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24
SAMAYASARA
categories due to the interaction of the first two. In spite of the subsidiary nature of these seven categories, they are equally important as the first two inasmuch as their knowledge is quite essential to the process of self-development leading to the selfliberation which is the last of these nine categories and which is also the goal aimed at by spiritual development. Every one of these categories has a dual aspect. Externally it implies the material operative condition constituting the Karmic upādhi. Internally it also implies the psychic modification in the self caused by the corresponding Karmic upādhi. Thus each one of these seven categories has a two-fold nature, material and psychical, which are designated respectively by the terms dravya and bhāva. Thus we have in each case, dravya punya, and bhöva punya, dravya āšrava and bhāva āšrava, etc. These various categories in the life-history of the soul are objects apprehended by right belief. These various categories which are objects of right belief are identified by our author with right belief itself because there is really no fundamental distinction between belief and objects of belief. As has been pointed out above, these categories though considered as real entities because of their importance in the life-career of the soul, it must not be forgotten, are but the various aspects resulting from the interaction of the fundamental reals, jiva. and ajīva. Recognition of this fact would naturally imply that it is the same unitary Self that is present through these categories which are but the modifications of the same Self caused by the operation of the non-self upādhis. Thus it is possible to eliminate the modifications caused by external conditions since they do not form part of the real nature of the Self. Thus after eliminating all those modifications alien to the nature of the self caused by external conditions, it is possible to contemplate upon the nature of the pure Self. Such a realisation of the Self brought about by the discriminative knowledge of the true nature of the Self, as distinct from the operating external conditions, would ultimately reduce the categories which are considered real and important to a status of unreality and unimportance. Such a knowledge of the true Self present throughout these categories and yet transcending all these modifications
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