Imagine, for a moment, that you are deprived of food.
At first, your body protests. It resists. It fights back with hunger pangs and restless discomfort. You try to ignore it, but it refuses to be ignored.
Slowly, the strength to fight begins to fade. The sharpness dulls. Your limbs grow heavier. Your mind weakens.
Then illness creeps in. The body, starved of nourishment, becomes vulnerable. Disease finds its way in.
And eventually… life itself slips away.
All of this happens for one simple reason: food is the energy that sustains the physical body. Without it, the body cannot function. Without energy, life cannot continue.
You would agree that every living creature in this universe survives because it draws energy from somewhere.
In Hindu philosophy, the Body and the Soul are considered two distinct entities. The body consumes food to survive. It satisfies its hunger with what we eat.
But
What about the soul that hides in the deep?
What feeds the silent presence that lives deep within us?
This question lingered in my mind for a long time. After observing people, listening to opinions, watching reactions, and reflecting on countless situations, I realised something profound.
There is one thing the soul is incredibly sensitive about.
That one thing is Respect.
But then another question arises.
What Kind of Respect Are We Talking About?
Before answering that, we must clear some misunderstandings. As families, as friends, as guardians, as human beings, we often treat respect as optional, conditional, and something that must be earned through visible measures.
But respect is not what we think it is because respect:
- Does not depend on physicality,
It is a nature given speciality. - Does not depend on the looks we carry,
It is a matter of choice that can vary. - Does not depend on how much the pockets are heavy,
It does not decide how much respect we carry. - Does not depend on whom we sexually prefer,
It is just a process of acting as natural selector. - Does not depend on which position you belong,
It is about the responsibility of getting along. - Does not depend on whether you are human or an animal,
It is about a person who is considerable. - Does not depend on how much we score,
It does not decide how the life will unfold.
In Simple Terms, Respect Means
- Acknowledging someone’s presence.
- Valuing their opinion.
- Treating them equally.
- Acting with humanity.
Nothing more. Nothing less.
How Does Respect Become Energy for the Soul?
Now comes the deeper question.
How does respect become energy for the soul? And what happens when that respect is absent?
Imagine you are working for someone. Your employer pays you well. On paper, everything looks satisfactory. But you are treated like a slave; dismissed, insulted, reduced to a mere tool.
How would you feel?
Your soul notices everything. It observes what is happening around you. It senses how people behave. It registers their reactions. It feels the way you are treated.
These are the very parameters through which respect operates.
From these interactions, the soul draws its energy. And that energy can be either positive or negative.
When it is positive, it allows you to flourish. You grow. You become confident, stable, and compassionate.
But when it is negative, something inside begins to erode.
- Jealousy takes root.
- Overthinking clouds clarity.
- Anger builds silently.
- Anxiety tightens its grip.
- Self-doubt whispers constantly.
- Comparison becomes unavoidable.
A person filled with such traits slowly begins to self-destruct, not only harming themselves but also affecting society. None of these qualities acts as an agent of growth.
In essence, our behaviour has the power to shape someone’s internal world. We can become the reason someone feels uplifted or the reason they begin to break.
That is why treating others with respect is not just a matter of courtesy. It is a responsibility.
Two Perspectives of Respect
Yet, here lies a challenge.
We cannot control the external world. We cannot dictate how others behave.
So how do we deal with disrespect?
To answer this, we must understand two perspectives of respect.
- The first lies in our surroundings: the way others treat us.
- The second lies within: the strength we cultivate so deeply that external behaviour no longer disturbs our inner stability.
The Lotus: A Symbol of Inner Strength
To visualise this, think of the Lotus, our national flower.
The lotus grows in mud, surrounded by filth and stagnant water. Yet it emerges untouched. It symbolises purity, beauty, rebirth, and spiritual awakening.
It does not blame the mud for being muddy.
It rises above it.
Because it is not about blaming the circumstances around us, but about showing gratitude for what life has given us.
Writer’s Thought
Life may not always offer ideal circumstances. Gratitude feels difficult when situations are harsh. But if we wish to break destructive cycles, if we want to step out of repetitive emotional loops, we must begin within.
We must cultivate a form of respect that our own soul can feed upon.
The choice will always be ours.
We can continue blaming the surroundings for their actions.
Or
We can focus on ourselves and take responsibility for ourselves.
Always remember,
External energy is like walking on flat ground; you remain on the same level.
But
Internal energy is like climbing stairs; with every step, you rise.
And in that ascent, your soul finds its true nourishment.
Thank you.
