Pictorial Philosophical Balpothi

Author(s): Bhuvanbhanusuri
Publisher: Divya Darshan Trust

Page 29

THE NATURE OF A SOUL (ORIGINAL AND ARTIFICIAL)
Gold when gets mixed with copper looks pale. However, gold itself is pure inwardly. Similarly a soul is pure inwardly but it has become filthy, as it has got mixed with inanimate impurities of karmas. It originally contains virtues like infinite knowledge etc. It has potential, but all these have been covered by the karmas and have made a being filthy so its artificial form has manifested.
If we consider a being like the sun, eight kinds of virtues can be called as its shine. As if the sun gets hidden with eight kinds of clouds, eight kinds of karma have hidden a soul and its shine has been covered. Many myths in the soul has been created like-being covered by gnanavaran karma (the knowledge covering karma), the omniscience lying within a soul has resulted into ignorance, foolishness, mental retardation, forgetfulness etc.
The picture on opposite page shows how grand our inner form is! How we have got covered by the clouds of Karma and have become adulterated is shown in the following table :
THE FORM OF A SOUL CLOUDS OF KARMA
THE ARTIFICIAL FORM COVERING IT
OF A SOUL 1. Infinite knowledge Gnanavarniya (covering knowledge) Ignorant, dull, forgetful, foolish 2. Infinite vision Darshanavarniya (covering vision) Biind, deaf, lame, Various
types of sleeps etc. 3. Samyagdarshan Mohniya karma
Futility, attachment, likes, dislikes, vitaragata
libertinism, anger, jealousy etc. 4. Infinite strength etc. antaray karma
Weakness, miserliness,
poverty, dependence.. 5. Infinite happiness Vedniya karma
Happiness, unhappiness
(pain, sorrow, suffering). 6. Immortality, agelessness | Ayushya karma
Birth, life, death. 7. Formlessness Naamkarma
Hellworthy state etc. monosensual body etc. beauty, reputation, infamy.
good luck, bad luck etc. 8. Equality Gotra Karma
Upper race, lower race.