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CONFLUENCE OF OPPOSITES
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(3) that the soul obtains true freedom only when it acquires the status of the Son.
These propositions are fully in harmony with the teaching of Jainism, and only reproduce three of the most fundamental truths of religion. They are not exhaustive of the why and the wherefore of the doctrine of transmigration, but only intended as a hint to the wise. Let the reader ask himself as to what is meant by sin, and he will soon perceive that there can be no being or substance corresponding to the term. It is a mere word, and were we to search for it from now till the Judgment Day, it is certain that it will always remain what it is to-day-a pure wordy abstraction. The truth is that sin only conveys the idea of wrong doing, there being no concrete being or thing to correspond to it in nature. The bondage of sin, thus, is clearly the thraldom of actions, i, e., karmas (actions or deeds), which is to be shaken off to bring the state of sonship" into manifestation.
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Now, if the reader will further pursue the theme, and enquire how the soul can be bound by its acts he will not be long in coming to the conclusions which have been already established regarding the nature of asrava, and bandha. For there can be no binding of real subsisting beings or things with mere imaginary notions, or by pure ideas and words. A force is needed for the purpose, and no force is conceivable apart from a substance of some kind or other.
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