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

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Page 439
________________ I am the Soul 381 know gets limited. Then the characteristic of knowledge is also limited. Its not just that, but the characteristic of knowledge is unbroken - joint, while the organs can know only their own subjects, and none other. One sensory organ does not know the subject of the other. Then knowledge becomes severed into pieces and several. Thus from all viewpoints sensory organs are not the atma. If all five senses were to be the atma, then what about the activity that goes on with the mind and intellect? What about the organisation that works in the body? And in the same way, what about the spirit that organises all this activity? These questions remain without answer. Indeed, the fact that needs to be considered is - who has the information of the knowledge being acquired through the sensory organs? The form seen by eyes is recognised by the atma that is residing within. It is the one who says, I saw this form, I know this form. Thus the one who knows all the subjects that are absorbed by the sensory organs is the spirit in the form of knowledge that rests within. If this were not to be, then if an object were to go out of sight, there would be no recognition that I have seen this object. Eye can know only by seeing. If at a given moment eye is not seeing the object, then how would it know? But it is not so. What object the eye sees once is memorised in atma's knowledge. Thereby, the eyes, although closed after seeing an object, cannot see it anymore, but the atma remembers it. Words heard years ago are remembered today. The one who spoke those words is not present, yet the words are remembered verbatim. Similarly, smell, taste and touch is also remembered. Therefore, it is proved that the sensory organs are merely the means, the media. They do not have the know-how of absorbing knowledge or memorising. But the atmu remembers all the subjects absorbed by these organs. The organs too are media required for acquiring knowledge, only until the atma develops either avadhi, manah paryava or kevaljnana. After these knowledge forms are developed, then the atma does not need Jain Educationa International For Personal and Private Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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