Dr. Samani Mangal Pragya
The soul has an eternal existence. In the worldly state, it transmigrates into different realms of existences, according to its karma. In the āgama literature, a discussion is available as to what accompanies the soul and what does not, during its transmigration from one birth to another.
In this very context, Gautam asked Lord Mahavira, Oh lord! Does the (particular) knowledge continues only in this birth or accompanies the soul to the next birth or to both the births? Answering this question the Lord replied, 'Gautam! the (particular) knowledge continues in this birth, accompanies the soul to the next birth hence it accompanies both the births. Gautam put forward similar questions about faith (enlightened world view), enlightened conduct and austerity and self-restraint. For all these questions, the Lord replied/Knowledge and faith (enlightened world view) can continue in this birth, accompany the soul to the next birth hence it is related to both the births. However, the enlightened conduct, austerity and self-restraint cannot accompany the soul to the next birth. They are confined to the present life only.[1] Acharya Mahapragya, while presenting his analysis, writes - During the transition period from one birth to another, the faculty of knowledge remains in dormant state without any manifestation. It manifests itself only after the formation of the brain and the nervous system. We can take past life memory as an example. The karmic body contains the basic cells of knowledge produced by the senses and the mind. These basic cells generate their counterparts in the nervous system of the gross body.
For example, the basic cells of a soul with the potential for development of two sense-organs will produce two sense-organs in the nervous system of the gross body. Similarly, the three, four, five sense-organs are generated as counterparts of the basic cells in the karmic body. The cells and the karmic body form the foundation for the variation in the knowledge cells of the nervous system or the brain in the gross body. This fact can be presented in brief as follows- cells are generated in the karmic body in accordance with the state of destruction - cum-subsidence of the knowledge obscuring karma. Those cells generate their counterparts in the nervous system or the brain. Keeping this whole philosophical idea in view, Lord Mahavira said-'knowledge can accompany the soul in the next births also.'
'Now a more basic problem arises, as to whether just as there are memory cells pertaining to the memory of the present birth in our brain, are there such cells pertaining to the memory of the previous births, also? The modern sciences of anatomy and psychology have not directed their attention to this problem. However, on the basis of the doctrine of karma, the possibility of presence of cells of past births is accepted. As a major portion of brain has been acknowledged to be a silent area or dark area, so there exists a possibility that it may house the cells containing memories of the past life.[2]'
