Beyond Doubt

Author(s): Padmasagarsuri
Publisher: Arunoday Foundation

Page 96

so it has to be endless. That which has no beginning will also not have any end for it. Hence if the world is eternal, there is no possibility of Nirvana i.e. liberation from the world which is of the form of Birth and death.
Lord Mahavira replied, "Oh noble one, The substance and the modifications are two different things. The substance i.e. the Jivatman does not meet with the end but its modifications undergo change, because they are of everchanging nature. The union of two things is always followed by their separation. In every birth, the soul and the body get separated, in the same way the soul pierces the Karmas that are united with it since time immemorial.
In the same way the beginningless union of Atman and Karma can come to an end, when the aspirant practices selfcontrol, equanimity, etc., when the soul destroys all Karmic bondage, that state istermed as NIRVANA.' The soul then gets enlightenment and thus the wheel of Samsara i.e.birth and death is pierced through and destroyed. Like the Parmatman, the Jivatman, then acquires infinite knowledge and infinite bliss." Prabhas then asked the Lord as to how the soul was able to acquire infinite knowledge in the absence of the sense organs.
The Lord replied, "knowledge is a characteristic of the soul and the sense organs are only a medium. As matter can never be formless, so also the soul is never devoid of knowledge. But the veil of Karma obstructs the infinite knowledge inherent in the soul. When the veil of Karma is destroyed, the infinte knowledge and power of the soul is brought to light. This is the reason for the emancipated soul to possess infinite knowledge.
Though all the sense organs of a corpse are intact, it does not experience any of the sense pleasures because, the corpse is devoid of consciousness and knowledge. When the soul is liberated, it has perfect knowledge and perfect vision which are
81