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158
Soul Science : Samayasara by Jain Acarya Kundakunda
spiritual conduct of the soul is based on the protection of six kinds of living beings is an outer description of the spiritual conduct and comes in the regime of the description from the relative point of view. In stanza 273 Ācārya Kundakunda has already pointed out that such conduct of protecting others is possible even by an Abhavya who, by definition, cannot have spiritually right conduct or right knowledge or right faith.
Similarly, one can see the difference between the study or memorization of scriptures and the knowing about the Self. The former indicates the knowledge from the relative point of view and the later shows the spiritual knowledge in true sense.
In the scriptures nine Tattva, Jīva-etc. (see stanza 13), are described. The memorization of the names and definitions, and exploration of various details of these nine Tattva does not guarantee the true faith, therefore, the faith based on the reading or contemplation may not be the true faith. In contrast, in reality the true faith is that state where there is faith in the existence of eternal soul and the belief that "I am nothing but soul”. It may be noted that the process of exploration of nine Tattva may take place before the realization of the soul but there is a large difference between the contemplation of nine Tattva and the faith based on the realization of the Self.
We all know the difference between the packing material and the diamond packed within the packing case. These stanzas provide the motivation to visualize beyond the packing case and to find the real stuff associated with the packing case.
Stanza 277 conveys a lot in a few words. It explicitly conveys this point that various specialties such as spiritual knowledge, faith, conduct, renunciation, stoppage of Kārmika bondage (Saņvara) and Yoga are neither away nor different from the soul.
