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

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Page 69
________________ The Jaina Philosophy his acts and powers. If he wishes to progress he must follow the rules pertaining to that life. We do not despise the physical life. He must act so that the physical will correspond with the laws of the other planes. Body is not the temple of the soul, but a helper. (The speaker gave an illustration of two enemies who were fastened in the stocks. One was rich and had food furnished him but could not partake of it unless fed by the other.) The key-note of our philosophy is, that body is to be taken care of only so far as it helps the spirit. Religion is with the Hindus not a sectional part but dominates all life. (In describing the Hindu theory, he said "in such a philosophy there is no necessity of any ethical code.”) (Much here is missed showing the distinction between the Hinduism and Jainism.) (We say spirit has always been spirit; when it separates itself from matter it would live in the highest state) There is no limit to the number of souls. There are an infinite number. Take out of an infinite number an infinite number and an infinite number will remain. In the space occupied by the point of a needle there are many souls, and no matter how many are taken out an infinite number remains. God to us would mean to have attained the perfect and liberated state. We pay homage to the perfect for the sake of perfection, and not for any reward. One of the prayers of Jaina is “I worship with power all consciousness which becomes the leader for us on the path of salvation; which has broken to pieces the mountain of physical forces or karma; which has acquired omniscience.” I worship these because I wish to become that power. There is not a native Buddhist in all India. Hinduism has borrowed Buddhist ideas, and is now a mixture of the old Vedic faith with other philosophies. - 60 recen Jain Education International For Personal & Private Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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