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being goaded by another, moves about horizontally in the different directions as it likes, like a bull, so it is animate, Fire is animate for like human beings it grows stronger or weaker according as it is fed (fuelled). In general, the four elements-Earth, Water, Fire, Air are bodies brought about by the soul, are its support, are corporeal and are different from transformations such as clouds, etc.. - these latter are excluded as they are aggregates of bodies that are loose and not modified. These elements are animate as can be seen from their colour, odour, taste, touch, etc. if they are not injured, cleft asunder by weapons; but are inanimate when thus struck (1757-1759).
There is another point to be considered. Numerous souls attain emancipation; and it is admitted that no new soul is born; this would mean that a time would very soon come when there would be an end of all worldly existence, as the world. is of limited dimensions and only a few gross souls can live in it. But this does not happen for there are souls with one organ, e. g. trees, etc. No thinker of any school admits that the world will one day come to an end. This means that an infinite number of souls will have to be admitted, and they must be embodied having the elements as their support, they are born in it. Where can such souls live but in trees, etc.? Hence trees, etc. are animate (1760-1).
One should not fear that because earth, etc. are so crowded with souls, there would be himsa (injury) at every step whether one wills it or not. It has been pointed out earlier that what is struck by a weapon is not possessed of a soul. There will not be injury simply because the world is crowded with souls. It is the intention that ultimately matters. From the real point of view, a man does not become a 'killer' only because he has killed or because the world is crowded with souls, or remain innocent only because he has not killed physically, or because souls are sparse. Even if a person does not actually kill, he becomes a killer if he has the intention to kill; while a doctor has to cause pain, but is still non-injurious, innocent, because his intention is purc. A wise man equipped with the five Samitis
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