88
Aptavani-8
with the notion of the world’s existence as being eternal? Would
you please explain this?
Dadashri: This world is without a beginning and without
an end (anaadi-anant). The living entities (jivas) within it are
constantly evolving. The living entities have been divided into
three parts. Out of the three, there is one part, where absolutely
no evolution occurs. Those living entities are just stored in a
stockpile. They are called avyavahar rashi (without identity).
They come here from that stock, into worldly interaction
(vyavahar), where the living entities (jivas) in worldly
interaction are continually evolving. The souls (jivas) carry on
evolving all the way to final liberation (moksha). While they
are evolving, they acquire all kinds of experiences and proceed
to moksha.
There were four senses (indriya) initially, and the last to
come are the ears. The very last to develop is ear. The jivas
development prior to this, would be just holes where the ears
would be; otherwise there would only be four senses.
The fourth sense (indriya) are, the eyes, so it becomes a
winged insect, like a moth. As soon as its eyes open, it has an
illusory attachment (moha) to light. So it dies from chasing the
light. When the ear opens up, it dies from hearing. All day long,
it searches for things to listen to, so it listens to the radio, or it
goes to listen to songs. It is always like this for anything that has
newly opened up.
As for these ants, because of their newly developed sense
(sense of smell), they scurry around here and there. And if there
is a pot suspended three feet from the ceiling, they would sense
through the nose, from here on the ground, that there is ghee
(clarified butter) in it. Now they know how to get to it. So they
climb up the wall, then climb down and lick the ghee. They run
around all day due to this newly developed sense they are born
with.