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PHILOSOPHY OF SOUL
383
credit for us and business would be impossible. In the same manner without food our body would be emaciated, weakened and consequently destroyed. But nothing is lost by not observing religion. We find many people happy in the world despite their non-observance of any religious rite !"
This argument reverberates the trends of thought which prevail in the world at present. If lakes are full of water then only canals would overflow.
We said : "Blessed one, you can further argue, the world abounds in animals which also do not observe any religious rite. They can do without religion then men equally can do without it. Even you can further say there are infinite number of insects and worms in the world which do not observe any religion and why should we observe it?”
The young man replied: "It is no good to compare human beings with worms, creatures or birds”.
We said: "Why so ? They are equally creatures as you are. They are animals which are animated with life. How do you think it is no good when one animal is compared with the other animal ?”
Young man said : "Just as a flower differs from another species of flower one animal differs from the other kind of animal. Human being is the most excellent species of creatures and so he cannot be compared with other lower type of creatures”.
We said : “How do you say that human being is the most excellent of all the creatures ?”
Young man replied : "A human being has mind and intelligence hence his superiority to all the rest of the creatures. Man can realise his interest and can make such activities to fulfil his interest”.
We said: “This means that man is selfish and other creatures are selfless. But selfishness does not make one an excellent creature. The man who puts to loss others out of his selfishness is not considered excellent by us but he is called a mean, a wretch !”
The young man was a bit shocked. He was confounded to put any new piece of argument.
We said : "Gentleman, you have received quite good education but you have not studied and digested what our greatmen have laid
