The Function of Soul

 

Author: Tao Qing Hsu (Hsu, Tao-qing) 

 

In a brief, every one has the soul and the body. Even though the soul is shapeless, it still has the conscious, feeling, thinking, and memory. It also could “speak” and “communicate” to others with mind. It is the “sound” with no sound. In other words, it is the speaking and communication from the heart or mind to the other heart or mind. It is existed in the shapeless and in the no substance, and it is hard to be verified by science instrument. For the most people, it might be experienced when we are dreaming in sleeping. It is very clear and could be remembered. However, it is different from the theory of Freud.

 

As we have mentioned in the Chapter 12﹝2﹞ : Learning the Dao is difficult when people are in the huge wealth and are the nobility, the body is formed by the four elements, that is, the land, the water, the fire, and the wind. The body has the form and the substance which could be seen and touched. If we want to vocalize from our body, we have to depend on the medium in the air, so that our voice could be transmitted to others and be heard by others.

 

Now we have the basic concept for the soul and the body. Following concept would be hard to be understood, because it is beyond our experience of the general knowledge and common sense.  

 

The soul is eternal. It can not be eliminated. There is no arising and no destroying for the soul. In other word, there is no birth and no death for the soul. The soul is like the software. What we have learned, what we have thought, and what we have done, would be recorded in there. The seed of virtue or of evil would be planted in there, which means that the thought of virtue or of evil would be recorded in there. It would affect our current life and our future or next life.

Our Body is not permanent.

 

On the contrary, the body is not eternal. It could be eliminated. The body could be arisen and then be destroyed. In other word, there is the birth and death for the body. Our cells are metabolized and replaced at any time. Our decaying organs can be transplanted or replaced through surgery.

 

Sometimes, we describe our body as a car or a piece of clothing, which could be replaced. Once our body is dead, our soul would leave the dead body, and dwell in the next new-born body, which is like that we change a new car or a piece of new clothing. That is reborn or reincarnating.

 

The eighth consciousness is soul.

 

The Buddha Sakyamuni had mentioned eight kinds of consciousness. Our soul is equal to the eighth consciousness. The soul is some kind of quality. Some scientist has said that the soul has weight.

 

To know and understand above, it could help us understand the concept that life is equal to death, and death is equal to life. And, it could help us not attach to or depend on our body, but our soul. We have known that our soul is not dead, and what has dead is just our body. To have such concept would help us accept and face the fact that our body might die at any time. Meanwhile, we could let our soul be at peace, and let us increase our wisdom, to nourish our life of wisdom.

Under the circumstance, it is no difficult for us, when we must die because our lives have to be abandoned. So, what has being abandoned is the body, not our soul. Our lives of wisdom are still very live, abundant and extend. 

Why wide learning and extensive researching are difficult for us?

Author: Tao Qing Hsu (Hsu, Tao-qing) 

There are two main reasons. One is coming from own mind. The other is coming from the control and restrain from the outside, such as family, government or the religion.

 

According to my personal observation from the world, there is more than half of the population in the world, whose thought or mind is controlled and restrained by their family, government or religion. Under the circumstance, it is really difficult for them to do the wide learning and extensive researching. And they also have no self-perceiving that their mind is shortage and narrow.

 

In the year of 1988, when I am 17 years old, Taiwan goes into the free and democratic society, and thus opens the publishing industry and the freedom of comment. In other words, before that time, I have experienced that our thought and mind is controlled and restrained by the government.

 

Even though, we have the freedom to choose our belief in religion, however, the relative books, magazines, articles or videos are few. Therefore, in that time, we have misunderstood the Buddhism a lot and have shortage knowledge about Buddhism.

 

Secondly, some of what I have learned about the history from the school is different from the fact. A lot of fact is gradually disclosed in the society of democracy and freedom. Then, I went back to understand the historical background of Taiwan, where are many scars, most people choose to be tolerant and forgiving, however, unfortunately, there are still a few people who choose to be hatred.

 

After the year of 1988, we also have a lot of chance to know the world, due to the freedom of information flow. I have found that there are a lot of countries also have the similar scars as Taiwan. That is the scourge of war.

 

The Buddhism flourish in Taiwan is since 1988, because most people finally have chance to know it from the free medium. But, unfortunately, there is still many countries reject it in the world and try to conceal the people. In a word, that is why learning widely and researching extensively about Buddhism are difficult, let alone the other knowledge, such as the history.