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THE TRUTH
One sensed Jivas (also called Sthavara i.e., immobile) like vegetation or bacteria. These possess the sense of touch only.
Two sensed Jivas like worms, oysters, conches etc., possessing senses of touch and taste.
Three sensed Jivas like Ants, bugs etc., possessing senses of touch, taste, and smell.
Four sensed Jivas like flies, bees etc., possessing senses of touch, taste, smell and sight.
Five sensed Jivas cover bigger forms of life like men, birds, beasts, devas etc., and they possess all the five senses of touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing. This class of Jivas also possess mind except in few cases.
Jivas possessing two or more senses are known as Trasa (mobile)
The whole of the Universe (Lokakasa) is full of very minute living beings possessing only one sense. These are called Nigoda and are smaller even than the bacteria. These are infinite in number and provide a source from which souls longing for development come out. It will be seen that by making efforts to cleanse itself from the karmas, the soul manifests its power of consciousness more and more in higher forms of life. It is only in the five sensed life with mind that it can make deliberate and sustained efforts to liberate itself completely and attain the divine status. An account of the effort needed is given later.
The Mukta (liberated) Jiva has perfect unlimited Darsana (vision) and knowledge, is eternal, is incapable of being perceived by senses, does not cause obstruction to any other substance i.e., has interpenetrability, has undisturbed bliss and has infinite power (i.e., absence of fatigue in having a knowledge of infinite substances).
The concept that every soul is a God in embryo and only needs full unfoldment to attain to Godhood is found in all religions.
Bible (Matt. V. 48) says: "Be ye therefore perfect as the Father in Heaven is perfect.”
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