Atmatatva Vichar Or Philosophy Of Soul

Author(s): Vijaylakshmansuri, Ghanshyam Joshi, Kirtivijay Gani
Publisher: Mohanlal D Mehta

Page 17

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PREFACE
Christ attempted to persuade Jain nude saints to go to his country in accordance with the desire of his Guru-Aristotle and he succeeded in taking one Jain Saint from India. After showing great reverence to the position of the Jain Muni who was practising penance at a place near Peshawar. These new Munis practised severe penance irrespective of heat and cold as prescribed by the canons of Jain Religion applicable to this order of saints. They practised meditation most of the day time and observed complete silence during whole night. They preached to the Society twice in the day time. They take food once a day and observe fasts off and on with a view to curb senses and desires. This enables them to avoid anger, maintain the state of Ahimsa in a wider sense and will not hurt even smallest insect and will not retaliate even if their life is in fatal danger.
The life prescribed for house-holders is much simpler though the seeds of the life of saints are sown in the way of their life. The house-holders-husband and wife are to practise their profession, observe 12 duties prescribed which are usually called Bar Vratas such as Ahimsa, Truth, no theft, limiting one's wealth, contact only with his wife, humility, etc. The house-holder must do charity in money or kind. He must read the scriptures and worship. In addition to the daily duties, he or she must observe fast or half fast or a number of fasts. He must renounce some type of food such as not taking rice, wheat bread, sugar or butter on certain days. All these restrictions and duties are to be practised according to his ability.
The idea of the way of life as described above for a house-holder or a saint is to wash off the Karmic bondage and free the soul from it as much as possible. Because the soul attracts matter, in other words Karma and the original infinite power of the soul is considerably subdued. But by penance and self renunciation and by high thoughts the evil Karma is reduced from the soul which pervades the whole body of every person or creature. By practising penance the soul gets purer and purer and ultimately it comes to a stage of getting its original power restored by which the soul knows the past, present and future and possesses such power by which many supernatural mighty deeds can be performed. In this position the soul of the human being knows correctly everything