Philosophy of Soul and Matter

Author(s): Chitrabhanu, Clare Rosenfield
Publisher: Jain Meditation International Center

Page 42

When we enter into an experiential level, we know that sentient energy passes through stages of life. What we call girl, old lady, sick person, dying person are all stages seen in the mirror. Why have we not yet seen ourselves in our eternal nature? Because of karmas, we have not distinguished our true nature from conditions and stages and mirrors. We continue to identify ourselves with the transient roles we play.
Real experience comes when you are able to disengage yourself from all conditions, from all forms of insentient energy, and see yourself as sentient atman. Real meditation starts from the moment you say: “This is sentient energy and this is I. This energy cannot be abolished or destroyed.”
This is the "I"? which has no ego. The mirror "I's” were conditions of insentient moments and you were identifying with those temporary conditions. Now you see that just because the “house” is “old” it does not mean that the “indweller” is “oid.” Now you can visualize yourself as sentient dwelling in the "houses” of insentient, or as sentient wearing the "clothes” of insentient.