Book Title: I am The Soul Part 01
Author(s): Tarulatabai Mahasati
Publisher: Shri Gujarati Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Association

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Page 400
________________ 342 I am the Soul The viewpoint of people who do not believe in the existence of atma becomes purely materialistic. There is nothing left in the name of devoted practice. Hence by saying, “Atma exists”, Srimadji has expressed his faith in the existence of Atma. Moreover, it is not that “if there is atma it is or might be somewhere in the universe'. But that 'I am the atma', my existence is in the form of atma, not in body form; “I am the atma alone' absolutely independent of the body - that such firm belief should develop, that which is in energy form should manifest itself in character, and a complete personal faith in the true principle should awaken - hence this first pada. The second pada - ‘it is perpetual'. Atma has an existence and it is a substance with perpetual existence. It is a permanent substance, not given to decay. One who believes the body itself to be atma, and treats the loss of the body as the loss of the soul - has been called 'anatmavadi' - non-believer in the soul and one who believes atma to be a totally independent substance is an 'atmavadi”. Both atmavadi and anatmavadi do accept the existence of life - chetan. But atmavadi accepts the perpetual existence of the chetan, while anatmavadi merely acknowledges the existence. The spirit - atma never dies. It is indestructible. The body is inanimate, it gets destroyed. Body is merely a transition of the inanimate and transition is never stable. What transforms i.e. changes every moment, is transitory. Body is also transitory and hence it is destructible. Atma is an independent substance and its quality is indestructible and hence atma is permanent. Further, atma is in the form of energy. Science too has proved that energy cannot be destroyed. Since atma is everlasting there is a scope of Moksa. Moksa is remaining in a state of perpetual bliss for infinite time. If atma Jain Educationa international For Personal and Private Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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