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Spiritual Enlightenment
substances. The soul is an embodiment of knowledge, and everything else is foreign. The soul must be meditated on as independent of eight Karmas, as free from all the faults and as an embodiment of Darshan, Jnana and Charitra. (71-75)
When the Atman realizes himself by himself, he becomes Samyagdrishti, i.e., possessed of Right Faith or spiritualistic attitude, and gets rid of Karmas; but if he pursues the modifications his vicw is perverted, and he incurs the bondage of many Karmas and wanders long in Samsara. Sticky and hard Karmas lead the soul astray in spite of the acquisition of knowledge. When the Atman develops perverted attitude, he grasps the reality in a perverted manner; and the conditions created by Karman he begins to identify with himself. Then he begins to say: "I am fair, I am black, I am of some other colour; I am slender, I am fat; I am a Brahmana, a Vaishya,a Kshatriya or the rest; I am a man, a neuter, a woman; I am a Digambara, a Buddhist or a Shvetambara: it is an ignorant fellow that speaks thus. Mother, father, wife, home, sons, friends and wealth: this is all a magical network of unreality, and a fool claims all this as his. A being of perverted attitudes does nothing else than enjoying the objects of pleasure which are the causes of misery." (76-84)
Samyagdarshan or Right Faith or insight is attained by the Atman, when finding an opportune time, delusion is destroyed; thus necessarily the Atman is realized. The wise man should realize that Atman is neither fair, nor red, nor black; he is neither subtle nor gross; he is neither a Brahmana, a Vaishya, a Kshatriya nor the rest; he is neither, a man, a neuter, nor a woman; he is neither a Buddhist, a Digambara nor a Shvetambara; and the soul possesses none of the ascetic characteristics. The soul is neither a teacher nor a pupil; neithe a master nor a servant; neither a hero nor a coward; neither high nor low; neither a man, a god, a sub-human being nor a denizen of hell; neither learned nor foolish; neither rich nor poor; neither a youth, an old man nor a child. (85-91)
Atman, besides his essential nature of sentiency or consciousness is not to be identified with merit, demerit, time,
| SR No. | 022373 |
| Book Title | Spiritual Enlightenment |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Yogindu Deva, A N Upadhye |
| Publisher | Radiant Publishers |
| Publication Year | 2000 |
| Total Pages | 162 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 10 MB |