The Self, an Indestructible Eternal Element

is not the Self (anatma). Chaitanya (the Self; that which Knows and Sees) can never become achaitanya (that which does not have the property to Know and See). Not a single piece of It ever becomes achaitanya. Whereas for that which is achaitanya, just as we cut onions and slice them, similarly no matter how many slices we would make of the division that is not the Self (anatma vibhaag), not a single slice would turn out to be such that it contains ‘light’ [Knowledge and Vision]. They are both completely different eternal elements. Moreover, they are inherently natural (swabhaavik) eternal elements. They are no ordinary things. Swabhaavik means that they have their own inherent nature.

There is nothing about the Self that is destructible (vinashi). ‘Its’ inherent nature, even Its properties are not destructible. It is only the temporary states (avastha) of the Self that arise and undergo dissolution. That constantly keeps on happening. Whereas the Self (pote) maintains Its permanence (dhruv). Now, all the temporary states of the Self are Chetan (have the property to Know and See) whereas all the temporary states of the Pudgal [Parmanu] are achetan (without the property to Know and See).

The Self is shuddha Chetan (the pure Knower-Seer). That which is visible here, that is the mishrachetan (the I with wrong belief that arises as when the eternal elements of the Self and inanimate matter come into close proximity with each other). And the pure Knower-Seer is the pure Soul, and that Itself is the absolute Self.

Questioner: Does the Self have an impure form?

Dadashri: This form as the prakruti (the visible form created in an ignorant state by the continuous instillation of the false attribution that ‘I am Chandubhai’ in the past life) is the impure form of the Self.

In the Real (Nishchay), the absolute eternal element is in the form as God, whereas in the relative (vyavahaar), it would certainly be different, wouldn’t it! You are sitting separately and this man is sitting separately. Each one’s space is definitely different, no space can be occupied by two to four things simultaneously, can it? That is known as being different in the relative sense. And from the Real viewpoint, our Self is just one and the same [by their properties]. Just as what this Soul is like, that Soul is also like that, all of them have the very same inherent nature.

Questioner: The Chetan tattva is acceptable, but shouldn’t there be another eternal element which supports this Chetan tattva?

Dadashri: No, there can never be anything that supports It. The eternal element that has the property to Know and See (Chetan tattva) is indeed the Self, and It is inherently natural. The Chetan tattva exists within you in its entirety. ‘It’ exists in every living being, and It has never needed anything from anyone. There is no dependency (avalamban), the eternal element that Knows and Sees is without any dependency whatsoever. If It were to have a dependency, then people would have killed It. However, the Self is Itself God.

Questioner: So is It absolutely free of dependency on anything relative (niralamb)?

Dadashri: Yes, It is absolutely free of dependency.

Questioner: But with regards to the eternal element Chetan, in the Advaita Vedanta (an outlook or school of Hinduism), they have used the words ‘paraatpar Chaitanya’ for that.

Dadashri: Paraatpar Itself means the pure KnowerSeer (shuddha Chetan). ‘It’ does not have any dependency. Despite having a body, if ‘I’ [the Gnani Purush] am able to say that ‘I’ am absolutely free of dependency on anything relative, then what must the original Self be like!

The Embodied Soul and the Self

Questioner: Some refer to it as the embodied soul (jeev) and some refer to it as the Self (Atma).

Dadashri: The fact is, in the Lord’s language, He was referring to It [the Self] as jeev, whereas what do our people of today understand jeev to be? They refer to the one who is living as jeev. And when the person dies, they say that one has died. So, we refer to the temporary state as jeev, whereas the Lord used to refer to the original Self as jeev. So now if we refer to the original Self as the Atma, then we will understand the meaning of jeev.

What can be referred to as jeev? That which lives and dies is called jeev. The Self remains as It is, but the Lord has referred to the original Self as jeev. So if you want to understand this in His language, then it will take time. Therefore, we should refer to It as the Atma, meaning that It refers to a permanent eternal element.

Questioner: Our Self, the Self within all animals, as well as the Self in all inanimate matter (jada vastu), are they in reality the same or are they different?

Dadashri: They are indeed different. The inanimate matter in which no one has ownership, in those, there is no Self.

Questioner: On what basis would the inanimate matter continue to exist?

Dadashri: That eternal element is in the form of Parmanu (the smallest, most indivisible and indestructible particle of matter), it is indestructible, it is independent, and it is inanimate.

If someone were to ask, “Is the Self (Sat Chit Anand) pervaded within the inanimate matter?” Then the response would be, “No, the Self is not pervaded within the inanimate matter, nor is inanimate matter pervaded within the Self. They both certainly remain separate in their own way. They never become one (ekakaar) at all. Despite being together in the body, the intrinsic properties that have a specific function (gunadharma) of both are nonetheless different.”

That which can be seen through the eyes, heard through the ears, tasted through the tongue, is all inanimate matter. That which is perceived through the five sense organs is inanimate matter. The Self (Chetan) can only be Seen through divya chakshu (divine Vision through which the Real and the relative is Seen as separate).

Questioner: Is this eternal element of the Self not common to the rest of these eternal elements that support motion and inertia, the eternal elements of Time, and Space?

Dadashri: No, why would It be common? ‘It’ has nothing to do with them. If the Self becomes one with inanimate matter, then it would become inanimate. Besides, this inanimate matter does not even know the Self, however the Self Knows it.

Questioner: Is this property of Knowing only in the Self?

Dadashri: Yes. Meaning that It Knows Its own Self. Furthermore, It can exhibit feelings (laagni) [in the vibhaavik state], It has many other types of properties.

Of the Six, the Self Is Unique

No one can recognize the Self (Chetan), that this is Chetan. The Self cannot be seen; the Self cannot be heard. Even the actions (kriya) of the Self are not visible.

Questioner: That which is without action (akriya), that which is steady (adol), why has that been referred to as the Self?

Dadashri: That which is steady, that which is without action, only that can be the Self.

Questioner: Please explain how that is so.

Dadashri: What is the meaning of Chetan? The One who has the function of Knowing (jaanpanu) all this that is happening, the One who Knows, that is Chetan! Of all these six eternal elements, there is only one eternal element, that of Chetan, who Knows all of this. Inanimate matter does not Know anything. Therefore, Gnan-Darshan (Knowledge and Vision of the Self) is known as Chetan. The One who has Knowledge and Vision is Chetan. There is both Knowledge and Vision even in this tree.

Of all the six, only the Self (Atma) is Chetan (with the property to Know and See). Therefore, It can Know the feelings (laagni) that arise and everything else. That which has such experiential awareness as the Self (bhaan) is Chetan; no matter what you do to It, It has the awareness, It Knows that. All the other [eternal elements] would not be aware of that.

All the other eternal elements are achetan (without the property to Know and See). There are many properties within them, their own inherently natural properties, but there are no feelings within them, within any of them. Even if we were to keep crushing them, they would not be affected at all.

If you worship the Self as being formless (aroopi) only, then that worship will end up reaching the other four [eternal elements] that are formless. Besides the Self which is free from association (asang), it will reach all the others. These are not properties of the Self alone. Now, the Self is formless, but it is not the Self alone that is formless. Our people believe the Self alone to be formless. ‘Space’ is also formless. Then, the eternal element that supports motion is also formless. The eternal element that supports inertia is formless, and the parmanu (smallest indivisible unit) of Time are also formless. It is only this inanimate matter (Pudgal Parmanu) alone that has a visible form (roopi), the Pudgal [Parmanu] alone is visible (murt). It will not do to worship the Self alone as being invisible (amurt). The other four eternal elements are also invisible.

All the eternal elements are such that they never increase or decrease by their inherent nature (aguru-laghu swabhaav). The [vibhaavik] pudgal (the pudgal formed from parmanu that have deviated from their inherent nature) that we have to get rid of, its inherent nature is such that it increases and decreases. Anger, pride, deceit, and greed is the vikaari pudgal (parmanu that have deviated from their inherent nature; same as vikrut pudgal and vibhaavik pudgal), and by its inherent nature, it increases and decreases. The inherent nature to never increase or decrease belongs to all the eternal elements. All the six eternal elements are nirlep (non-smearable; untouched; unaffected). That is why we refer to them as immiscible (tankotkirna). All of them are steady (avichal) indeed. It is the [vibhaavik] pudgal alone that is chanchal (active). In fact, all the others are indestructible (avinashi). Therefore, by worshipping (bhajana) these properties alone, the worship of the Self does not happen.

Questioner: I can clearly see some of the Self (Chetan) with these physical eyes, what is that?

Dadashri: No, Chetan cannot be seen with the eyes, It cannot be seen through imagination (kalpana). Chetan is nirvikalp (that which cannot be imagined). In fact, It is something that can only be experienced. Sugar is sweet, but the sweetness is not something that is visible. Is the sweetness visible?