Early Writings — Page 67
HADRAT MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD AS 67 way the time-bound phenomenon of salvation came into exist- ence. Such people hold that if the transmigration of souls and the attainment of salvation began in this manner, this would not invalidate their belief in the eternity of souls. Glory be to God! What an astonishing answer! It appears that the followers of the Arya Samaj have made great progress in hatching the profoundest mischiefs hence the reason they have begun to put forth such remarkable answers. Sir, might I ask that if all the souls, before they began to transmigrate and obtain sal- vation, were living in pain and misery or living in comfort and peace? If they were suffering in a state of misery, which action on their part resulted in that condition? And, if they lived in com- fort, what good deed of theirs created such a condition for them? Moreover, if, prior to having gained salvation, they were already living in peace, then to desire salvation again is but to seek that which they already possessed. So, by this account one must accept that the souls were once non-existent. Now, someone may argue that although they were already living in peace, they were sub- jected to the cycle of transmigration so that they might obtain cognisance of God Almighty. The obvious answer to this would be that when they could not obtain cognisance of God despite having lived with Him and spending time in His presence—as His eternal partners—for an immeasurable period of time, what treasure of divine insight would they have possibly amassed once transformed into worms and insects? In fact, to punish someone without having been guilty of a crime; to subject them to various kinds of afflictions and make them undergo the miseries of life and death is against the very teachings of the Arya Samaj. In fact, it is this very principle in light of which they believe that the cycle