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Philosophy of Six Padas
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make soul begin to shed accumulated karmic matter. Fasting, showing reverence to superiors, control of senses, speech, and intellect, confession of faults, goodwill toward all, compassion, nonviolence, and unconditional forgiveness are some of the prescribed austerities and karmic matter literally start burning in the glow of these austerities. After the stage of nirvana is achieved, the liberated person can continue to live in this world to help others on the path to nirvana, no longer bound by the fruits of actions or worldly duties. In the final stage, the liberated soul transcends this world having dropped all karmic matter and having attained the perfected state of kevalya. 46
Consciousness is the essence of soul with perception and intelligence as its manifestations. The former is simply apprehension and latter conceptual knowledge. Things/ manifestations are basically extramental realities. As light reveals itself and other objects simultaneously, so does jnana (knowledge) reveal itself and others at the same time. The five sources of jnana are: mati - ordinary cognition which includes memory, recognition, and induction; shruti - knowledge derived through signs, symbols. and words including the processes of association, attention, understanding, and naya; avadhi - direct knowledge of things at a distance in space or time; manahparyaya - direct knowledge of the thoughts of others; and kevala - perfect knowledge that is allcomprehensive and all-inclusive. The first three are liable to an error, but not the last two. In pure state, soul is both jnana and darshana - perfect knowledge and perfect intuition. When impure, soul carries with it disturbing media, passions, and emotions, the reasons for the inflow of karmic matter. The difference between souls is in terms of the degree to which they are wrapped with karmic matter. 47
Rajchandra on Soul
When Gandhi wrote a letter to Rajchandra from South Africa, among other questions he asked: "what is a soui and
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