Life is a practice of the soul
In life, there are things that make us happy and things that make us unhappy.
For example, your work is going well and you have a new customer. Just when you thought you were going to keep doing well, you suddenly made a big mistake and lost the trust of your former best customer, and they stopped buying your products. Just when you thought you were on the verge of happiness, it all turned upside down and you were faced with unhappiness.
For example, there is someone you love, but you can’t get him or her to turn you on. No matter how hard you try, the more you chase after him or her, the more he or she runs away from you, and eventually you get dumped. When that happens, you feel like you’ve been thrown into the depths of misery, like your life is over, and you can’t do anything about it.
We all have different experiences in life, and it is often the case that what we think and wish for does not come true. Depending on how you look at it, it can make you happy or unhappy.
Unhappiness begins when we forget that all such life experiences are a process of soul training. Basically, our lives need to be viewed as soul training, and when that slips from our consciousness, unhappiness begins.
No learning from life where everything is fine
This is because the reason we are born is to practice our soul. When we look at our life experiences from this perspective, all events, both happy and unhappy, become food for the soul. The things that seem unhappy or do not turn out as expected are actually a great fertilizer for the soul.
When things go wrong at work or in love, it may seem like a great deal of suffering, but that’s when your soul will shine. It takes time, but if you work hard and don’t lose heart, you will find greatness and your soul will shine. That is what makes us very happy.
Life is like polishing metal with a whetstone. The more you polish it with a hard whetstone, the shinier the metal becomes. In the same way, the things that go wrong in life become the whetstone that polishes the soul and makes the person shine. The shining of the soul is joy itself for human beings.
If your life is one where everything is going to be all right, it will be a totally boring life.
There is nothing to learn, nothing to grow. The question is, “Would you want that kind of life for yourself?” There is no way we would want such a thing. If that is the case, there is no need to be born at all.
The brilliance of the soul comes from within
Some people may think, “It’s not at all visible that the soul shines.”
However, there are probably people around you who you feel are shining. Someone who is always smiling, cheerful, and positive. Someone who never speaks ill of others, someone who is humble and continues to work hard. It’s not about what’s beautiful and shining on the outside, it’s about what’s inside.
The brilliance of the soul comes from within, and is revealed through the experiences of the person.
When we forget the original perspective that all life experiences are soul training, misfortune becomes just misfortune that causes suffering. But it is not really true. It is what seems to be unhappiness that becomes the seed of greater happiness.
That is basically the point of view that we must not forget in our lives.