This work presents certain basic principles of Svaminarayana’s philosophy of self. According to Svaminarayana, self is real. It is one of the five realities accepted by him. The other four realities are Parabrahman (God), Aksarabrahman (eternal abode and first servant of God), Maya (matter) and Isvara (cosmic God). Self is never created. It is eternal. It is neither before nor after God. It is co-eternal with God. It is different and distinct from God. It cannot be destroyed. It is imperishable. There are innumerable selves. God dwells in self as Antarayami (indweller). God also dwells in it as Saksin (witness). God is the self of self. Without Got self can do nothing. Self is eternally dependent upon God, for its existence and activity. False identification of self with body constitutes bondage. Knowledge that self is different from body and God is real knowledge. Real knowledge liberates self from bondage. On attaining liberation self does not merge in God. It retains it identity in the state of liberation. On liberation self attains divine body. With this divine body the self eternally worships and serves God. Once self attains liberation, there is no return from it to the mundane existence.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Suresh Vakil
Dr. Suresh Vakil, (born 1927) the author of this work, is an advocate, a scholar and a writer. He is First Class First with distinction in M.A. (Philosophy) and recipient of three gold medals and prizes from Gujarat University, Ahmedabad. He holds Ph. D. degree in Philosophy of Gujarat University. Dr. Suresh Vakil has written eighteen books in English, Urdu and Gujarati. He is the author of the internationally famous book “The Concept of Aksharbrahman in the Philosophy of Shri Svaminarayana†(1985) published by internationally well known institution “Bochasanvasi Akshara Purushottam (Svaminarayana) Sanstha headed by internationally acclaimed saint Shri Pramukh Swami Maharaj. His book “Self in Law and Legality†was published in 1999, his book “Adalat: in Urdu (1997) is very popular. His popular books in Gujarati are “Satya†(1985), “Mrityu Mimansa†(1988), “Foundations of Hinduism†(1990), “Dhyana Kumbha†(1991) and its second edition (1997), “Punarajanma Prakash†(1996) and others. He is the author of several research papers read at various philosophical conferences. He has contributed several articles in journals and daily papers. He is the President of “Tatwadarshana†a philosophical institution functioning in Ahmedabad.
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