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THE JAINA GAZETTE
other hand, if it has acted viciously and brought about an atrophy of the centres whose development is the cause of the human birth, it must go back to lower kingdoms. Life in the embodied state is always painful; rare, exceedingly rare, are the moments when one can be said to be happy. Man has always the lear of death disease and calamity overtaking him and his loved ones. The animal is born into pain and suffering. The immortal soul is subject to birth and death, for the present life is no miracle in its eternal career. Thus thinking, one withdraws his attention from the world outside which is the realm of sickness and death, and turns it inwards on the soul when he soon begins to realize some thing of the inner joy of being which has been referred to already. Thereafter he speedily qualifies himself to be rid of the pernicious companionship of matter, when setting the natural functions of his soul free to display their full effect, he becomes omniscient, immortal and blissful, and ascends to the topmost part of the universe there to reside for ever, in the fullest enjoyment of all the privileges and prerogatives appertaining to Divinity. There is ncver any fall from this condition.
I must now give you a few quotations from some of the othet religions to show that the true doctrines of the Science of Spirit are common to them all. The teaching of Hinduism is well summarised in the following hymn to Yama who is one of the Vedic gods : -
* All imperfections leave behind :
Assume thy ancient frame once more Each limb and sense thou hadst belore,
From every earthly taint refined. " And now with beavenly glory bright,
With lite intenser, nobler, blest, With large capacity to taste,
A fuller measure of delight. " In those fair realms of cloudleas day,
Where Yama every joy supplies, And every longing satisfies,
Thy bliss shall never know decay." Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
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