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I am the Soul still turning, and the reason for that is lying within the jiva. Nobody gives us birth or death. We ourselves have been wandering taking birth and dying. We are the reason for a good form of life (sugati) or for a bad one (durgati). If these reasons are understood, then perhaps we could escape the bad form of life. After all nobody likes that life.
Bhagwan Mahaveer told King Shrenik, “You are to go to hell after death.” Shrenik refused. But in spite of there being such a misery in hell, he had to go. He had indulged in reasons that led to hell. So Brothers! If a jiva comes to know all those reasons because of which the jivas who had to pass through the lower form of life (durgati) were there, then he could avoid those and escape the lower form of life. So knowing is very much necessary. But how is this knowledge described?
ज्ञानस्य फलं विरतिः First there is learning and upon learning if there is relinquishment, that is Knowledge. If in spite of learning, it is not percolating into practice, it cannot be called knowledge. Percolation into practice is the appearance of the knowledge state in our activity
With us, while defining the animate state as different from the inanimate, a very important word has been used - 'upayoga'. Upayoga is the activity of jiva with knowledge. Knowing is an uncommon virtue of the jiva. Except Jiva, no other substance has the capacity to know. Hence, the continuous activity of the jiva in the form of knowing is 'upayoga'. Therein will be Jnanopayoga and Darshanopayoga. What is specially known is Jnana and what is commonly known is Darshan. Every atma is always living amidst these two upayogas.
Knowing is the natural disposition of a jiva. But upon knowing, the change that the jiva undergoes, is the jnanadasha - state of knowledge. When such a state of knowledge appears in
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| SR No. | 006790 |
| Book Title | I am The Soul Part 01 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Tarulatabai Mahasati |
| Publisher | Shri Gujarati Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Association |
| Publication Year | |
| Total Pages | 468 |
| Language | English, Hindi |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 19 MB |