Soul Science Part 01

Author(s): Parasmal Agrawal
Publisher: Kundakunda Gyanpith

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Kundakunda, Umasvami, Samantbhadra, Veersen, Amrit-chandra, Jayasen, etc., essentially has following basic axioms: (i) There are six kinds of basic substances including souls. These
can neither be created nor destroyed. Only forms change. (See:
Appendix 3). (ii) Each and every event happens according to definite laws. (See:
Appendix 6). (iii) All souls are potentially divine and possess the power of becoming
*Jina' - Arahanta - Siddha (See: Appendix 2). (iv) Any false intention or belief of becoming dependent or making
other souls as dependent is a wrong belief. The wrong belief sustains wrong knowledge and wrong conduct. The causes of all sorts of pains, miseries and repeated births and deaths are wrong belief, wrong knowledge, and wrong conduct. Conversely, the causes of happiness and spiritual bliss and imperishable liberation are the right belief, right knowledge, and right conduct (called the triple jewels of liberation). (See: Stanzas 16, 147, 415, etc.)
Knowledge and belief both are inseparable traits of the soul. One may call knowledge and belief about soul as soul science and the way of life based on such knowledge as religion or spiritual engineering. In view of the above mentioned axioms of spiritual science, the spiritual engineering (i.e., a way of leading a life) can be developed. The spiritual engineering basically says, “Deal with causes not with effects. To keep a bucket under the drip is not the real cure for a leak in the roof.” The causes of all sorts of pains, miseries and repeated births and deaths are to be appropriately dealt. The philosophy of Tirthamkara Mahaveer is mainly concerned with the determination of the nature of substances and the right path of liberation. To a beginner, the spiritual engineering of Tirthamkara Mahaveer gives the caution that one should not indulge in gambling, eating meat, intoxication of any type, prostitution, hunting, theft, illicit sexual relationship, etc. When the doubts of an individual about the Self and non-Self are removed by the instruction of an enlightened teacher-Guru, he/she attains the right-belief (Samyaktva) with self realization but he/she may not yet be able to observe any of the vows (small or great vows) enjoined on the part of a layman (Śrāvaka). The details of advanced way of leading the practical spiritual life to adopt non-violence of the high order falls in the area of the soul engineering, which is beyond the scope of this book on the soul science.