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34 • The Path to Real Nature
Real vs Associate Cause (Upadan vs Nimitta) – Every effect presupposes a cause and factors that ensure a given result are only known as its causes. Every effect is caused by multiple factors which operate in a complicated manner. There are two types of causes-real and associate. That which itself causes the change or contributed by the same substance through its properties/previous form can be called as real cause. Factors which facilitate a change and remove impediments but themselves do not cause a change are called as associate. For example, in the making of a pot, clay is the real cause as this itself changes into a pot but other factors such as wheel, stick, pot maker, etc. are associate causes. These are called associate because their presence is important and can be seen or observed at a glance but by themselves incapable of causing a desired change in any manner.
The Famous Trio - A substance is defined in terms of its properties or qualities. As properties change, there is a change in the form of the substance. However, the basic substance remains the same. The substance, its properties and its forms together determine the true nature of an object. A piece of gold is matter. It has certain properties such as yellowness, rustlessness, meltingness, etc. It is possible to change its form from a gold piece to a ring, a bangle, etc., but it remains gold with its innate properties; only the form has changed. When a bangle is 'created' out of a ring, the ring has been destroyed but all properties of gold are still 'sustained'. This is the famous trio-Brahma (Creation), Shiva (Destruction) and Vishnu (Permanence or Sustainability). These three are the innate changes that are constantly taking place in all substances in the Universe and yet the basic Universe remains the same; only the form changes.
