Adhyatmabindu

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

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Attachment, aversion, pleasure, pain etc. not natural to soul : Even the impure modifications like attachment, aversion, pleasure, pain etc. caused by karmas do not coustitute the nature of soul. Their presence depends on the presence of armas. Similarly, their absence depends on the absence of karmas. This proves that these impure modifications are not natural to soul. And hence they should not be regarded as identical with soul. (15)
Cetanā the defining characteristic of soul : It is cetana (consciousness) that constitutes the nature of soul. It is on the basis of this characteristic that soul is differentiated from all other substances. It is found in two forms, viz. jñana (determinate cognition) and darsana (indeterminate cognition). Darsana cognises universals whereas jñāna cognises particulars. Though soul is the substratum of many properties, celana is selected as its defining characteristic because it is found in each and every soul but it is never found in a member not belonging to the class of soul. It is again threefold, viz. karma-celanā, karma phala-celana and jñāna-cetana. Karmacetana means consciousness or awareness of action. Karmaphala-cetana means consciousness or awareness of pleasure-pain which are the fruits of karmas. These two forms of cetana do not constitute the nature of soul because they depend on and are caused by its association with karmas. Jañānacetana is of the nature of pure consciousness (niruparāgopayoga) devoid of all adventitious impurities. It does not depend on karmas. It is the nature of soul. It cognises both its own self and the object. One can distinguish with its help, one's own soul from the five ajiva substances as also from other souls. As soon as one realises that it constitutes the nature of one's soul, one will consider the impure modifications like attachment, aversion, etc to be foreign to one's soul. This will ultimately lead to the cessation of all impure modifications and consequently that of bondage itself. (16)
Superimposition of bodily qualities on soal : Though the physical qualities, viz. colour, etc. are found associated with soul due to its relation with material body, they do not constitute the nature of soul. On account of the operation of pudgalavipaki karmas soul comes in close contact with body. This contact is such that the units of one are permeated with those of another. Hence ordinary people are unable to differentiate one from the other. In spite of this the defining characteristic of soul is upayaga (consciousness) which is invariably concomitant with it. The physical qualities being not invariably concomitant with it do not constitute the nature of soul. This is the reason why it is said that colour, etc, are got there in soul. In spite of this the people who live on the plane of vyavahāranaya are unable to differentiate the nature of soul from that of body, and consequently wrongly indentify soul with body and superimpose physical qualities like colour etc. of body on soul. The cause