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CHAPTER 18
TRANSMIGRATION AND NIRVANA
The Jaina view is that the soul does not organise a body for itself only once in its career throughout the eternity of time. An interminable succession of bodies is put on until Nirvana is reached. So long as it remains in association with matter, the bodies, and, consequently, transmigration, are inevitable. When Nirvana is attained, the soul is completely rid of the taint of matter, and bodies can no longer be formed. The souls in Nirvana only exist in the natural effulgence of the spirit substance. On this side of Nirvana the soul may go to heavens which are inhabited by perishable beings with bodies somewhat different from ours. In the heavens the conditions of life are very pleasant. The reverse of the heavens are hells which are also terminable and by no means eternal. The soul may be reborn in the heavens if it has done good meritorious deeds; it may be attracted into hell if it has led a wicked life; it may also be reborn amongst men or descend into the lower kingdoms of animals and vegetables, etc. The whole thing is a question of its internal disposition and character,
The Christian view on this subject is involved in much mystification, because this is one of the subjects on which plain speech would have entailed immediate death, inasmuch as the Jews no longer expressly entertained the belief in transmigration, although it was an
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