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Gandhi's Teachers : Rajchandra Ravjibhai Mehta
Q. 3 What is moksha?
A. While the atman is in the state of ignorance, characterized by anger, etc., it is under the bondage of the body, and complete cessation of such a state, deliverance from it, is described by seers as moksha. A little reflection shows this to be logical and convincing.
Q. 4 Is it possible for a person to know for certain, while he is still living, whether or not he will attain moksha?
A. If our arms are tied with a rope wound several times round them and if the twists of the rope are loosened one after another, we feel the loosening of each twist and in the end become conscious of the rope having been removed. In like manner as the innumerable bonds, the products of ignorance, which bind the atman loosen one by one, the latter becomes conscious of progressing towards moksha, and when the bonds are about to fall off, the atman shines forth with the light of its essence and knows beyond doubt that it is about to be delivered from the bonds of ignorance. While still dwelling of its pure essence and of its absolute otherness and freedom from all relations. In other words, it is possible to experience the state of moksha even while living.
Q. 5 It is said that after his death, a man may, according to his actions, be reborn as an animal, a tree, or even a stone. Is this a fact?
A. After the soul has left the body, it attains a state according to the merit it has earned through its actions; hence, it may be born even as a lower creature, or may have even to assume a body of earth and, devoid of the other four senses, suffer the fruits of its karma through the sense of touch alone. This does not mean, however, that it becomes pure stone or earth. The soul assumes a body of stone, but, even then, it exists as soul, though its existence is not manifest to us. Since, in that condition, the other four senses are unmanifest, the soul may be described as having an earth-body. In the course of time, the soul leaves such a body after it has enjoyed the
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