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was before or always was, so even when karmic matter is dissociated from the soul, that is to say, when the contact of karmic matter is brought to an end, the soul regains its pure unaffected nature; nothing more then this happens, nothing is added to the soul. So mokṣa cannot be regarded as non-eternal (1984).
That the emancipated soul is eternal can be proved by the reason (linga, hetu) that even though it is a substance it is incorporeal, like akaśa which is a substance, and is incorporeal and eternal. But akaśa is all-pervading also; in that case should the emancipated soul be regarded as all-peryading ? No, because inference contradicts this: The soul is as extensive as the body up to the skin, since it is here that its qualities are experienced, like touch. Therefore, the soul cannot be all-pervading, but is co-extensive with the body. Similarly it may be argued that the soul too like ākāśa being a substance and incorporeal, should not also be bound or emancipated, as the akasa is not bound by anything and so is not also freed from anything. But it is not so. Bondage is possible in the case of the soul; it is bound by punya and papa, because its actions like acts of charity, injury, etc. bear fruit, like agriculture, etc.. This bondage can be ended because it is of the nature of sanyoga or contact, like the contact of goll and dhâtu-päşāņa (mineral). The contact of karma, which is the bondage of the soul, can be destroyed by true knowledge and actions. If the soul is eternal, mokșa also is established to be eternal (1985).
But there should not be an obstinate insistence as to mokşa being eternal; for everything being of the nature of originationdestruction-persistence, moksa may be anity: (non eternal) also from one point of view as it is nitya (eternal) froin another. This has been discussed in the conversation with Mandika (1986).
The Buddhist view may be considered here, which believes that as the lamp is completely extinguished, so the soul completely perishes in the state of mokşa. The Buddhists are mistaken; the flame (fire) of the lamp does not absolutely perish, it merely undergoes pariņāma (transformation); it gives up its pariņāma as light and assumes that of darkness, as milk turns into curds,
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