WHAT IS THE TRUE CONSTITUTIONAL DHARMA OF THE JIVAS? BY SRILA BHAKTIVINODA THAKURA

From Jaiva-Dharma Chapter 1 by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura translated by Srila Narayana Maharaja

Sannyasi Thakura said, "For a long time I have heard of the pre-eminence of dharma. On numerous occasions I have asked the question, 'What is dharma?' to so many people. It is a cause of distress to me that the answers those people have given contradict each other so please tell me, what is the true constitutional dharma of the jivas? And why do different teachers explain the nature of dharma in such diverse ways? If dharma is one, why don't all learned teachers cultivate that one universal dharma which is without a second?"

Paramahamsa Babaji meditated upon the lotus feet of Bhagavan Shri Krishna Chaitanya and began to speak: "O most fortunate one, I shall describe to you the principles of dharma as far as my knowledge allows. An object is called a vastu, and its eternal nature is known as its nitya-dharma. Nature arises from the elementary structure of an object. By Krishna's desire when an object is formed a particular nature is inherent in that structure as an eternal concomitant factor. This nature is the nitya-dharma of the object.
"The nature of a given object becomes altered or distorted when a change takes place within it, either by force of circumstance or due to contact with other objects. With the passage of time, this distorted nature becomes fixed, and appears to be permanent, as if it were the eternal nature of that object. This distorted nature is not the svabhava (true nature); it is called nisarga, that nature which is acquired through long-term association. This nisarga occupies the place of the factual nature and becomes identified as the svabhava.
"For example, water is an object and its svabhava is liquidity. When water solidifies, due to certain circumstances, and becomes ice, the acquired nature of solidity takes the place of its inherent nature. In reality, this acquired nature is not eternal; rather, it is occasional or temporary. It arises because of some cause, and when that cause is no longer effective, this acquired nature vanishes automatically. However, the svabhava is eternal. It may become distorted, but it still remains inseparably connected to its object, and the original nature will certainly become evident again when the proper time and circumstances arise.
"The svabhava of an object is its nitya-dharma (eternal function), while its acquired nature is its naimittika-dharma (occasional function). Those who have true knowledge of objects (vastu-jnana) can know the difference between eternal and occasional function, whereas those who lack this knowledge consider acquired nature to be true nature, and they consequently mistake the temporary dharma for eternal dharma."

"What is it that is called vastu, and what is the meaning of svabhava?" asked Sannyasi Thakura.

Paramahamsa Babaji said, "The word vastu is derived from the Sanskrit verbal root vas, which means 'to exist', or 'to dwell'. The verbal root becomes a noun when the suffix tu is added. Therefore, vastu means 'that which has existence or which is self-evident'. There are two types of vastu: vastava and avastava. The term 'truly abiding substance' (vastava-vastu) refers to that which is grounded in transcendence. Temporary objects (avastava-vastu) are dravya (solid objects), guna (qualities), and so on. Real objects have eternal existence. Unreal objects only have a semblance of existence, which is sometimes real and sometimes unreal.

"It is said in the Shrimad-Bhagavatam (1.1.2)

   vedyam vastavam atra vastu siva-dam

   Only a truly abiding substance, which is related to the Supreme Absolute Truth and which yields supreme auspiciousness is worthy of being known.

"From this statement it is clearly understood that the only real substance is that which is related to the Supreme Transcendence. Shri Bhagavan is the only real Entity (vastava-vastu). The living entity (jiva) is a distinct or individual part of that Entity, while maya - the potency that produces illusion - is the energy of that entity. Therefore, the word vastu refers to three fundamental principles: Bhagavan, the jiva, and maya. Knowledge of the mutual relationship between these three principles is known as pure knowledge (suddha-jnana). There are innumerable apparent representations of these three principles, and they are all regarded as avastava-vastu (unreal substances). The classification of phenomena into various categories such as dravya (objects) and guna (qualities), which is undertaken by the Vaisheshika school of philosophy, is merely a deliberation on the nature of avastava-vastu, temporary objects.
"The special characteristic (visesa-guna) of any truly abiding substance is its factual nature. The jiva is a real entity, and his eternal characteristic quality is his true nature."