________________
Chapter II THE SELF
Swami Vivekananda says in his lecture on The Atman, "No books, no scriptures, no science can ever imagine the glory of the self that appears as man, the most glorious God that ever was, the only God that ever existed, exists, or will ever exist."
(Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Volume II, p. 250)
The self is distinct from the body. This is the foundation of all moral and spiritual life.
Indian wisdom emphasises the uniqueness of the knowledge relating to the Atman. This spiritual knowledge helps man to swim across the ocean of birth and death and leads him to gain immortality. Lord Mahāvīra says, "Victory over one's self ( Ātmā ) is greater than conquering thousands and thousands of enemies on the battle-field. A true conqueror is one who conquers his own self." ( Utta. Sū. 9.34 )
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
