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DISCOURSE XXXI
STAGES OF THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE SOUL-(Gunasthana)
Gentlemen,
While considering about the soul we felt that we should properly understand its nature and the nature of karma, the soul's adversary. That is why we are dealing with the topic of karma and its various branches. One aspect of this consideration is Gunasthana (the stages of the attributes of the soul) which we are examining and we have finished with the fourth stage. The present day science acknowledges the veracity of the theory of evolution and describes how from minutest beings man's present form has evolved, but the modern science fails to consider the nature of more minute beings and the beings above human beings. Moreover, evolution of mankind from very minute insects is pointed out with apparent absence of the reference to any degradation. The theory of evolution propounded by the scientists substantiates the possibility of man's evolution from an ape, but does not refer to any possibility of a man's degradation to an ape. Thus, this theory of evolution is incomplete and one sided, and cannot satisfy our reason.
Absence of any consideration of soul is the main defect of this theory of evolution. The consideration of reincarnation or the state thereafter does not arise, and so the evolutionary development referred to, in the doctrine is the development of physical limbs of a human being and such doctrine cannot in any way be compared with our consideration of soul.
We also support the principle of evolution-but that of soulsoul's attributes. We also deal with degradation along with evolution. When elevated thoughts lead the soul to the spiritual height then certainly evil thoughts equally drag the soul to depravation. The fact is, that the soul once depraved undergoes various phases of progress and regress whereafter it makes a move to elevation advancing finally to emancipation. The orderly description we shall find in the discussions named “The various stages of the attributes of the Soul”. We would like to understand these stages properly.
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