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A Treatise on Jainism
17
Just as gold is mixed with mud in the mines so also the soul is besmeared with Karmas from the infinite past. Just as gold is purified by means of acids and othe processes SO also the soul is purified and freed from Karmas by the process of mercy, charity, penance, self control etc. and attains salvation.
The living souls (Jivatmas) are infinitely infinite. Each has a distinct entity. If these were parts and parcels of one soul we would have found every one happy or miserable at the happiness or misery of any one of them. But what we see is entirely different. If one eats sweets he alone enjoys sweetness. At the death of one, all do not die. From this we have to conclude that though similar in nature the soul of each individual has a distinct existence. The soul which gets absolved from Karma becomes a Parmatma. Such a soul is not affected by Karmas again and is not born again. There are no births and deaths for such a soul. It becomes
Siddhatma.
The soul gets besmeared with Karmas mainly due to attachment (Raag) and hatred
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