Living in Body consciousness vs Soul consciousness

On the last day of a spiritual retreat, Baba addressed a small group of devotees.

“We are not humans striving to have divine experiences, in fact we are all divine having these temporary human experiences. We are the Truth, we are the Sat-Chit-Shant Anand swarup pure Aatma (we are the eternal-Conscious-Peaceful-Blissful pure soul). This little change in your thought process will lead you a long way in your spiritual pursuit. Most of the seekers pursue their spiritual journey with an understanding that we are human and we need to strive to have divine experiences or divine blessings from God. This is body-consciousness. When you reverse this thought process and pursue the spiritual goal with an understanding that you are a divine soul and you have just worn this body temporarily to have some human experiences, then you begin to live in soul consciousness,”

“Your spiritual exploration is not just limited to spiritual retreats. While living a worldly life, you can progress in your spiritual seeking by practicing soul consciousness. This slight shift in your perspective can make in big difference in bringing you closer to your own real Self.”

A Sufi poet sang:

Nazar badli to nazare badle;

Kishti ne badla rukh, to kinare badle !

Translation: 

When the stance changes, scenery changes; 

When the boat changed the direction, the destination also changed!

“It is a tradition in India to take off one’s shoes and leather wearing before entering a temple. Our Rishis and Munis had same vision while initiating this culture that the devotee the realize the presence of divine within while entering the temple before praying the external divinity. The seeker should give up the body consciousness outside before entering the temple and go in for praying with soul or divine consciousness.”

“If we consider our self a son or a daughter, we will remember our father or mother; if we consider our self a husband or wife, we will remember our spouse; if we consider our self a student, we will remember our teacher. Similarly, once we start considering our self as a divine Sat-Chit-Anand soul, we will remember the Supremely divine, Supremely Conscious, supremely Blissful God.”

“Our spiritual progress will further enhance once we begin to practice seeing the same divine soul in others as well. Then only you will realize the meaning of “Vasudev Sarvam Iti !” [That Divine is omnipresent]”