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JAINA GAZETTE. [November who are developing; there are always those who are living in a perfect state. And to render this possible it is said that there is an infinity of souls. There is always an infinity in conditions first and third, and only a limited quantity in the condition of developing.
There is another assumption in the question, which assumption is not proved, namely, that life is not eternal. And another, viz., that this planet has been in existence ever in the past as a planet. I believe the Jain theory asserts the latter, but not the former assumption. According to the Jain theory life is eternal just as matter is; and so, too, are the other four draryas or substances, namely, space, time, and dharmastikaya and adharmastikaya.
The useful answer perhaps to the question would be to say that there are two guiding forces, one's own self or soul, and those other souls who have developed their true nature and taught others how to do it. But one's own soul is the guiding force, it should live its natural life, and at present it does not do so. One's own soul is the guiding force guiding the body it controls; and the joint or corporate activity of souls is seen in the universe to be what it is. And no other condition of affairs is thinkable except wrongly; for suppose God controls others. He becomes 'other' to every individual, and must act according to the doings of each individual; thus he is simply controlled as well as controlling; and this is true of every soul as said above. And in this way any God who is regarded as a controlling force shrinks up to the size of a soul and becomes no more.
Of course there may be heads of states, heads of families, schools, etc. And whether there are any heads in the universe in this sense I do not know. And the question would arise. How is it they make such a muddle?
I think that is about all I can write on this subject, at any rate, now. And perhaps it is enough.
(Signed) H. WARREN.
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
