Gandhi Before Gandhi

Author(s): Bipin Doshi, Priti Shah
Publisher: Jain Academy Educational Research Center Promotion Trust Mumbai

Page 92

GANDHI BEFORE GANDHI
surroundings which are not congenial to us and, which are not of our own nature, that they are not related to their surroundings, there must be some reason for their being obliged to live in those surroundings, but there must be a reason in the soul itself; it cannot be in the material substance. We know that this is a fact, because intelligence cannot proceed from anything which is purely material. No material, substance has given any evidence of having possessed intelligence, that intelligence is, we are quite sure, influenced by material things, but it does not arise from the material things. Persons of sound intelligence take a large dose of some intoxicating drink and the intelligence will not work at all. Why should this material thing influence the immaterial, the soul? The soul thinks that the body is itself and therefore anything which is done to the material self is supposed by the real self or soul to be done itself. That is where the Christian scientist and the Jain philosophy will agree; that if the soul thinks that the body is its real self, anything done to the body will be considered by the soul, to be done to the soul, and therefore what happens to the body will be felt by the soul; but if the soul for a moment thinks that body is not the self but altogether different and a stranger to the soul, for that reason no feeling of pain will exist; our attention is taken away in some other direction and we do not know what is passing through our body
There is power of matter in itself but that power is lower than the power of the soul. If there was no power at all in the body or in matter, the soul would never be influenced by it, for mere non-existence will never influence any thing, but because there is such a thing as matter, when the soul thinks that there is a power of the body and a power of the matter, these powers will influence it. There is a power in matter such as cohesion etc, and this will work, although the soul does not think anything about it. If the moon revolves around the earth there are some forces inherent in the earth and moon. What I mean to say is that the influence of these material powers on the soul powers depends on the soul's readiness or willingness to submit to these powers. If the soul takes the view that it will not be influenced by anything it cannot be so influenced.
Nine principles -Navtatva-Essence of Liberation
Navtatvas - Essence Of Liberation
Soul
Karma
For achieving liberation one needs to understand the inter relationship of soul and Karmik bondage. This is described by nine principles or essentials. The path seeker has to know Soul, Karma, good Karma (Punya), bad
Punya
Papa
Ashrav
Bondage
This shows that the self is something higher than the body. Still, under ordinary circumstances, the soul is influenced by the body and therefore, we are to study the laws of the body and soul so as to rise above these little things and proceed on our path to salvation or liberation, which is the real aspiration of the soul.
Samvar
Nirjara
Moksh