Jain Center of America NY 2005 06 Pratishtha

Author(s): Jain Center of America NY
Publisher: USA Jain Center America NY

Page 139

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Soul: A great traveler:
By: Chandrakant Mehta Parsippany, N.J. 07054
A traveler starts his journey. On his way he stays in an Inn for some time. Then he resumes his journey. Again stays for a few days somewhere and again he resumes his journey till he reaches his destination. Similarly the soul assumes one body; he stays there for some years. Then he leaves the body and assumes other physical frame. A few years later he continues his journey changing from one body to the other until he is finally liberated. This is called a pure soul or moksha where the soul stays independently forever
PADARIA DE LA TARDE TARTARRILARDERORTAITAATIAIATARIATETRURIARTRITION
Travel by modern jet plane with the speed of 600 miles per hour would cover 259200000 miles in fifty years and would cover about 518400000 in about 100 years. Such a protracted journey is quite negligible in comparison with the infinitely protracted journey of the soul. In this universe, there is no such species, nor a place where the soul has not undergone innumerable birth and death. Soul is the greatest traveler. Since the time immemorial, it moves in four gatis (human, animal, heaven, and hell) and 84 lakhs (8.4 million) of sources of birth. It ends the journey when liberated from the bonds of 'Karmas'.
Some people doubt the rebirth or reincarnation of soul. Let us discuss their arguments and we will provide the answers. We can remember the incidents which occurred five, ten or fifty years back, then why do we not recollect incidents of the previous life? The theory of rebirth is not imaginary. Our thirthankars could see the infinite past, present and future. They had achieved perfect knowledge (Keval-Gyan); they were selfless and therefore, would not describe a fact contrary to what they actually perceived. So they should be taken as authentic representing facts as they actually exist. What kind of wisdom do we display in not relying on words of the Omniscient and in relying on one's limited intelligence? Do you not rely on a physician to cure yourself? You must have a faith in our Thirthankar in matters relating to soul.
Our thirthankars describe the world as the ocean. An infinite number of souls traverse as drops of water do in the ocean and they have infinite number of births. How can the infiniteness of these births are established unless we accept the repetition of births. The soul assumes such a state in order to reap the rewards of their sinful and meritorious acts and how could this happen if rebirth is not possible? Moreover, our thirthankars described in details their own previous lives in the Aagams (Sacred texts). Why would they describe reincarnations if reincarnations did not exist?
There are three ways to prove certain facts. With the help of (1) Aagams (sacred texts), (2) logical arguments, and (3) of personal experience.
We have shown how the sacred texts establish the theory of reincarnation of soul. Now we proceed with the logical arguments. If you hold that you do not remember your