If we wish to eliminate the root cause of suffering and want a world without discrimination, jealousy, and sorrow, then we need to know this.
One of the first steps towards self-realization is to know that we are not this human body but rather an eternal soul on a journey. Every moment, cells in our body are changing, every year we age and get older, our body keeps changing its form, but there is one thing about us which never changes.
When we identify ourselves with this body, we start discriminating others on the basis of colour, gender and status. We tend to marginalize others when we see just their body. Our jealousy, sorrow, pain, fear arises when we limit our thinking to flesh and bone of ours and not our imperishable part. We are not this flesh and sweat, we are immortal beings.
When Arjuna refused to perform his duties, and was unable to cope up, then Krishna explained to him, the immortal nature of the self, which is never destroyed even when the body is destroyed in Chapter 2 of the Bhagavad Gita.
- A wise person knows that even when the body dies, his journey will continue.
BG 2.13: Just as the embodied soul continuously passes from childhood to youth to old age, similarly, at the time of death, the soul passes into another body. The wise are not deluded by this.
- Soul is indestructible, imperishable, unbreakable.
BG 2.17: That which pervades the entire body, know it to be indestructible. No one can cause the destruction of the imperishable soul.
- Soul is unchangeable, immeasurable.
BG 2.18: Only the material body is perishable; the embodied soul within is indestructible, immeasurable, and eternal. Therefore, fight, O descendent of Bharat.
- Soul can never be killed, slayed or cut.
BG 2.19: Neither of them is in knowledge—the one who thinks the soul can slay and the one who thinks the soul can be slain. For truly, the soul neither kills nor can it be killed.
- Soul never cease to exist. It is timeless.
BG 2.20: The soul is neither born, nor does it ever die, nor having once existed, does it ever cease to be. The soul is without birth, eternal, immortal, and ageless. It is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.
- Body is like clothes for the soul.
BG 2.22: As a person sheds worn-out garments and wears new ones, likewise, at the time of death, the soul casts off its worn-out body and enters a new one.
- No weapon, fire, water or wind can affect the soul.
BG 2.23: Weapons cannot shred the soul, nor can fire burn it. Water cannot wet it, nor can the wind dry it.
- Soul is transcendental to mere matter.
BG 2.24: The soul is unbreakable and incombustible; it can neither be dampened nor dried. It is everlasting, in all places, unalterable, immutable, and primordial.
- When we know the science of the soul, our grievances vanishes.
BG 2.25: The soul is spoken of as invisible, inconceivable, and unchangeable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body.
- This whole concept of soul is astonishing.
BG 2.29: Some see the soul as amazing, some describe it as amazing, and some hear of the soul as amazing, while others, even on hearing, cannot understand it at all.
- Hence, there is no need to mourn for the body, when we know the soul will continue its journey even after leaving the body.
BG 2.30: O Arjun, the soul that dwells within the body is immortal; therefore, you should not mourn for anyone.
- Every living entity is inseparable, fragmental part and parcel of the Supreme Lord-eternally. Supreme Lord is present in every atom. Every soul, has an intrinsic, eternal relationship with him.
BG 15.7: The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.
If we consider others not just their bodies (which is different for all), but consider them as a soul (which has same characteristics as you have and everything is identical) then the major cause of discrimination will end, there will be a sense of unity, and brotherhood.
By understanding this, we will actually be able to apply the concept of Vasudeva kutumbakam (the world is one family). We will realise that even animals and plants have soul, and we will be able to connect ourselves with them, this will end animal and nature brutality and ultimately nullify human sufferings.