Sunday, July 24, 2016

Action-less nature of the Self. What then is the source of action?

The self is ‘akarta’ and ‘abhokta’; it means the self is neither the doer of actions nor the enjoyer of results of actions. It neither wields the instruments of action – body, senses, and mind nor prompts the individual, nor creates results, nor connects the results with the individual. The self does not do neither good nor bad actions, nor does it become a sinner. It is the witness consciousness it the presence of which all actions good, bad or ugly happen. For example earth revolves around the sun and so many other activities are also performed in the presence of earth. But sun is neither responsible nor affected by the any activities on the earth.

Now then who is doer of actions and what is the source of their actions. It is the nature of earth to rotate around its axis and revolves around the sun, water to flow and fire to burn. Governed by the laws of nature they do what they do. Similarly it is the nature of the qualities; ‘gunas’ that makes satavika person give and forgive, the rajasika fight and divide and the tamasika to sleep and forget. Besides this it is nature of vasanas to manifest as desires that prompt the individual into action, creating objects and circumstances which as results are enjoyed or suffered by the individual which in turn leave impressions and which again manifest as desires. Indeed an endless cycle. All of this happen in the presence of the self.

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