________________
19
The Gujarati preface to this work is very nice. It is an intelligent summary of his philosophical ideas. Man, as he says, is steeped in deep ignorance aud hankers after material happiDo88. He is, go to say, raising delusive turnips at his farm, and does not realize the true form of happiness. He is at big wit's end to find out where the real and abiding bappiness resides. There is no pesce without the purification of the soul and the latter can only be sobieved by pious conduct. Man has to keep at bay the formidable enemies like List, Pride, Adger and Avarise. He lays special stress on this pious conduct and by a logical chain of arguments, hammers out the truth that 'A well-beha ved infidel far surpasses a man cf faith, divested of pious conduct.' Society stands unshaken on the rock of this eternal truth, contained in Sadachkra.
The pinnacle of man's glory lies in the development of the soul, the effalgent being with its all-ambient rays. The soul is an entity distinct from all the material world. The MuniShri has clearly brought to light the mingled though truly separate, existence of soul. The sanges perform their functions. but their manipulation rests entirely with this supreme being in the body.
With the realization of this soul, man understands, as he says, the theory of Rebirth. He has lucidly expounded this theory. He has also analysed life into its various aspects and holds out an immaculate mirror to life. He tries to render the impervious pervious by a smooth flow of argumente,
He does not believe in the word "accident,' and dives deep into its reason, arriving at the conclusion that Every effect has & cause.' He advises all to go on doing good deeds, because the accumulation of good deeds is sure to blaze forth at the proper time,
He lively endorees the view that the non-acoeptance of sonl, rebirth and the existence of God, would plunge the world into the bottomless ocean of chaos. In such a state the very life itself would be stripped of all its pleasures and encircled by the tremendous clouds of dismay and disappointment.
Ahol Shrutyanam