________________
PRACTICAL RULES FOR SOUL-CULTURE
35
when the soul thinks that there is power of the body and the power of matter, these powers will influence it. Bodily power as we see it is on account of the presence of the soul. There is a power in matter, as cohesion, etc., and this will work although the soul does not think anything about it. If the moon revolves around the earth there are some forces inherent in the earth and moon. What I mean to say is that the influence of these material powers on the soul powers depends on the soul's readiness or willingness to submit to these powers. If the soul takes the view that it will not be influenced by anything it cannot be so influenced. This being the soul's nature, what is its origin ? Everything can be looked upon from two standpoints, the substance and the manifestation. If the state of the soul itself is to be taken into consideration, that state has its beginning and its end. The state of the soul as living in the human body had a beginning and will have an end at death, but it is a beginning and end of the state, not of the thing itself. The soul taken as a substance is eternal; taken as a state, every state has its beginning and end. So this beginning of a state implies that before this beginning there was another state of the soul. Nothing can exist unless it exists in some state. The state may not be permanent, but the thing must have a state at all times. If therefore the present state of the soul bad a beginning it had another state before the beginning of this state, and after the end of this state it will
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
