I am The Soul Part 02

Author(s): Tarulatabai Mahasati
Publisher: Shri Gujarati Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Association

Page 98

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I am the Soul
In the same way, atma says that 'I have been with a body for infinite time. Whatever the shape of the body, I remain in that shape. While in the body of an elephant, I am shaped like and elephant and while in the body of an insect, like an insect. As many shapes as there are bodies, but that does not make me the body. Never until now have I become the body and never will that happen.'
Indeed, like the salt in the vegetable preparation that cannot be seen and yet can be experienced by tasting, although I am there in the body, I cannot be seen with the eyes, cannot be sensed with any senses. But I am self-illumined. There is no necessity of any other light to see me. There is no need of another light to see a gem or a lamp. I am myself in the form of a glow. Only from the manifest characteristics of energy can I be known. There is a certain way of catching hold of me, of knowing me - I cannot simply be caught hold of just like that.
Just as a burning cinder cannot be picked up by hand, but needs a pincer, 'I' too can be caught only with the knowledge of the atma and that too only at the hands of some 'sajjan'. That is sat + jan = sajjan. That man who has a great urge to know the sat, the truth, is a sajjan. Only such a sajjan has the awakened knowledge and hence can catch hold of me.
The electricity that is in the water and butter that is in the milk, can only be drawn through an effort. If there is no effort, the substance does not come to hand. What massive machinery is required to generate electricity out of water! What an expense of time, energy and money! Only when this is applied correctly can electricity be drawn from water, otherwise it remains there for millions of years. Nothing can be attained. To draw butter from milk too, such an effort is necessary! In the same way the atma that resides in the body can be reached. The naturally blissful form of atma can be reached only through the procedure of experience.
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