________________
W
VA
Dear Friends,
By this time you must have gained some knowledge of the Jain philosophy and its technical terms. I am sure that now when your friends ask you about Jainism you will be able to explain to them the meaning of Navkar Mantra or the principle of Ahimsa or what is the theory of Karma. Today let us learn more about the philosophy.
g. 26. How do we know that the soul exists?
Ans. The existence of any entity can be established by reason, examples and arguments. Let us explore the question further more. Jain philosophy is based on the acceptance of the existence of the soul. If the soul does not exist then why should one work for its liberation? It is therefore very important to prove the existence of the soul.
Some people of reason and education do not accept the existence of the soul. They argue that, "If the soul is not perceptible then how could we accept its existence? Show it actually to us then we are prepared to accept it."
w
But soul is not a commodity like a book or a pencil which can be shown in hand. Soul is an invisible and formless entity that requires effort to prove its existence. When one exercises one's intelligence and uses its logic it is not difficult to accept its existence
Is it true that only visible entity is accepted by us as existing? No. We accept the existence of an invisible entity by its visible operative effect. For example, Who can perceive with the eyes the wind, the air? But in summer when a whiff of wind touches the body, one feels cool sensation and one says the cool wind is blowing. This means that the wind is not visible to the eyes and yet we accept its existence through its operation. Similarly the electricity is not seen when the light is turned on or when the iron is heated. But still we accept it. From this it is established that an invisible entity with visible effect or result exists.
Now let us consider whether the effective operation of the soul is visible. When a man dies all his senses are intact and the physical frame remains where it is. The body does not move until moved, the eyes do not open by itself and the body does not react to any kind of
M
