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whom, among European writers, our critic seems to consider authority on Jainism--page 29, of "The Heart of Jainism"--The Jains do not believe in one Supreme God." Further a little below on the same page she observes: "For instance, the Jains can have no conception of the forgiveness of sin, for, to them there is no God against whom they have sinned".
V. The fifth objection raised by our critic is against our remark: "The belief that even lifeless objects possess soul makes the Jains even more careful about the protection of life than the Buddhists."
It is urged against us by our critic that "lifeless objects do never possess souls. There exist too clear divisions of animate and inanimate objects in the Jainic philosophy. Inanimate objects do never possess soul. They believe as Sir J. C. Bose and other modern Scientists have begun to believe."
We have no quarrel with Jain philosoply or the Jain view of soul or the two categories into which they (divide the whole universe as Jiva, Soul; and Ajiva, non-Soul. It may be logically perfect or not perfect. But there is no denying the fact that it is extremely difficult to explain the Jain view of soul by the use of such commonplace words as lifeless or inanimate living or animate, etc.
It is bound to lead to difference of opinion
