Atmatatva Vichar Or Philosophy Of Soul

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

Page 34

PHILOSOPHY OF SOUL
II
to the human world. From this you must have well judged that the cause of your grand mother not returning to the human world lies in her attachment for heavenly environments and not in the denial of the world like heaven.”
The King said, "Body and Soul are not distinct. Listen to one more evidence in this connection. Once upon a time I was sitting on my throne. My ministers and other courtiers were sitting just along with me. In the meanwhile the police officer brought over to me a thief. I packed the living thief in an iron cistern and closed the iron lid tight. The gap was welded with iron and lead. My faithful guards were kept to watch vigilantly. After a few days that cistern was opened and it was found that the man was dead. If Soul and Body are distinct how could the Soul escape from the cistern ? The cistern had not even the smallest possible hole. If there was such a hole I could have believed that the soul escaped through that hole. Therefore, I contend, body and soul are one and my contention is proper that when body stops its activity the soul also loses all activity."
Acharya replied, "Oh King, Suppose there is a big room with a circular dome, besmeared on all sides, with doors closed fast, and with no air penetrating through. If a man with a bell and hammer enters such a room and having closed the doors he hammers the bell, would the sound not be heard outside ?"
The King, “Yes Lord, it would be heard." Acharya, “But there is no hole in the room?" The King, "Yes Lord, there is no hole at all.”
Acharya, "Oh King, just as the sound can escape from a room without a hole, the soul can escape from a cistern without a hole, i.e. the Soul has capacity to pierce through metal, stone, wall, or mountain and escape. So it can escape even if confined any where."
The King, "Oh Lord, Listen to one more evidence, supporting my contention that the soul and body are not distinct. I killed a thief arrested by my superintendent and I locked him up in an iron cistern. Its lid was closed fast, welded and well guarded. After some period when it was opened, innumerable vermins were found crawling. There was no inlet to the cistern, and still