What Is the Soul Made of? What Are the Characteristics of Soul?

Once a person knows the Soul, there’s nothing more, that one needs to know! After knowing the Soul, one’s state would be quite unique indeed. However, now a question arises in the mind as to how to know your Soul. For this, one needs to know what is the Soul made of or what is the nature of Soul. Well, it is made of several attributes.

The Soul Has Infinite Attributes

Attributes or properties represent one’s intrinsic nature. When can we call gold as gold? Only when it has the attributes of gold, i.e., it exhibits the properties that are intrinsic to gold. Brass can look and shine just like gold, if it is polished enough. However, if a goldsmith tests it, he would be able to tell that this is not gold based on the intrinsic properties of that metal. Similarly, you can know your Soul from its properties or qualities.

So, let’s explore some of the qualities of Soul!

The natural characteristics of Soul are in abundance. While infinite Knowledge, infinite Vision, infinite Energy, and infinite Bliss are the main attributes, there are many others too.

The Soul is life energy. It is an element that spans through the past, present, and future. The Soul is immortal, immiscible, and invisible; it is still; and it never hurts nor is hurt by anyone - such are the various qualities of the Soul. These are innate natural qualities; qualities that will never change.

Infinite Knowledge and Infinite Vision

To See and to Know is the nature of Soul. It is essential to comprehend these qualities to know what is the Soul made of. No other eternal element shares this attribute. This nature of knowing is not present in any inanimate thing nor it is the nature of the body of a living being. This inherent attribute of ‘Knowing’ is that of the Soul (Atma).

Is light an attribute of Soul?

Pujya Deepakbhai explains this through an example...

Let’s assume that there is pitch darkness in the hall and you come in the hall with a torch. Now with the help of torchlight, you see in the hall and you know there are chairs here, these are the switches for fans, and that there is a fan.

So, there are two things; there is light and there is knowledge.

Similarly, the Soul (Soul’s body) is like light and it has knowledge and vision (Soul’s properties). When you see your real Self, it is the real knowledge and when you see worldly things, it is all worldly knowledge.

The real knowledge is in the form of ‘the science of the Soul’ (Atmavignan). The one who knows the science of the Soul becomes free from wandering life after life. Many, who have met the Gnani Purush and acquired Self-realization through His grace, eventually progress and attain that state. It’s our desire that may everyone attain that state.

Infinite Energy

We all are primarily a Soul! The Soul has infinite energy. However, it is layered by the coverings of ignorance, due to which one is not aware of the Self; of one’s own energy (power); and of its authority. Gnani alone can break these coverings and release the power energy. How? – let’s learn about it from the following conversation...

Questioner: Does the Soul have infinite energy (shakti)?

Dadashri: Yes, but that energy should manifest through a Gnani Purush. Just as when you went to school to learn. Your knowledge was already there within you, but the teachers brought it to light. In the same way, from the Gnani Purush, your energies will arise. There is infinite energy, but it lies deep within. ‘We’ expose those energies for you. There is tremendous energy lying within. Not just in you, but such energy lies in every living being. But what can one do when there are layers and layers of coverings that cover it up?

Eternal Bliss

Just as the fragrance reveals the existence of perfume, the Soul although invisible is discernible by its inherent blissful nature, another important quality to understand to know what is the Soul made of. This is You (the Self). However, it is only after you have realized your real form through the grace of the Gnani that all these qualities will be uncovered. Therefore, although Soul is the abode of Infinite Bliss, people keep looking out for temporary materialistic pleasures of life. However, once the Self becomes awakened, there prevails eternal bliss within.

Indivisible and Inseparable

Soul is an element; therefore, it cannot be broken into pieces.

The Soul itself is the Absolute Soul and it is in an elemental form. Therefore, not a single piece of it can be separated; it is entirely whole. Division would create a portion, and it would destroy the element, but that is not how it is. The Soul cannot be divided.        

Permanent

The Soul is permanent and that which is permanent can never be created. It is there forever!

It cannot be created, nor can it be destroyed. No Soul has been created nor destroyed. All that we see is just an illusion. The different phases such as the phase of old age and the phase of youth come and then are slowly destroyed; but the Self (Soul) has always remained the same. So. it is the phase that comes to an end. That which comes, can never be eternal, and the Soul is an eternal thing; therefore, it cannot come and go.

Subtle

The Soul is so subtle that even if one puts it on fire, it doesn’t get burnt! If we move our hand through it, the Soul does not touch our hand. That’s how Soul is! If you place ice in that Soul, it doesn’t become cold; if you pass a sword through it, it doesn’t get cut. Soul is in the form of light. Yes, light that needs no place, no support; such is the radiance of the Soul! It can even travel through the mountains; such is this Soul!

Nirakar - The Soul Has No Shape

The Soul is shapeless, a property worth comprehending to know what is the Soul made of. It has no form; it is formless. Nevertheless, by nature, what is the Soul or Atma like? Whichever body it is in, it will assume its form; it is in the form of the body it occupies. For example, just like the water takes the shape of the glass when poured, the Soul takes the shape of the body in which it exists.