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Matter
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not only from the soul but from matter as well. The Naiyāyika's maintain that Manas is eternal. It is from the beginningless time in contact with a soul which is passing through series of incarnations and re-incarnations. It is Adrsta, a mysterious force generated in the soul by acts done by it and leading it to its next incarnation to enjoy the fruits thereof, that brings about and maintains this conjunction of a soul and Manas. When acts cease and there are no longer any fruits thereof to be enjoyed by the soul, Adrsta is no longer active and the soul is left to its essential nature. The soul is then said to be liberated and the Manas is separated from it. But Manas continues nevertheless to exist "from eternity to eternity". There are numerous such Manas, it is said, existing separately from the souls which have been liberated. The liberation of a soul is dependent on the experiences of the fruits of its actions. It so happens that a soul wanting to hasten its liberation wants to experience the fruits of its actions all at once. Ordinarily, this is impossible because as shown before, Manas makes experiences successive. It is said, however, that a soul wanting to hasten its liberation and for that, to experience the fruits of actions simultaneously, draws to it as many Manas's (lying unconnected with the souls that have been liberated) as are necessary and through their instrumentality as well as the instrumentality of a corresponding number of bodies made for the purpose,---enables itself to feel the consequences of all its previous acts, all at once. Such a collection of bodies with a corresponding collection of Manas in them, made by a saint for the purpose of simultaneously experiencing, the fruits of actions and thereby hastening his liberation is called the Kāya-Vyüha.
MANAS, ACCORDING TO NYAYA IS NEITHER MATERIAL NOR PSYCHICAL
What, then, is the nature of Manas, if it is neither soul nor matter? Ordinary minds cannot conceive of a substance which is not tangible. It has been difficult even for many cultured people to have a clear understanding of the soul
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