The word No can be used as a noun, an adjective or as an adverb to convey the negative meaning or lessening the importance of something or somebody. The word itself is derived from middle English around yr1500, which was a “Not” in old English. Also there is a river called No(Noh) in central Sudan formed by the flood waters of Nile. The word body denotes the physical structure and material of a human being, plant or an animal.

The word nobody means a person of no importance or power. In a way he and his existence is insignificant. To say that a person is a somebody we need a name. To say he is a nobody we don’t need a name. Both somebody and nobody have bodies. There is no difference in their bodies internally either anatomically or physiologically. Both of them are not indeed just bodies, but have a soul. We often hear the phrase “to keep the body and the soul together”. What does it mean? It means “to be able to pay for one’s food, clothing, and somewhere to live”. Eg: His wages are barely enough to keep body and soul together.

But in spirituality, how can the soul function on its own? It needs a body to exist. Yes the bodies are many, but the soul is only one as it is the consciousness in the body that is making its shine through the awakened state, dream state, deep sleep state, individually and it shines even when they are not there, as an independent witness. Without it the body cannot function. Consciousness is indivisible even according to the physicists. For the soul to shine it needs the physical form. This is keeping the body and soul together.

Next question is how is it happening and why and by whose authority? First of all one has to get it right that there are no multiple souls as consciousness is indivisible. And that is the the mighty consciousness/Almighty/Omnipotent, call it anyway. That is the source of all these tiny little lights(source of all beings) (yathova imani bhoothaani jayanthe - Taitreya Up.) that are shining in the billions of bodies in the universe. All the bodies have a name and are either a somebody or a nobody. For the world to carry on its function as it was intended by the Almighty we need the names to suit all the forms that exist. The multiple forms are coming into this world based on their deeds and results from their previous lives. In other words they have come into the world to pay of their debts in whatever form and to whomever they owe. If this is understood, then the so called miseries that one goes through in life appear very light and one should be relieved that the sins have cleared rather than moaning about the misery. While all these debts are being cleared some will become a somebody and some will become a nobody, by the time they reach the end of their transient lives.

So after going through the exercise of this living the current life, what is expected of that person. What should he aim at? In other words what should be the goal? The goal for everybody should only be the one as to get back to where they came from i.e to the Almighty or the union of the tiny soul with the mighty soul. It is just the same as all the rivers that come from the sea will get back into the sea. But how many have that goal? Very very few. All the rest aspire either to be a sports champion or to become a writer and win literary awards or to be a billionaire or an academic trying to invent something that is not there until then(It is there in the Omniecient already). So it is not inventing something but rediscovering or finding it. This will only keep prolonging the birth and death cycles because of cause and effect relationship and the Ordainer will be doing His duty rewarding us what we deserve and when we deserve as otherwise He will be failing His duty and the universe will be a chaos.

So at the end of the day whether it is a somebody or a nobody, both(all) have to learn that they are not just a body and indeed the soul and indeed that he is that Brahman himself. (Aham Brahmasmi) and should take refuge in the great Upanishads as explained by the ancient sages who sacrificed their lives in teaching the principles of one’s existence and his bondage with the the Paramaatma or the great big soul. Once this fact is assimilated both in somebody and nobody, names and forms become meaningless and valueless. Everything looks very trivial and petty. This will become the foundation for oneness, the universal oneness, and unity in the diversity, which in turn is the basis for a happy universal family.

Asthi Bhathi Priyam namaroopath chethi panchakam
Aadya thriam Brahma roopam, jagadroopam tatodvayam.

Is this a eutopia(the ideal place/concept) or a utopia(etymologically not the ideal place according to Thomas Moore the creator of the word) or a dystopia(extremely unpleasant or not a feasible concept)?