lose your soul? Religious traditions vary in their understanding of the soul's properties and purpose, though they agree on this: the soul is our core, and it defines our spirituality and humanity. 

“Prayer is not asking.

It is a longing of the soul.” 

(Mahatma Gandhi)

I am not really sure what soul is. This, though, I do hold as true - that you and I have the possibility of being brilliant, of doing amazing and miraculous deeds in our lives, of inspiring others, of exceeding our perceived limitations. We are a gift to the earth, filled with Divine Light and Love, born to serve all of creation. We are more powerful than we understand, far more beautiful than we presently discern. 

Paradoxically, and perhaps somewhat as an oxymoron, we are capable of immeasurable destruction and cruelty. We suffer the most petty of thoughts, the darkest emotions, and generate needless amounts of negative energy. One creature, two very different aspects. 

So which part is soul? Which is mind? Which is heart... What do you think? What is the soul, and what is its role in your life? Send me a note with your thoughts.

I leave you with this to ponder: regardless of what soul is, or is not, you have the power to choose to be your best today. Love fills and surrounds you, speaking words of encouragement, whispering in that quiet way through your wise self. Seek to grow in faith and Love; seek to know the Divine within; seek to be Christ to a world full of need; seek and it will be so.

I leave the last word to the Psalmist:

"He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name's sake."

(Psalm 23.3)

The color of the soul...

we see through a mirror but dimly.

Trunk

branches and leaves

we know

roots

in myth

lay

buried below

pull up the tree

and the

roots will

show

Death

reveals

all

Laugh

Love

Listen

To Ponder Further:

- From the Bible: "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26)

- From Judaism: "The body is the sheath of the soul." (Talmud, Sanhedrin 108a)

- From Confucianism: "The union of seed and power produces all things; the escape of the soul brings about change. Through this we come to know the conditions of outgoing and returning spirits." (I Ching, Great Commentary 1.4.2)