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Soul Science: Samayasara by Jain Acarya Kundakunda
Question: Does it mean that it is meaningless to talk of one's bank account, one's house, one's spouse, etc.?
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Answer: No, it is not meaningless to talk of one's bank account, one's house, one's spouse, etc.. Day-to-day worldly life, law and order, etc. cannot be possible if we do not recognize persons and their lawful worldly possessions. The relative point of view accepts such possessions as one's possessions. To clarify this point let us consider one example:
A collector (the highest Govt. official of the district) named Rajesh has 10 million rupees in his official account. One day his teenage son requests him to withdraw one million rupees from this account to buy a car for him. Rajesh responds by 'No'. Rajesh explains that he is simply a custodian of Govt. money. He is not the real owner of these 10 million rupees. It is not his personal wealth. It belongs to public.
At this response, his son asks, "Does it mean that the bank account in your name as the collector is meaningless?" Rajesh answers, "That account or the related money is not to be considered as my personal possession, but it is not meaningless. it is meaningful for the public."
In the same way this question is being answered with the remark that personal bank accounts and possessions are not to be considered as the possession of the soul.
मज्झं परिग्गहो जदि तदो अहमजीवदं तु गच्छेज्ज । णादेव अहं जम्हा तम्हा ण परिग्गहो मज्झ || 208 ।।
Majjham pariggaho jadi tado ahamajivadam tu gacchejja. Nädeva aham jamhā tamhā na pariggaho majjha. ||208||
मम परिग्रहो यदि ततोऽहमजीवतां तु गच्छेयम् ।
ज्ञातैवाहं यस्मात्तस्मान्न परिग्रहो मम || 208।।
If possessions are mine then I become non-living entity. [But]
