________________
Exposition of the principle.
attainment of bliss and beatitude, as the case may be, according to its karma in a previous birth.
To enter a bit more into details: we have stated before that there is some 'superphysical' power in every living body, by the presence of which the body is enabled to respond, if suitably influenced. Responsiveness, here, forms a predominating phenomenon of life, and death of the body means the departure of the super-physical' power, called atman-Jiva (soul)-from the living body after which it can no longer respond to any stimulus.
'
At the time of death, when this soul or the super-physical' power shuffles off its mortal coil, it passes out assuming the form of a subtle unit of energy clothing itself, as it does, in a subtle body as its vehicle which is built out of the fine karma-matter-the crystalised particles of the soul's past experiences and unfulfilled desires etc. with which it happens to pass out. According to our philosophy, these fine karma.matters or the crystalised particles of past experiences and unfulfilled desires, embodied in which the
316
C
