Adhyatmabindu

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

Page 26

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All things confined to their own natures: All things are firmly established in their own nature. They do not mix themselves with others, otherwise there would arise the contingency of one thing becoming another, that is, of x being non-x, which is a glaring contradiction. Knowledge is confined to its own nature. It does not share the nature of anger etc. Anger is confined to its own nature. It does not characterise soul which is pure consciousness, Consciousness does not characterise material karmas. Consciousness and material karmas possess diametrically opposite natures. From the definitive standpoint material karmas have no power whatsoever to obscure pure consciousness. (24)
Two interacting series could be ended : The impure internal states act as auxiliary cause in the production of material karmas. And the material karmas, in their turn, act as auxiliary causes in the production of the impure interal states. These two interacting series are beginningless. But they could be ended by discriminative knowledge. By the discriminative knowledge one realise the distinction between soul and asravas (passions etc.). The discriminative knowledge is necessarily and invariably associated with the absence of asrava. This is the reason why it is said that discriminative knowledge alone can put an end to the two series. It is, therefore, a wrong view that religious acts alone can stop the two series. Religious acts performed without discriminative knowledge can never lead one to Mokşa. (25)
The relation of the knower and the known: One who has attained the discriminative knowledge knows the difference between soul and external objects. He realises that there obtains between them the relation of the knower and the known alone. No other relation is possible in their case. That is, there does not obtain between them even the relation of the possessor and the possessed. Hence his attachment to all external objects including his own body ceases. He remains engrossed in his own pure consciousness. Thus he does not produce or bind karmas-mental or material. (26) Matter is identical with colour, etc. : Matter in all its states is pervaded by colour, etc, and in the absence of the latter there is the absence of the former. In other words, matter is identical with colour etc. This means that colour etc. together constitute the nature of matter. The Vaiseșika philosophers might urge that in the absence of odour there exists water, in the absence of odour and flavour there exists fire, in the absence of odour, flavour and colour there exists air; hence matter could not be said to have necessary universal relation with them, that is, colour etc. together coudl not constitute the nature of matter. Jainas reply that qualities are