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The Jaina Philosophy
immortal Self. But as soon as the Self knows that he is independent of the body and becomes free from it, not by death but by knowledge, then he suffers no longer, neither pain nor pleasure can touch him. Whence has approached this highest light of knowledge, then there is perfect serenity. He knows himself to be the highest Self and therefore is the highest Self, and though while life lasts, he moves about among the pleasant sights of the world, he does not mind them, they concern his body only, or his bodily Self, his ego, not his absolute Self.
He goes a step further and lays down that it is not the individual soul that is the highest Self, the highest Self is not different from Brahma; the interposition of ignorance, rescience or illusion leads the individual Self to believe that he is separate from Brahma; as soon as ignorance is removed, he is Brahma. He does not become Brahma; for really he was nothing less than Brahma. A poet in darkness may seem to be a thief to a person but when darkness is removed he realizes that fact that it is a post and not a thief. On the disappearance of darkness, the object which was seen does not become a post but the fact is realized that it is and has ever been a post. In the same manner, the individual Self does not become the highest Self; only the truth comes out that it is the highest self.
This is the doctrine of the highly philosophical Hindu. Let us now turn to Buddha and see what he says as to the existence and nature of soul. Buddha's merit consists not in promulgating a special theory of his own as to the nature or existence of soul but in avoiding the metaphysical and subtle disputation of the Brahmans. His sarcasm against this sort of discussion appears to be very bold as we read it in the Tevija Sutta. He says to a Brahman named Vasettha "Then you say, Vasettha that not one of the Brahmans, or of their teachers, or of their pupils have ever seen Brahma face to face. And that even Rishis of old, the
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