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First Fundamental-Existence of Soul
In reply to the pupil's question the Guru asks him to figure out the element that actually sees when an object comes within the eyesight. We normally conceive of two factors that are involved in the act of seeing. One is the eye and the other is the object. The eye is the instrument with which it is possible to see, and the object of sight is reflected in the eye. But the question is, 'Who is the seer?' That must be different from the means as well as the sight. Another question is, 'Who actually knows what is seen?' In other words, who knows the form? The Guru states that whoever is the seer and the knower is termed as soul. Seeing and knowing are thus the properties of soul. The eye is merely an instrument in the act of seeing. With that instrument the objects become visible to the seer; but the seer itself, the soul, cannot be seen thereby.
Let us consider the example of a person looking out from a window of his house. He sees the street, the houses, the people, and the vehicles passing by. If there are no obstructions, he can also see the trees or the lake and the hills that may be lying far beyond. But what is the role of the window in the act of seeing those objects? Does it see any of them? No; the window is an instrument for seeing, while the person is the seer of the window as well as of the scene. Moreover, it is not possible to see the person with the help of window. Similarly our eyes cannot see our soul, which is the seer of the eye as well as of the sight.
Another question of the pupil pertained to experiencing of the soul. Here experiencing denotes the feeling with which is associated the sense of l’or ‘mine'. The Guru tells him to analyze his experience and to find out who experiences the sense of l’. For instance, we walk with legs and undergo the experience of walking. That experience
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