________________
41
doubt etc are self-evident to every one by his own experience and hence Armā- the root of or the support to all these qualities should be taken as self-evident. Body cannot be called the root of all the qualities, like merrory, desire, doubt etc, because, the 'guni' of the qualities must corresperd with the qualities themselves. Those qualities are abstract and an'mate while the body is concrete and inanimate. How can the body which is concrete and in-animate, be the root of (or support to) the qualities which are abstract and animate ? Hence Atma-the Guni-which is abstract and animate, must be accepled as the support to those abstract and animate qualities.
The existence of Atmā can be proved also by means of 'anumāna' (inference. It can be proved in this way: The thing that is enjoyable must have the person to enjoy it, just as, dinner, clothes etc are the things that are enjoyable, ar d man is the enjoyer, in the same way, this body is also 'bhojya (a thing to be enjoyed), and hence, there must exist some 'shariri' the enjoyer of the body and that enjoyer is Ātmā.
The existence of Ātmā can be proved by means of religious scriptures. It is mentioned in the Veda itself that fra ATAT Magy:-Sarvam ayamálmā Jnanamayah i-e this Ātnã (soul) is full of knowledge.
Moreover, it is the soul who knows the (essence of) three 1, 2, &, i-e three words beginning with the let:er , (d) DamaDāna and Dayā-Self-control, Charity and Mercy-The Vedic hymn is -
दमो दानं दया इति दकारत्रयं यो वेत्ति स जीवः । Damo dānam dayı iti dakāratrayam yo vétti sa jīvah.
It is the Soul who knows the essence of) three words beginning with the letter , (d, namely damo, dānam and dayāself-contro',-charity and mercy
By means of these Védic sentences, it is proved that Atmāthe Soul-does exist.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
