The real you is not the body.

Soul in the body

It is true that a being independent of the body lives through a body. At the moment of death, when life departs from the body, there is no change in the apparent physiology of the body. Nevertheless, the dead body immediately starts to decay and to putrefy emitting foul smell. Devoid of life (life in its essence is an integral part of the soul till it attains salvation), the body acquires an abhor-able state. It proves that although the being enlivens the body, it has an existence of its own, independent of the body. In parlance of spirituality, this separate entity is called ATMA (soul). This soul is our true identity. Your right answer to the question "Who am I?" is "I am that atma."

Everyone intuitively knows that soul and body in a living being a re two separate entities and even in our speech we say: "My body" - signifying that 'I am the possessor of the body and not the body itself. Hardly anyone will doubt the separate existence of the soul. Whereas even a common man accepts this concept of differentiation in principle, his behavior reflects otherwise. Man behaves in such a manner as though he is inseparable from his body and the pains and pleasures of the body are his own (of the Real Self). A close observation of an individual's thoughts, speech and actions would show that all of these pertain exclusively to his identification with the body. He thinks, speaks and acts in terms of the body only. In other words when he says "I", he implies his body.

Body is the lodgments and temple of the soul. Hence it is proper as well as necessary to look after its health, cleanliness and upkeep, but it is erroneous and fallacious to identify oneself exclusively with the body - thus mistaking the residence for the resident. It is due to this false and mistaken identify that man loses sight of the real interest s of the soul - his true identity - and suffers the pangs of death, disease, separation in endless cycles of embodiments.

Interests of soul and body are different

Since soul and body are two separate entitles, their interests are also different. The requirements of the body are represented by the interests of the sensory organs. The ten organs of sense perceptions and actions and the eleventh mind are perpetually running outwards for gratification of their basic urges through the instrumentality of the body. The sensory urges are delicious food, stylish clothes, numerous things of beauty, beautiful women, melodious sounds and a variety of objects of comfort, pleasure and luxury. The mind on the other hand aspires for a high status in society, great wealth, widespread fame and authority. The entire life is thus spent in satisfying these insatiable hankerings of body and mind. When desires become cravings, the deluded person frantically tries to satisfy them by any means - fair or foul. This is the primary cause of all sinful activities.