Book Title: Jaina Philosophy
Author(s): Virchand R Gandhi, Kumarpal Desai
Publisher: World Jain Confederation

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Page 164
________________ The True Laws of Life It sees and hears many things which it has not perceived before, having no eyes and ears; how can it understand these things? It will not believe its own senses. Such has been the case with those human beings who have only had limited observations from which to draw their conclusions, when their area is extended to the whole. But if we extend our horizon, if we take into consideration the fact that life is eternal, did not begin at any time and is not going to end at any time, and that it is going to exist in some state or other at all times, then we can be in a position to derive conclusions valuable to all lives and to all living beings at all times. That is the way in which our philosophers have looked upon life. There is another difference with them, and it is this: you have another idea of life, that is, the object of life itself is different from their view. Their view may appear mystical to some of these scientists and philosophers, but I only wish to put before you the two views and you can derive conclusions for yourself. As Max Muller has stated in his latest work, the idea of life in all the Western countries is that of a struggle for existence. That has been the idea of life in all the nations with which Europeans and Americans have become acquainted; that is also the idea of life of the English people. But he also says that that is not the only object for which human beings were placed on this planet, and then he refers to the Hindus, and explains some points of the Hindu religion. Our idea of life has always been different, even in the times of foreign rulers; the idea has been unchanged; even to-day, among the masses, that idea is to be found. The street-sweeper knows that the physical life is only a station in the journey which he considers to be eternal. So far as the state of the soul is concerned it is eternal, that is to say; so far as the physical life is concerned it is non-eternal. He understands that the character 155 Jain Education International For Personal & Private Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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