Shrutsagar 2016 02 Volume 02 09

Author(s): Hiren K Doshi
Publisher: Acharya Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir Koba

Page 8

Beyond Doubt
Acharya Padmasagarsuri
A dead body can never experience joy or sorrow, pleasure or pain. The one who is able and experiences these is 'Atman. The body, devoid of life also is of the same structure & anatomy of a living body, but the former is devoid of carrying out any
activities of the living person. In the absence of Atman the dead body, ceases to be active & becomes useless and ultimately perishes.
I was, I am & I shall be, this eternal feeling which all living beings possess also proves the authenticity of the existence of the soul.
"There is no ghata" (Pot). This statement proves the very existence of the pot because if the ghata is not within the sight it does exist at the potter's place. In the same way when you say “There is no Atman or soul" it stands proved that though it does not exist in a dead body it surely does exist in all living beings. You cannot see the words uttered and the innumerable sounds you hear in the world uttered and the innumerable sounds you hear in the world because they are formless. So also the formless Atman cannot be seen, but is only subject to experience.
In the pitch darkness of a no moon day, where you are unable to even see your body, the feeling of "I am" is always there & this is the most authentic proof of one's existence; you may be doubtful of the existence of other things but you can never doubt the existence of yourself. In the morning when you wake up from deep slumber, you are always able to remember whether you had a good sleep or a trouble some one. You are able to recollect your dreams too. Now, who was the one who experienced all this and was also a witness to the dreams? I am happy or I am sad, this body is mine, these kind of feelings can be expeenced only by the soul and not by the body or any kind of matter.
What is this body after all? It is a house erected on the two leg like pillars of which the five sense organs are the windows, the stomach is the kitchen also there is the skin. Kidney etc., which are the excretory