Liberation of Soul

Soul has seven virtues i.e Love, peace, Happiness, Knowledge, Power, Purity and Bliss. Perfection is there already in the soul. But this perfection has been covered up by nature; layer after layer of nature is covering this purity of the soul.

Due to ignorance, the soul is identified with the physical body and its constituents – mind, ego and Intellect which are products of Prakriti. Pancha Klesha viz. avidiya, raag, dwesh, asmita and abhinivesh cause sufferings and future births.

Every thought (मनसा, Mansa), every word (वचना,vachna) and every action (कर्मणा, Karmna), good or bad, just goes down and becomes fine, and is there stored up as Samskâras, the impressions and create Karmic account.

External stimuli due to situation create various thoughts in mind, in turn intellect decides the future course of action based on available data & memories in Chit and decision is vetted by ego. Repeat similar situations develop particular behavioural pattern. Hence, we become slave of situations. In case, we take decisions based on qualities of soul viz. Love, peace, Happiness, Knowledge, Power, Purity and Bliss and believe the situations are creation of past karma, negative decision and behaviour shall be avoided as a result karmic account or samskara will not be formed.

Hence, at thought level, an active restraint on wicked thoughts and use of intellect may reduce creation of further karmic account. Break on influx of wasteful information, thinking other’s actions and criticising other’s action should be put off. Instead if possible help them, otherwise forget (not place in memory).  
Maharishi Patanjali has defined Yoga as "the detention of the thoughts of the mind". He explained eight dimensional path called Ashtanga for full wellness and physical, mental and spiritual purification which ultimately lead to liberation of soul.

The virtuous qualities of Soul (Love, peace, Happiness, Wisdom, Power, Purity and Bliss) need to be imbibed at thought level and practised in words & actions.
To liberate the soul from Samskara, aspirant need to work at mind level i.e. thought level, at intellect level i.e. decision making level and at action level to purify self, discipline life & for selfless karma.

Following Five “S” is the path to liberate the soul:

1.    Savadhaya - study & Practice of spirituality. Intellect (Viveka) sharpens and enlightens us to discriminate between soul & body.
2.   Sadhana - Ishwar worship & bhakti means engrossing god into the thoughts. It eliminates wasteful thoughts and connects us with god.
3.   Seva – One should perform his duties without attachment to its results. Non-attachment to karma (action) does not cause impression. Further, to repay our debts towards nature, parents and teachers / gurus for sharing and sacrificing their resources, selfless service or seva without any hidden agenda (known or unknown) to be done to them.
4. Satsang – Constant association with pure souls and enlightened persons.
5.   Samarpan – surrender of all karmas to god to eliminate creation of future Samskara.
The stepwise details are as under:-

Divinity of Soul
Soul (Atman, Purusha) is potentially divine.

1. It has seven virtues i.e Love, peace, Happiness, Wisdom, Power, Purity and Bliss.
2. However, Soul is covered by waves of seven passions of mind (vicars) - Kama (Lust or desire), Krodh (Rage, anger or hatred), Lobh (Greed), Moh (delusory emotional attachment), Ahankar (Ego or pride), Mada (passion) and Matsarya (envy, jealousy).
3. The goal is to manifest this Divinity by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy — by one or more or all of these. Soul appears to be happy or unhappy, by reflection of Intellect or Mehat.
4. Samskaras are covering the Soul. The real nature of the Soul will never be perceived until all the waves have subsided.

Role of Soul

1. Sense organs (Jnanendriyas) get external stimuli from gross elements and send the sensations to mind (manas).
2. All the sensations are united into Mind (मन) and presented to Intellect (बुद्धि) — where it takes form of object and reacts.
3. Along with this reaction flashes the idea of egoism.
4. Then this mixture of action and reaction is presented to the Purusha, the real Soul, who perceives an object in this mixture.
5. The soul acts as mirror where all the different perceptions converge and become unified. Hence, Intellect needs soul to produce knowledge.

 
Creation of Karmic Account (Samskara) – Thought (Mansa), Word (Vachana) & Action (Karma)
 

• Every action, every word and every thought, good or bad, just goes down and becomes fine, and is there stored up as Samskâras, the impressions.
• Our character is the sum-total of these marks, and according as some particular wave prevails one takes that tone. If good prevails, one becomes good; if wickedness, one becomes wicked; if joyfulness, one becomes happy.
• When a large number of these impressions are left on the mind, they coalesce and become a habit.
• All happiness which comes from the senses will, eventually, bring pain. All enjoyment will make us thirst for more, and that brings pain as its result.
• Samskaras are the causes which will again bring effects, either in this life, or in the lives to come. In exceptional cases when these Samskaras are very strong, they bear fruit quickly; exceptional acts of wickedness, or of goodness, bring their fruits even in this life.
• Based on Samskaras, good or bad, actions are done. All virtuous actions bring pleasure, and all vicious actions bring pain. Any man who does wicked deeds is sure to reap their fruit in the form of pain.

Sanskaras Past or Present

• The karmic account is carried forward and decides next life, age and enjoyment. Hence, a child is born with certain tendencies.
• Sanskara are deep impressions which may be of past life or present life. As per yogic philosophy, generally these are 60% from past life and 40% from present life.
• The Samskaras, fine and hidden, are sleeping in the Chitta but is not inactive, but is working underneath. Concentration of mind is hindered by Samskara.

Path for Liberation of Soul: 

1. Viveka: Knowledge (viveka) of self is only way to become free of this false identification and the material bonds, the salvation is possible. Moksha (liberation) results from knowing the difference between prakriti (avyakta-vyakta) and purusha. Once the realization arises that purusha is distinct from prakriti, is more than empirical ego, and that purusha is deepest conscious self within, the Self gains isolation (kaivalya) and freedom (moksha).
2. Discipline: Aspirant to equip himself with four means, viz., discrimination (Viveka), dispassion (Vairagya), the sixfold virtues (Shat-Sampat)—viz., tranquillity (Sama), restraint of sense organs (Dama), satiety or renunciation of worldly things (Uparati), endurance or toleration (Titiksha), faith (Sraddha) and concentration (Samadhana)—and strong yearning for liberation (Mumukshutva).
3. Thought: We are aware that thought materializes and becomes an action. Good thoughts lead to virtuous actions. You sow an action and reap a habit. You sow a habit and reap a character. You sow a character and reap your destiny. The wicked thoughts can be controlled by the following means:
4. By generating opposite thoughts and harms of wicked thoughts. For instance, when a big wave of anger has come into the mind, how are we to control that? Just by raising an opposing wave.
5. By adopting Intellect, Delusion and study & Practice of spirituality
6. By worship, or psychic control, or service or surrender to god
7. By arresting wicked thoughts
8. Since external stimuli creates thoughts, by avoiding such stimuli. 
9. By Samadhi
   1. Purification: Maharishi Patanjali has defined Yoga as "the detention of the thoughts of the mind". In Yoga Sutra, he explained in detail the path of Yoga with eight limbs (eight dimensional path called Ashtanga) for full wellness and physical, mental and spiritual purification. Ashtanga includes Yama (Five Social Ethics-Non-violence in words, thoughts or actions; Truthfulness; non-stealing; Brahmacharya - Restraint in all the sensory-borne pleasures;  Aparigraha – non accepting gifts), Nyama ( Five Personal rules - Purity; Contentment; Austerity; Sacred study and surrender to God); Asana or posture (physical help to concentration); Pranayama (regulation of breath leads to tranquillity and steadiness of mind, and good health); Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses from their objects); Dharana (to fix the mind steadily upon an object); Dhyana (continuous and unbroken fixity of the mind upon the object) and Samadhi (fixity of the mind upon the object with such intensity of concentration as to become the object itself).  
   2. Inspiration: Just as the intellect is the instrument of knowledge, so is the heart the instrument of inspiration. The pure heart is the best mirror for the reflection of truth.
   3. Karma without Attachment: Every work does good somewhere and cause harm somewhere. Yet we are commanded to work incessantly. Good and evil will both have their results, will produce their Karma. Good and bad are both bondages of the soul. The solution reached in the Gita in regard to this bondage-producing nature of work is that, if we do not attach ourselves to the work we do, it will not have any binding effect on our soul. By non-attachment, you overcome and deny the power of anything to act upon you. Work, but let not the action or the thought produce a deep impression on the mind.
   4. Divine Qualities: The virtuous qualities of Soul (Love, peace, Happiness, Wisdom, Power, Purity and Bliss) need to be imbibed at thought level and practised in words & actions.

Reference:

1. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/241276617_UNDERSTANDING_THE_YOGA_DARSHAN
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samkhya
3. Complete works by Swami Vivekananda Volume I
4. http://www.dlshq.org/teachings/jnanayoga.htm