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JAIN JOURNAL
The term knowledge is often used in the collective sense, i.e., the sum-total of everything which is known, and has been known, by all the innumerable, different intelligences in the world. All souls, however, are alike in respect of their capacity for knowledge and what is known by all collectively, can be known by each and every one individually. The great differences displayed by persons in respect of their available knowledge, is due, in each case, to the presence of knowledge-obstructing forces in the soul, which, in some types of humanity, are so great as to deprive them of almost all capacity for knowledge (e.g., insane persons).
The fact remains that knowledge and the soul are inseparable; knowledge apart from the understanding cannot be found anywhere in the world. It is important to understand this clearly, because it must be realized that the soul, being knowledge itself, has the capacity for knowing all things. A fully developed consciousness perceives everything, throughout all space and time. Knowledge unlimited is the very nature of the soul.
There are a large number of people in the world, who believe every soul to be a part of one great 'Universal Mind'. This is contrary to the teaching of the true scriptures. The idea has no doubt arisen from the fact of each individual mind being universal itself, in the sense that the perfected intelligence pervades the entire universe, so to speak, through its power of infinite perception. It is really another way of saying that the soul has the capacity for perfect knowledge.
Every soul is an independent unit and is eternal, uncreated, imperishable, immortal ; it is without beginning and without end. Death makes no difference to the immortality of the soul ; it is only the body which dies, the soul being for ever indestructible.
All souls are alike in essence, but owing to the fact that inimical forces come into contact with the soul-substance, depriving it of its natural qualities and functions, there are actually two kinds of souls : (1) the impure, embodied souls, and (2) the pure, bodiless spirits.
The first class are all involved in varying degrees of pain, unhappiness and all undesirable things connected with embodied life. Those of the second class are the perfect ones who have attained the very highest condition of life. To know what this state of being means, is to know the potentiality of your own soul, for all are alike in essence. This is
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