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74 RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE JAINAS metaphors, but when we preach these truths to the ignorant masses, some story or picture might be necessary for them, and after that the explanation of the real meaning; as we have an allegory in the Pilgrim's Progress. It is just like reaching the Celestial City in that books, but we must all understand that these things are parables. Others may need music to assist their religion, but when we understand the esoteric meaning which underlines all religions there will be no quartelling and no need of names or of foms; and this is really the object of all religions. Spiritual Progress
Man's present state is the result of all his previous experiences and of a long continued evolution. The evolution of the soul from the archaic state to the present is a wonderful panorama. A great philosopher of India has said that the intelligent entity that now lives in the human body has come from this low archaic condition and has accomplished half its round only. The other half is easy to that man who can conquer ignorance and erroneous ideas of things.
There is no ready made path for us. The first step is to realise the difference between the real and the unreal, between spiritual and non-spiritual. No man can progress until he learns to distinguish between himself and his body.
There are different kinds of souls. First, there are souls that identify themselves with the external, that believe the body is the real self. Observe a man and see if he identifies his consciousness with his body. If he does, he belongs to this class; and as long as he clings to this idea, he will have to live in an embodied condition and he cannot be liberated. Incarnation, according to all the Oriental schools, is above all things to be avoided. Some people in this country have an erroneous idea that incarnation is a good thing. It is not good in itself, only as a means to an end.
Second, there are souls that deal with the subjective state. These know that the real self is different from body and different from mind, but they are not totally liberated from the body.
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