Atma Dharma

Author(s): Champat Rai Jain
Publisher: Champat Rai Jain

Page 18

( 11 ) How is it, then, that this natural happiness is not always enjoyed by the soul ? The answer to this consists in the fact that our infatuations and ignorance have corrupted our happiness, which has consequently become vitiated in quality. To the extent to which these infatuations and ignorance are destroyed in us, our natural happiness becomes ours to be enjoyed by the soul. Verily shall the soul experience full perfect happiness only when the forces that obstruct its enjoyment are completely destroyed.
Such is the nature of real happiness, which, without doubt, is an attribute of the soul.
It will be now evident that peace and joy have to be brought out from within by attending to one's own being, i.e., the life or soul. But it is necessary that we should know the real nature, that is to say, the attributes and properties of the soul, before we can ever hope to realise the bliss that is our birthright or heritage, so to speak. For just as the mere knowledge of the word “mango” is not tantamount to the enjoyment of the sweet relish of the fruit, so is not the enjoyment of our real inborn joy obtainable by the formulation of the word “soul.” The point is that if we wish to enjoy the real genuine natural bliss which appertains to the soul, we must make an effort to taste it, that is to say, in different words, that we must