I See Souls — by Shubhli Bhalla

What made her stop talking?

The party was in full swing, everybody seemed to be enjoying the music — some swayed with their cocktails and others enjoyed delicious-looking appetizers. Amidst all this I was busy, as usual, doing what I do best — TALKING. I was busy having idle chit-chat with a friend when I just remembered and complimented her on her pictures that I had seen a few days back on Facebook. As I generously poured compliments about her and her holiday destination, she smiled and said, "but I was looking so fat in them."

That just stopped me short and believe it or not, honest to goodness — it might be difficult for a few to comprehend also — that I, Shubhli Bhalla, was at a loss for words. I am grateful to God that the catastrophic moment lasted only a minute or so (seemed like eternity to me though). But then I gathered my composure and looked straight in her eyes and said, "When I see people, I SEE SOULS, and I know that you are an amazingly beautiful person." She blushed and thanked me.

Why do we price ourselves by our appearance?

But as I sat back and reflected on the situation, I realized that she is not the only one. I have personally come across so many friends who judge their worth according to their physical appearance or bank balance. But why — may I please ask? Being a good human being or a good soul is worth thousands of Gucci dresses, Jimmy Choo shoes, Cartier watches, Fendi shades (I am more partial to Chanel though), or Tiffany jewellery. It is plain as the nose on your face that A GOOD SOUL IS PRICELESS. To quote the words often attributed to Kahlil Gibran: "Beauty is not in the face, beauty is a light in the heart."

What do the spirit realms say about beauty?

Trust me guys, this is a fact, and it is not a rule made by me but God Almighty. If anyone has read the book "The Laws of the Spirit World" by Khorshed Bhavnagri, they would know what I am talking about. On earth, physical beauty may be a top priority, but it is not so in the various realms of the Spirit World. In those realms, a soul would be glowing and sparkling with a perfect spirit body, whereas when judged by earthly standards, that soul may be stamped ordinary or even unattractive on account of her physical appearance. On the other hand, a body as beautiful as, let us say, Aishwarya Rai's, may be ugly and disfigured in the realms of the spirit world. Why so — one may ask? Because a soul is our reality, a soul is our true existence, not the physical body which we just don for a specific period.

But sadly, many of us forget this truth and start judging people on their outward appearance. Forget others — we ourselves mostly judge ourselves by the dress size we fit in... small is fantastic and extra large gets a thumbs down. Losing a few pounds makes us feel good about ourselves and gaining depresses us. We simply eye a slim person and immediately categorize her to the beautiful zone. BUT THEN: "That which is striking and beautiful is not always good, but that which is good is always beautiful."

What should we actually collect?

As a wise man said, "A book's cover may be very attractive, but what holds the attention is the matter inside." Similarly, a person may look gorgeous on the outside, but it is their purity, their depth, their insight that will make you want to spend more time with them. So guys, collect beautiful souls as friends. Dresses, jewellery, styles, and trends come and go, but a beautiful, sympathetic, loving nature stays forever.

And as for those who feel superior to others on account of their blessings of physical and material wealth — I actually, really and truly feel sorry for them. I cannot help but put a little distance between me and them, for they negatively affect your spiritual progress. On the contrary, I would love to place pious and loving souls in my bouquet of friends — beautiful souls who would help to awaken and strengthen the subconscious mind. I would also like to add that here I am not asking you to not make any more efforts to make yourself pretty on the outside also. When I see the picture of Yogeshwar Krishna, I see him decked up from head to toe in finest of silk and jewellery — it is very pleasing to the eye, but what is elevating is that he is deep in meditation, making his aura, his presence absolutely supreme, absolutely perfect.

In the end, I would like to say that when I ask you all to be "GORGEOUS HAMESHA," remember that I am wishing for your soul to be "ETERNALLY BEAUTIFUL." God bless.

— Shubhli Bhalla