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Philosophy and Religion
Art & Science of Meditation from time eternal. The impurity of the soul is thus treated as an existing condition.
2. The second principle-- that man is not perfect-- is based on the first principle. The imperfectness in man is attributed to the existence of Karma in his soul. The human soul is in a position to attain perfection and in that true and eternal state it is endowed with four characteristics, viz., Ananta-darsana, Ananta-jnana, Ananta-virya and Anantasukha, i.e., infinite perception or faith, infinite knowledge, infinite power and infinite bliss.
3. Even though man is not perfect, the third principle states that by his spiritual nature man can and must control his material nature. It is only after the entire subjugation of matter that the soul attains perfection, freedom and happiness. It is emphatically maintained that man will be able to sail across the ocean of births and achieve perfection through the control of senses and thought.
4. The last basic principle stresses that only each individual can separate his own soul and the matter combined with it. The separation cannot be effected by any other person. This means that man himself, and he alone, is responsible for all that is good or bad in his life. He cannot absolve himself from the responsibility of experiencing the fruits of his actions. This principle distinguishes Jainism from other religions.
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