Adhyatmabindu

Author(s): Mitranandvijay, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 14

then it would not require any other thing to cause changes in it. The nature of a thing does not depend upon external conditions. So, the soul should be regarded as changing by its very nature. Thus pure soul which is free from karmic inatter undergoes pure changes worthy of liberated souls but the soul which is in association with karmic matter undergoes impure changes and becomes actor, agent or doer. (3)
Karma an auxiliary cause necessary for impure changes : A lump of clay, when not in association with other things like water, a potter etc., undergoes pure or similar changes. But as soon as it comes in contact with them it undergoes impure or dissimilar changes and consequently assumes different forms, viz cup-form, pot-form etc. Similarly, soul, not associated with karmic matter, undergoes pure changes, but it in association with karmic matter undergoes impure changes and assumes different states of mundane existence, viz. sub-human, human, infernal and celestial. Thus though soul, like other substances, is changing by its very nature it cannot change into inpure changes in the absence of its contact with karmic matter, the auxiliary causal condition necessary for the impure change. The mundane soul undergoes impure changes, that is, it remains caught up in the cycle of births and deaths on account of its association with karmic matter from the beginningless time. (4)
Definitive (Niscaya) and Practical (Vyavahāra) standpoints : Definitive standpoint describes things as they are. It concentrates on the natural properties or states of a substance. For it contiagent or adventitious properties of a substance do not really belong to it. They are quite foreign to it. Hence this standpoint considers all the modes or states due to karmic matter to be absolutely different from soul. They have nothing to do with soul. This standpoint never predicates of soul the properties dependent on karmic matter. On the other hand, practical standpoint describes things as they are not. It superimposes the coatingeat and foreign properties on a substance. This is the reason why it regards states or modes that are due to karmic matter as belonging to soul. Psychical states like attachment, aversion, etc. which are dependent on karmic matter are considered to be the states of soul. Not only that but the physical qualities of the body, viz, colour, etc. are also predicated of soul. This finally leads to the identification of body with soul and consequently what. ever body does is attributed to soul. All activities of body, mind and specch depend on karmic matter. And this practical standpoint superimposes them on soul. Natural properties of soul, viz. knowledge, etc. are technically called svabhāvas of soul. And they form the subject-matter of definitive standpoint. Psychical states and physical properties, which invariably depend on karmic matter, are respectively called vibhāvas and