There is no person in the world who would not like some sort of change for the better. People want to change their lifestyle, their eating habits, professions, relationships, country of residence, religion, fashion statements, political ideals, spiritual ideals, etc. All this is a sign of life – which a person does not want to stagnate or wants to improve for happiness. On the other hand, there are people who want other people or society or communities to change. So, we find philosophers, religious heads, politicians, teachers/professors, social workers, philanthropists etc. who are instrumental in bringing about a change in people’s attitudes, ethical principles, political ideals, etc.
There are three agents of change in the world – the power of religion, the power of science and the power of politics/rulers. All these three work at both the individual level as well as at the level of society.
Need for a holistic approach
At the individual level, every human being born on this earth is moulded or transformed by his or her mother, father, teachers/professors etc. Not only do the mother and father sustain the child’s physical needs, but also the needs for education, love, moral support, and instil in the values to make a better human- being. The teacher transforms a person’s intellect and imparts knowledge to earn an income, and thereby a status, and hence, some sort of happiness in future. In India, there was a custom to offer a child to a guru for blessings, or salvation, or liberation. A guru generally moulds or transforms a child’s religious, spiritual and ethical values by imparting knowledge. So, clearly, we can say that a person is changed by his relationships.
In Rajyoga meditation, the individual starts a gradual process of transformation by changing his relationship with himself. Instead of taking a view-point that “I am this physical body”, a person becomes more aware of the fact “this is my body” and hence, the “entity” which says “my body” is *distinct* from the body; this *entity* which is the master of the physical body can also be called the *self* or the *soul*. It is a living, conscient being with mind, intellect and personality traits whereas the physical body is a non-living thing. The soul is the ruler and controller of the five physical organs (eyes, nose, skin, tongue, and ears) and performs actions through these sense organs.
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