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16
Law of Karma
there is no question of immortality of the soul. For him, death is the end of life.
Although Buddha remained silent as to the basic metaphysical questions like God and immortality, he believes in future life. For him, the past life is connected with the present life and present with the future life in the same way in which one candle enflames the other. Jaivas also regard the soul as immortal.
For Radhakrishnan, immortality is of two types : personal immortality and conditional immortality. In the former, the person is supposed to be preserved for eternity. While in the latter, immortality is not an inherent possession of every human soul. It is attributed only to those who realize in themselves the nature of higher values. "Immortality is not our natural birthright, a thing to which we are entitled but a prize to be won.".0
Pringle-Pattison also maintains : "A true self comes into being as the result of continuous effort and the same effort is needed to hold it together and ensure its maintenance, for the danger of disintegration is always present."3]
Christian religion believes in universal immortality. For him, God's patience is not exhausted in a single life. If every soul is precious to God, universal salvation is certainty. If some souls are lost, God's omnipotence becomes problematic. Moreover, it is the belief of all religions that the wheel of birth moves inexorably. As the output of actions are preserved, life is also preserved and continued for the consumption of previous results. The way of nature is continuity. If the general plan of nature is not to be violated, the human selves must continue after death. “They carry on past threads, weave out something in the present and prepare for the future".32
As the soul does not die, it enjoys the fruits of its actions accordingly. Gita also proves the soul's immortality by saying :
“Ajo nityaḥ śāśvato' yain purāno na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre."'33
