Poor with Possessions, but Rich in Spirit: A Life Lesson in Connecting to Your Soul

The following is adapted from Chasm.

One of the most powerfully positive spiritual awakenings I’ve had came while on a visit to Varanasi, India. I met a man there whose name was Manjit. Our short time together showed me how to live peacefully with nothing more than just being me, no matter what the circumstances.

A Magical Place for Connection

Manjit was sitting behind a table in the courtyard of a mission built by Mother Teresa. It was a quiet place, especially after walking through the noisy streets of Varanasi. The sun was shining, and I was enjoying the serenity. The entire courtyard surged with the energy of a deeply magical place. Although, to the plain eye, it was a mission filled with people without many options.

By the way his eyes looked off toward nowhere in particular, it was clear that Manjit had impaired vision. A small radio sat on the table in front of him. Manjit was listening to music quietly. He had a sense of peace, and I was drawn to it. Undoubtedly, we found ourselves in the same place to connect.

A Soul Smile

I sat next to Manjit, but he didn’t look at me. I closed my eyes and quieted my mind to just be fully present. I just wanted to be there with him. In time, he turned his head and looked at me. We were communicating silently. He didn’t speak English, and I didn’t speak Hindi. He showed me his radio, and I smiled. We listened to the music together and enjoyed the sunshine. A friend traveling with me walked to the table. Ironically, he could speak both languages.

“How did you get here?” I asked through my interpreter. As he told his story, he said that he had lost his home, wife, children, and the rest of his family. Also, his vision was 90 percent gone.

I asked about the radio, and he smiled. He liked music. It was so simple. His smile was pure and deep. It draws you in and connects on a deep level — it was a soul smile.

Finding Beauty in the Simplicity of Existence

He looked right at me as if he could see into my soul. In fact, we both knew he was already there. He knew why I had come and I was searching for peace. Manjit said, “I have come here, and when it’s time, I am ready to go.”

I sat in silence and embraced one of the greatest gifts ever given to me. The connection that we shared in that moment spoke louder than mere words ever could. Here was a man who appeared to have nothing. He was blind and waiting to die, yet he was whole in the deepest sense — truly at peace. I felt it in my soul and in his.

I was a man of material wealth yet had spent the majority of my life tormented and empty. Spiritually, I was broke. I was the man seeking what this man had become. Manjit gave me a beautiful gift that day. He showed me the example of surrendering to life’s impermanence and finding beauty in the pure simplicity of existence.

We Already Have Everything We Need

Manjit didn’t need seminars, coaches, therapists, or books. He didn’t need to undo fifty years of programming. Manjit was at peace. He didn’t feel the need to contribute something grand or live an extraordinary life. He wasn’t asking anyone to fix his situation.

In that moment, a man with no resources taught me what being whole meant. What it meant to fully appreciate your journey exactly the way it is, to appreciate the simplicity of having a place to lay your head and a meal.

All I have ever really wanted is to be at peace. Not worrying about planning the next thing, not seeking, not needing, not blaming, but just being at peace with every moment. Being at peace with myself. At that little table, in a quiet courtyard, I was presented with a glorious lesson.

How We Can All Leave in Peace

After we spent a good bit of time together, I spent some time in the kitchen that morning with the missionaries. They were an amazing group making lunch. One of the missionaries I spoke with was an American who had been around the world and helped many. She said, “This is the poorest material place I’ve ever served, but spiritually, the richest.”

I received a lesson in truly connecting with my soul that day. A true connection with our soul is to be at peace with who we are, where we are, and with what we have. It is to be able to let all of life’s possessions and belongings go and embrace life’s impermanence. This is how we can all live in peace.

For more advice on connecting to your soul, you can find Chasm on Amazon.

Bob Goulet is an American entrepreneur, inventor, and life artist. Bob has a BS and MS in chemical engineering from the University of Connecticut and Clemson University, respectively. He holds an MBA from Duke University. Bob is the inventor on more than two dozen patents globally and is a two-time Inc. 500 award winner who has also been recognized globally in the sciences. A passionate student of life, he has traveled the world and studied with many of the greatest spiritual teachers of our time. He currently resides in North Carolina with his son and is the founder and President of Saprex LLC, an advanced materials company.