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**2.8**
**Characteristics of the Soul**
The determination of the conscious can only be achieved through the deliberate use, because use necessarily exists in all souls in varying degrees. The insentient alone is devoid of use.
**Question:** What is meant by use?
**Answer:** The transactional aspect that is knowledge-oriented is called use.
**Question:** Why does knowledge activity occur in the soul and not in the insentient?
**Answer:** The cause of knowledge is consciousness. Only where there is consciousness can the activity of knowledge occur. Consciousness exists in the soul, not in the insentient.
**Question:** The soul is an independent substance; therefore, it should possess many qualities. Why is use then regarded as the characteristic?
**Answer:** Undoubtedly, the soul possesses infinite qualities and manifestations, but among them, use is primary because, being self-illuminating, use enables the knowledge of itself and other manifestations. Moreover, everything that the soul knows about existence and non-existence, that it experiences happiness and suffering—all this occurs through use. Therefore, use is predominant among all manifestations.
**Question:** Is the characteristic different in nature?
**Answer:** No.
**Question:** If so, then the five types of dispositions previously described as the nature of the soul are also characteristics; what is the purpose of mentioning another characteristic?
**Answer:** Not all extraordinary qualities are the same. Some undoubtedly pertain to the aim at times, but may sometimes not. Some are not of the total aim, and some exist across all three times within the total aim. Among the total aim, use is what exists in all three times. Therefore, it has been stated distinctly as a separate characteristic, indicating that the less significant qualities, such as the supportive and others, are indeed characteristics of the soul; however, they are neither found in all souls nor do they pertain to all three times. The manifestation of the soul that is found across all three times and in all souls is the form of the soul which is transitional, of which the resultant meaning is use. Hence, this has been stated here separately as a characteristic. Other qualities can be incidental (occurring sometimes, sometimes not), partially related to the aim, and thus can indicate the soul but are not characteristics.