Jain Journal 1968 10

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 11

JAIN JOURNAL
pot, jar, etc. This latter state and functioning of Soul is called karma. Thus the Soul becomes the doer of its own karma.
4. che bhoktā--As a doer of its own karma, the Soul has to bear the fruits of its actions, good or bad.
The whole thing is like this: The Soul, coming in contact with earthly objects by its sensuous organs, first gives rise to emotions of greed, anger, deceit, etc., and then as its fruit has to suffer the pangs of birth, death and old age.
5. moks che—There is the state of liberation. That is the natural state of the Soul free from foreign matter of karma. If one can stop the in-coming of karma and destroy the accumulated ones, this state can be realised.
6. mokş upāy sudharam-For the realisation of that state sudharam or true religion is necessary. For by following that religion he can attain that state. Sudharma thus becomes the means (upāya) for realisation of that state.
Exactly these cover the seven (or nine) tattvas of the Jainas-jīva, ajiva, äsrava, bandha, (pāpa, punya), samvara, nirjarā and mokşa. And it is no wonder why Rajchandra accepted the tenets of Jainism as preached by the Tirthankaras.
The above tattvas exist. There is no doubt about them. But still some may doubt about their existence, singly or collectively. These need eradication. So Rajchandra has presented possible doubts in his Atmasiddhi and also has provided solutions.
Some have expressed doubts about the very existence of the Soul. They would say, as it cannot be seen, it does not exist. Or, this body is the Soul ; it has no separate entity. Some even say, senses are the Soul. Rajchandra replies, He who sees, knows and experiences is Soul. Eyes are there, but the eyes cannot see when a man is dead. So senses cannot be the Soul. Nor the body either. When the sword is in the sheath, it looks one. So does the Soul when it is in the body. But these two are distinct. The Soul is conciousness while the body is made of mere elements. So the body cannot know it nor the senses. It is known only by itself. Rajchandra says that by his very doubt the doubter proves the existence of the Soul.