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THE JAINA GAZETTE.
promises emancipation for all souls (samsara dukhata satvanyo dharaty ullame sukhe) cannot claim to be a universal religion. Thus the above quotations of eminent Jain Acharyas will not stand to reason if we are told to believe that there are some 'abhavya' jivas. Again what reply can a Jain give to the follower of Charvak when he argues in the following way. If you believe that some jivas are 'abhavya' i.e, incapable of being liberated then on what ground can you maintain that the other souls are capable of attaining emancipation? What material difference is there between saying that soul or consciousness arises out of matter (materialistic view), and saying that soul or consciousness always remains confined in matter in the case of abhavya jivas' (Jain view)? Practically then the materialistic view of soul comes quite close to the Jain conception of "abhavya jiva."
Thus the present writer believes that if jiva is upayogmaya which quality is absent in matter, it'naturally follows that some day or other the jiva is bound to be emancipated. I request you to be kind enough to explain to me, taking my above remarks into consideration, the real significance of bhavyatma and abhavyatma and the material defect that has entered into the soul rendering it 'abhavya.' Comparatively modern Jain Acharyas have made this distinction. But I do not know whether the most ancient Jain Acharyas for instance Kundakundacharya have divided jiva into these two classes. Please enlighten me on this point also in the next issue of The Jaina Gazette,'
Islampur,
Dated 22.4:26. }
Yours most sincerely,
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
L. A. PHALTANE.
Vakil.
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
