________________
CONFLUENCE OF OPPOSITES : 217 (1) the possession of spiritual merit which entitles
them to obtain that world 'i. e., nirvana, (2) freedom from sex, that is, the absence of all
material bodies, (3) non- liability to death, and
(4) the enjoyment of Godly status,
It is not possible to lay too much stress on the words 'any more' in the Messianic observation recorded by Luke (xx. 36). The statement will lose all its merit, if souls are born and die only once in their career, The fact that it was made only with reference to those Great Ones who obtain that world' and the resurrection from the dead, is sufficient to show that it is not applicable to all souls indiscriminately. Thus, while all those who have not perfected themselves remain liable to repeated births and deaths in the course of transmigration, those who attain the fullest degree of spiritual unfoldment are necessarily exempt from dying any more (The Key of Knowledge).
We can now understand what is meant by the saying : “ Blogsed are the meok, for they shall inherit the earth "
(Matt. v. 5). This clearly means that they shall be born as kings and rulers of men on earth in their next incarnation, The orthodox interpretation of the resurrection-text would make this saying a dead letter; for what shall the meek inherit if the earth is to pass away before the resurrection ?
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org