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Chapter 6: Guru's Explanation about the Existence of the Soul
100
You believe in the pot, cloth, etc. because you (see and) know them; what type of knowledge is it, that you do not believe in the knower?
Explanation & Discussion:
The pupil had said that if the soul exists, it should be apparent like a pot, cloth, and other material objects. In a way, the reply has been already given when it was explained that the soul is intangible, it has no form or shape and is therefore not visible like material objects. Here the Guru points out to the pupil, "You being the knower, you know pots, cloth, etc. and therefore believe in their existence. But then, why do you overlook the knower itself? Is it possible to know anything without existence of the knower? Since you know all those objects, it is clear that there is the knower. Is it not ironic that while believing in the objects that you know, you are hesitating to accept existence of the knower (soul) itself?"
પરમ બુદ્ધિ કૃશ દેહમાં, સ્થૂળ દેહ મતિ અલ્પ; દેહ હોય જો આતમા, ઘટે ન આમ વિકલ્પ.
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