________________
446
PHILOSOPHY OF SOUL
souls from falling into degradation and secure emancipation for the soul.
Scriptures clearly lay down :
"All those souls which are emancipated and are being emancipated deprived of Karmic pollution have reached that state with the influence of Jina-Navkar–Mantra.'
Due to some reason or the other when a soul does not achieve emancipation, it certainly achieves heavenly state with the influence of Navkar-Mantra. There are many popular illustrations justifying veracity of this statement. A cobra burning in a wood, on hearing Navkar Mantra became Dharanendra.
Dharma (religion) can have many varieties. One, two, three, four, five or six.
Self-purification is a variety of religious state. Self-purification means absence of perverted emotions. When perverted emotions begin to fade away, the Soul begins to attain its intrinsic nature.
Dharma means intrinsic nature of a thing. Sweetness and bitterness are the intrinsic natures of sugar and neem leaves respectively. Similarly, religion is the intrinsic nature of soul. Intrinsic nature of soul comprises of knowledge, intuition and righteous conduct. We had ample discussion regarding them.
Question : Rather than confounding ourselves with this new
definition of religion, should we not accept the usual definition of religion viz., it is religion which upholds the creatures from degradation and secures emancipation or heavenly state.
Reply : Yes. On attaining pure state the soul saves itself from
being degraded and secures better or elevated state.
Retrogression from evil acts and progress towards righteous acts are the two varieties of religion. That is evil or untruth which is false, sinful, inauspicious and causing Karmic fetters. Retrogression is retardation, retirement or retreat from evil acts. That is true and righteous, which unties the fetters of Karmas and which is beneficial. Progress is the act of advancing in such acts. Renunciation of eighteen forms of sins is one of the ways of retrogression from evil acts. Whereas, spiritual studies, worship, repentance
