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JAINA GAZETTE. [Aug. & Sept. What is a permanent whole? Do you maintain that there is only one such whole and that that one is the Universe ? If so, I differ.
The central point of our correspondence is the relation of part to whole, generally and particularly. The particular application is to the universal Self,—if such there be, and in my opinion there is no such being. And this is the real issue ; the issue is not really whether or not a thing and its parts are related, but wbether or not there is a universal Self. Not only this, but also the nature of the individual self, and his relation to the universal Self if such there be.
The point at issue as above described includes the question, what sort of a unit do the individual selves inake ap? Or, the same question in other words, do individual selves in their mass make a unit or universal self?
What is a whole? What is a upit ? What is a being ? What is a thing?
These are the samo questions in different words ; I want to bring out, or get an understanding of what is a unit, and especially a living one. All philosophy arises out of tbe desire to establish immortality for each individual. And it seems to me any systein of thought which fails to do this must be wrong ; at any rate is it not ansatisfactory?
Is the universe a unit? Is it the only unit? Whether we say unit, whole, one, thing, it is all the same meaning ; at least by using the word unit I mean all these other words ; it is only a question of getting the right word ; the idea is always the same.
If the universe is the only whole unit, one, or thing, these words being now used by me as synonyms, then I a:n not a whole, and iny immortality is not guaranteed, which is not satisfactory.
The above seems to bring the discussion into the field of enquiry as to what the factors of a thing are, and by thing now I mean whole, ove, unit, individual, entity or any word which means ope as distinguished from a compound of other units.
Am I a thing, or am I only part of a thing ? Am I permaShree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
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