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THE A. B. C. OF JAINISM
135 To sum up, Moksha is a state in which the Atma is quite free from all Karmic forces. Karmas are like clouds to the soul, and when it gets absolved from them, the perfectly pure spirit shines with all brilliance like the open sun, and this is its Moksha. Thus when Moksha is achieved the pure and free Atma gets to its own natural state liberated from the material body and its veils. All this is brought about by the annihilation of all Karmic fetters. This is to say that the absolved soul shines with all its real refulgence, bliss, knowledge and power,
The reader must have realised that Moksha is nothing extraneous to be obtained by Jiva, but it is merely its getting off from the clutches of Karmic fetters, and achieving its own natural state.
With the passing away of clouds we get pure sunlight. and in that process we do not see any one thing taking the place of the other ; but merely the obstructive agent is done away with. So also, when a bird gets free from its cage, it does not mean putting anything else in the place of the cage, but only removing the cage which acted as an obstruction to the freedom of the bird. Similarly when the soul achieves Moksha, it merely experiences what potentially is its own and nothing new, by the utter destruction of all obstructive forces-all Punya and Papa Karmas.
The path to final emancipation. Here arises the question how to get Moksha. That is how to be free from various Karmas. For this final beatitude, right belief, right knowledge and right conduct are of paramount necessity. Let us take one by one these qualities of utter necessity to the soul and see how far each helps.
Right belief or Samyakdarshana is nothing else but a sincere and real confidence in the "tattvas " given above, and to have a right and clear insight into the same tattvas 'is called right knowledge or Samyakgnana. By right conduct is meant a sinless, innocent and pure life.
This life of right conduct is divided into two broad divisions. Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
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