________________
37
you believe that there is no such thing as Ātmā in this world, and that there is nothing like para-loka (future life), that is to say, there is no re-birth after death. Because, you think that when there is nu existence of Atmå, how can there be suture life ? After death, 110 one goes to next world, and no one comes back from the next world.
Besides, Indrabhútil you think that the above-mentioned explanation of the verse of the Vedas is logically correct. Because, the existence of Ātmå cannot be proved by direct proof. That is to say, Almā is not visible and its presence cannot be established by the sense of touch or by any other sense. Then what is the proof about the existence of Atmā? If at all Atmā-the Soul exists, It must be perceptible like a water--jar, a piece of cloth etc. Though the Paramāņus (electrons; are also inperceptible, they become perceptible in the forms of a water-jar etc, but Ātmā is not directly perceptible (by the senses) in any such forms.
The existence of Ātmā cannot be proved by anumāna or inference; because inference is preceded by a Pratyakşa or Direct Perception. The man who has the direct and personal experience of obserying the relation between smoke and fire at places like kitchen etc, recollects the relation between smoke and fire directly seen by him before, and thinks to himself I had seen fire wherever there was smoke, and hence there must be fire here on this mountain, as there is smoke on it In this way, inference follows the previous direct perception As nothing seems to be directly related to Atmă, how can the existence of Atmā be proved with the help of anumāna or inference
The existence of Ārmā cannot be proved even with the help of Scriptuiral Authority because some scriptures say that the soul exists, while some say that it does not. Thus it is hard to ascertain as to which scripture is correct and which is not.
The existence of Ātmā cannot be proved also with the help of the proof of “ upamā " or comparison, because the proof of
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
