Jain Journal 1971 04

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

Page 79

APRIL, 1971
183
not able to come. So believe, O Pradesi, that the soul is different, the body is different and the soul is not the same as the body."
Then, that king Pradesi said thus to Kesi, the young monk : "This is, Sir, a clever simile and for that reason she is not able to come. But Sir, one day I was in the outer chamber ... (when) the city police brought a thief ... Then I got that man thrown alive into an iron jar and got it closed by an iron lid sealing the joints. ... Then on some other day I went to the place where the jar was placed and got it opened and myself saw that man (who was dead). There was certainly no hole or breach in that iron jar, that the soul would have come out from inside. If there were any hole in the iron jar and if that soul had gone out from inside I would have believed that the soul is different, the body is different, and the soul is not the same as the body. ... (But that was not the case.)" Then Kesi, the young monk said thus to Pradesi : "(Suppose) there is a chamber in a mansion, carved out of a rock plastered on both sides, well protected with secret doors, sheltered from wind and solemn. Then some person would enter the chmber with a drum and a stick and would shut on all sides the panels of the doors ... without a breach or hole. And standing right in the middle of the chamber would sound the drum with the stick with a very great sound. Does the sound, Pradesi, indeed go out from inside ?” “Yes, it does.” “Is there, O Pradesi, any hole or breach, that the sound goes out from inside ?” “No, Sir." "In the same way, Pradesi, the soul also ... goes out from inside. ... So believe you 0, Pradesi, that the soul is different, the body is different and the soul is not the same as the body.”
Then, Pradesi, the king said thus to Kesi, the young monk : “This is, Sir, a clever simile and for that reason the soul goes out. But, Sir, one day I was there in the outer chamber ... (when) the city police brought a thief ... I deprived the man of his life, and got him thrown into an iron jar, and got it closed by an iron lid and sealed. ... Then on some other day, I went to the (place) where there was the iron jar, and got it opened. I saw that iron-jar full of worms. There was certainly no hole or breach that those souls entered inside from outside. If there were any hole or breach... I would have believed ... that the soul is different and the body is different and the soul is not the same as the body.” Then Kesi, the young monk, said thus to Pradesi, the king : “Have you ever seen iron before being heated or purified ?" "Yes, I have." "Does it, O Pradesi, get trasformed into fire, when heated ?” “Yes, it does." 'Is there, Pradesi, any hole or breach in that iron that the flame enters inside from outside ?” “No, sir.” “So also the soul enters inside from outside. So believe, you, O Pradesi, that the soul is different, the body is different and the soul is not the same as the body.”