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PHILOSOPHY OF SOUL
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followed by conduct-obscuring Karma etc. with some definite purpose in view.
Knowledge is the most predominant attribute of the soul, therefore the Karma which obscures knowledge is ranked first. After knowledge, intuition is second in importance and therefore intuition obstructing Karma follows knowledge obscuring Karma. When these obstructive Karmas manifest their results, they become the causes of feelings of pains and pleasure, and due to this reason, feeling-obscuring Karma is ranked thereafter. Feelings of pains and pleasure lead the soul to various passions without fail, and that is why conduct-obscuring Karma follows. Soul infatuated with conduct-obscuring-Karmas initiates himself to various kinds of activities contracting thereby birth in heaven or elsewhere, and therefore the life-contracting Karma follows the conduct-obscuring Karma. Life contracting Karma is not possible without personality determining Karma. When personality determining Karma is settled, status arises and that is why status-determining Karma follows personality-determining Karma. When low or high status is settled, charity and other benefits are either created or destroyed and this condition leads to power-obscuring Karma which follows status-determining Karma.
KNOWLEDGE-OBSCURING KARMA (GNANAVARNIYA KARMA)
Karma which obscures knowledge, envelopes knowledge, diminishes the radiance of knowledge is termed 'Knowledge-obscuring Karma'. Just as eyes with faculty of perception cannot perceive when covered with a bandage, soul though possessed of omniscience fails to acquire Knowledge on account of knowledge-obscuring Karmas.
More the annihilation of these Karmas, more the soul can know and not beyond. Lesser the annihilation, lesser the soul can know. These Karmas of the omniscient Lord are totally annihilated and so he can know everything. Among men we find varying degrees of knowledge which can be attributed to these knowledge-obscuring Karmas.
Suppose you know something but you do not remember it for the present. After sometime you remember it. This means the knowledge did exist when you forgot about it or else how could it