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THE ENLIGHTENED VISION OF THE SELF
in space, time and condition or state. Hence, if one remains occupied in thinking, knowing, and ascertaining or deciding about this atma as substance, then one cannot achieve the uncontaminated experience of consciousness (rishudha jnanarubhuti). The experience of pure consciousness (shuddha jnayak bhara) is the cause or instrument of experiencing the nature of true or pure Self. In fact, the true or pure Self is none other than pure consciousness; it has no name, no form; just the purity, just the formlessness and namelessness, in which there is no place for individuality of a substantial soul. The individuality, which is the product of karman, is submerged or extinguished and what remains is consciousness pure and simple (inayak bhara). Since we achieve self-realization only through the instrumentality of consciousness, jnanarubhai is also called szanubhava (realization of Self).57
Realization of the “Self” is always of the true or “pure” nature of the Self, which is over-shadowed, covered or distorted because of karma, which is made up of mithatin, moha (delusion, infatuation), or avidya (ignorance). In self-realization, which is a gradual process, the circumference gets smaller and smaller till it merges in the innermost core of the pure Self; it is quite different from the centre of desire, that is “me”, which is the result of the conditioned mind. In the empirical Self, having egoistic involvement in the world, it is the opposite — the circumference getting bigger and larger.
The fine distinction between the soul as substance and the soul as consciousness is indeed quite significant. From the point of view of substance (draya drishti), the soul is described as a substance with attributes and modifications. From the spatial (kshetra) point of view, it is said to be coextensive with body and from temporal (kala) point of view it is seen in human or other form and stained with passions or devoid of them. From the point of view of bhara (nature or attributes) there are two ways of looking at the Self. One is bhedarupa (division, distinction or difference), according to which the soul is imbued with several attributes, such as intuition, knowledge, activity, bliss etc. From the indivisible, identity or non-distinct point of view (abhedabharr drishti) the nature of soul (suarupa) is consciousness alone, which is the common characteristic of all living beings.
Thus, the blissful state of the “Self” is also equated with the state
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