________________
56
THE ENLIGHTENED VISION OF THE SELF
people, those in favour of the pot, those in favour of the crown, and those in favour of the gold stuff.107
Similarly, if we engage our psychic exertion (upayoga) in our suaripa (innate nature of self or pure consciousness), it will be termed as remaining established in swarupa, which is said to be anakula (free of infatuation and mental or emotional agitation, i.e. moha and ksholha). As this scarpa is inherent in the Self and it is suasanmeca (amenable to self intuition), it is within easy reach of the Self. Pure consciousness is to be achieved by one's own efforts and experienced by oneself. It can never be achieved by proxy. No outside agency can do anything for the soul except to point out that the power which can bring about its emancipation is latent within itself. No one else - a deity, scripture or teacher (guaru), etc. - can make the other person experience pure consciousness. The realization of the Self, regaining the consciousness of its true nature, establishment in pure consciousness or natural state of the Self is the function and the sole prerogative only of the Self.
Pure awareness dawns through an understanding of one's own nature. Hence, one has to have full understanding of the nature of the Self and the other objects because only then one can get rid of
gancha (infatuation) of all kinds. Only the Self, devoid of infatuation, knowing the true nature of soul and giving up attachment and aversion, can experience the natural state of the Self (svarupa). (Verse 24) When a person becomes aware of the unnatural Self (i.e. the distortions and deviations of the natural Self), and gives them up, regains the natural Self, which is its innate nature. When the unnatural disappears, the natural is found. The natural has, in fact, always been there, hidden under the rubbish. Unnatural gone, you are natural.108 The conditioned mind is the unnatural Self.
In realizing the indestructible nature of the Self (i.e. pure consciousness), the Self is all by itself and fully self-sufficient in all respects. One has to lift oneself by one's own efforts. The conditioned mind or intentional consciousness has always a sense of insufficiency in it and strives towards greater sufficiency, and is thereby always in a process of striving or “becoming" until one eventually attains selfrealization or the state of pure consciousness. The Self itself realizes
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
