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Chapter 10: Guru's Explanation about the Soul being Kartä
142 Explanation & Discussion:
Earlier, the Guru had pointed out that the soul acquires Karma by virtue of its motivating the Karma particles to infiltrate within. But that happens only when the soul is extrovert. The situation starts changing when it turns introvert. Then it realizes that craving and aversion are not part of its nature. It therefore strives to avoid the same by staying within itself. This consists of right perception, right knowledge, and right conduct. As this happens to an ever increasing extent, its inherent purity starts manifesting and it remains absorbed therein. That is the soul's true nature and staying that way forever constitutes liberation.
The question may arise as, "How staying within itself could be the activity in the liberated state?" The liberated soul is supposed to be inactive. How can any activity be attributed in that state? In this respect, the explanation of this stanza in Vachanämrut (#718) mentions the following:
"The pure soul is not Karta of any external, extrovert, or defiling activity and can therefore be termed as inactive. However, if it is said that it does not have the activity of its inherent nature and properties like consciousness, that would amount to the non-existence of its own nature. The pure soul does not have embodiment and as such it is inactive; but it is active by virtue of having the activity of consciousness, etc. which are inherent within its nature."
In short it is the nature of consciousness to remain active. Its activity in the worldly state comes to the experiential level in the form of craving, aversion, delusion, etc. Similarly, staying tuned to its nature is its activity in the liberated state. If it had no activity in that state, it would turn out to be a lifeless inanimate object
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