________________
Sixth Fundamental-Path and Means of Liberation
not the body, which is an ephemeral and ever-changing apparatus. He realizes that he is pure, everlasting soul, imbibed with infinite knowledge and infinite perception. Such enlightenment is termed in this stanza as Bodh. That can come only from a true Guru. The words of the Guru emanate from the soul and are capable to penetrate the heart of the pupil. It can awaken the worldly soul from the deep slumber that he has been indulging in since the time immemorial. It enables him to discern right and wrong, and such discernment itself is right perception. One can thus overcome the perception-related deluding Karma and comes to the right path. Utmost emphasis has therefore been laid in the scriptures on the importance of gaining the right perception.
The perception-deluding Karma perverts thinking and creates delusion about the soul's true properties. Soul is inherently imbibed with infinite happiness, but the impact of the said Karma does not allow it to perceive that and leads it to look for happiness from worldly objects. That situation changes with the overcoming of wrong perception. One is now in a position to make out the truth. He realizes that he is not the body which is continually undergoing change; he is the everlasting soul. He therefore sets the well being of his soul as the objective.
The built-in prejudices, conditioning, strong habits, etc. may, however, come in his way. But he makes out that such factors operate as the consequence of the characterrelated delusive Karma that needs to be overcome. By virtue of right perception he recognizes those factors as hurting his own Self and tries to overcome the same. As the perception becomes increasingly clear, he realizes that his getting attached to or resenting any worldly situation is the principal cause of acquiring the bondage of Karma. Thus he develops detachment to an ever increasing extent.
191