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DISCOURSE XXXIV
ESSENTIALITY OF RELIGION
Gentlemen,
First you form the letter A, then you form the letter B and then you form the letter C. In the same manner, philosophers firstly deal with the 'Soul'-then with 'Karma' and then with 'Dharma'. You will clearly understand this order when you will look up to our treatment of six postulates. Treatment of six postulates is as under:
I. The soul exists.
2.
The soul is immortal.
3. The soul contracts karmas.
4. The soul is the enjoyer of the fruits of karmas.
5. The soul is capable of destroying karmas.
6. Religious practice is the means of destroying karmas.
In
People say that marriage procession without the bridegroom has no purpose. Similarly the philosophers hold that consideration of karma or Dharma without the concept of soul has no purpose. the absence of soul who would contract karmas and who would reap their rewards? Non-sentient objects like log of wood, piece of iron or a slab of stone possess no capacity to contract karmas or to reap their rewards. Because the soul is bound by karmas, it has to reap the fruits of karma and this is the reason why we have to consider the ways and means of destroying karmas. If soul were not bound by karmas then it would not have been liable to reap the fruits of karmas. Hence, no possibility of considering the destruction of karmas. When we are bound with the ties, then only we think of setting ourselves free. Bondless if we are, we need not bother to set ourselves free. But what is the meaning of destroying the bondages of Karma? When we are on way to consider this problem then we cannot but arrive to discuss about righteous duty or Dharma. If religious or righteous duty is properly performed then only fetters of Karmas are destroyed and the soul would acquire its intrinsic nature, having become free from the karmic pollution. Bearing in view this matter, we proceeded with the topic of soul in the beginning. Then we glided on to the topic of
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