________________
stopped. What is this? What is this death and on its basis let us contemplate what is life?
The activating force which moves a human body or any other body has been called as soul (spirit). As long as this consciousness exists, the body is called alive and as long as it is alive, there is life and the end of life is called death. Here the question arises whether in the form of death only the body perishes, or his consciousness also annihilates. If annihilation of soul also be assumed with the destruction of the body, whence then the souls in the new and novel bodies come into existence?
Soul is an Immortal (Imperishable) Element:
Hence, Soul is an immortal element. Only the body perishes in the form of death. Soul again according to its actions is embodied in a new body, or on emancipaiion from Karmas, it attains salvation. Parallel to the analogy of changes of clothes, the soul changes bodies, then the question arises- what is this body and why this soul is confied to body?
This visible universe rests on the combination of two elements, one animate and other is unanimate.
Consciousness, spirit, soul are the synonymous of alive element. This soul (alive) element exists in the world due to the reason that being bonded with non-alive (element), whatever action it performs it has also to reap its fruits and the getting of new bodies is its fruit. Soul is alive, is conscious while body is non-alive (inanimate, nonconscious). Non-alive element is non-active but when alive element (consciousness) is bonded with it, it becomes activated. This is the mystery of life and death. This immor
Jain Education International
112
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org