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THE JAINA GAZETTE
Throne of LIFE and engaged, unremittingly, in (appreciating, that is to say, enjoying, and, therefore) praising its Divinity. Those who sleep not bless thee: they stand before Thy glory and bless, praise and extol, saying, 'Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Spirits '."-The Book of Enoch p. 59. And here my eyes saw those who sleep not: they stand before him and bless and say: 'Blessed be Thou, and blessed be the name of the Lord for ever and for ever'. "Ibid. 59.
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And the Great Glory sat there on the Throne.
And the Most Holy Ones who were nigh to Him did not leave by night nor depart from Him."—Ibid. 42.
The Divinity of Life is revealed but with great caution in the mystic work known as the Ascension of Isaiah ":
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Worship neither throne nor angel which belongeth to the six heavens for this cause was I sent to conduct thee -until I tell thee [in the seventh heaven]. For above all the heavens and their angels hath thy throne been placed, and thy garments and thy crown which thou shalt see."-The Ascension of Isaiah, 47.
Isaiah is, no doubt, speaking of his own self here in his vision; but all souls are alike and there is no difference among them as regards their nature, that is to say, as regards their natural qualities and traits. We cannot even attribute the language exclusively to any particular individual, e.g., a saviour or a Christ.
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"I have therefore been empowered and sent to raise thee here and thou mayest see this glory. And that thou mayest see the Lord of all those heavens and those thrones undergoing (successive) transformation until he resembleth your form and likeness."
This is surely not applicable to any external Saviour or Christ, by any stretch of imagination: the lord undergoing transformations to resemble the spectator or devotee's form and likeness! The seer is, however, promised in clear language :— "Then thou wilt become equal to the angels of the seventh heaven."-Ibid. 50.
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
