________________
33
than adamant in their body and more lustrous in the Light of their souls than the sun or many suns,-these saints saw these Eternal Principles of Life and embodied them in their teachings. These teachings are for all souls high or low, in all ages and in all climes. There is no barrier of casts, creed or colour to their investigation and adoption. The greater part of Jaina literature is still unpublished. Therefore its lustre is not shed all over the world. Therefore the whole of humanity is in the iron-grip of war, of trade-jealousy and trade-deciet, of pain and selfishness, of dejection, disappointment and fear.
Popular Aspect of the Philosophy in the Book.
Evidently in Religion and Philosophy there is no greater concept than Soul ; and in the whole world there is no greater phenomenon than life.
This book throws a flood of light on the question of Living beings as we know them and how they may reach their ideal - Nirvana.
Living man as we see him is obviously a combination of two distinct substances ; Living and Non-living. Let us consider these.
At the outset one marvellous thing is noticeable. We do see purely non-living things, as the pen with which I am writing or the paper which you are reading. But pure life is never met with in the world. So the position really is that we have :
(1) Living substance mixed with non-living substance; and
(2) Non-living substance.
There is non-living matter in both. But in one there is life also; in the other, not.
Vitalities. Another important and useful fact is the fact of death,
It is not annihilation of anything, soul or matter. It is only a separation of the outer body from the soul, which is still combined with two material but fine bodies. It is only when soul obtains
ratoin, that it becomes permanently pure and completely rid of all combination with matter. By careful comparison we can find a trace to the characteristic features of life and its differences from lifelessness.
The first thing we notice in one, who was living but is dead now, is that his senses do not act. He cannot touch, taste, smell, see or hear. He has no vitality of the senses. Also he is powerless. He cannot act, speak or think. He has no force, no vitality of body, speech or mind. But many of these things may be absent
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
