Early Writings — Page 56
56 THE is to say, the word does not carry a different meaning when used with reference to God and when used with reference to the souls. After this, Bawa Sahib says that so far no one has been able to fully count the souls, which means that they are innumera- ble. To prove this, he also quotes a law of mathematics—which has nothing to do with the point being discussed. Then he con- cludes from this that an infinite number cannot be decreased. It should be clear to Bawa Sahib that in light of his own belief, I have already given an estimated number of the souls and I have already discussed their being restricted within the bounds of space and time according to Bawa Sahib's own principles. However, Bawa Sahib puts before us calculations of things which are unknown and incomprehensible. If Bawa Sahib suggests that just as a treas- urer knows of every rupee and penny present in his account, only if man is aware of the total number of souls in the same way, can there be a possibility of that number being decreased, then I would say that he is mistaken. This is because any intelligent per- son knows that when the total number of a thing is estimated by some form of measure, rationality would establish that when we subtract an amount from that estimated total, the number that is taken away from it would decrease that estimate. What logic can be presented in favour of the notion that when a large host of those souls that have been granted salvation will join those who have already obtained salvation, the total number of souls will nei- ther decrease nor increase here or there, despite the fact that both are limited in number and confined within the spheres of space and time? The statement of Bawa Sahib that we must know the total number of souls and only then will we be able to subject them to