NATURE OF SOUL ACCORDING TO JAINISM Pandit Sukhalalji says that among those who believe that there are infinite numbers of independent souls that are all pure and perfect in their original nature the Jaina tradition is first and foremost. Jaina theory of soul is prominent and it has a special contribution to make to the theories of souls propounded in Indian thought. The reasons for this are twofold: (1) Jaina view is based on rationalistic ground and is very much amenable to reason, and (2) The Jaina theory of self has already established itself by the time of the 23rd Tirthankara Parsvanatha in the 8th century B. C. The theory crystallized during that period has largely remained the same in its core. But the Buddhist and Vedic theories were of non-self and have undergone major changes in the centuries that went by. According to Sramana tradition the nature of soul may be described as follows: 1. Jiva is beginningless and endless. It has no beginning or end. It is indestructible. It is eternal. From the point of view of substance the nature of jiva is pure and perfect and the same in all three phases of time-past, present and future. Therefore, it is eternal (nitya). From the point of view of modification jiva is anitya (temporary) because it undergoes various forms of empirical modifications. Therefore jiva is eternal but jiva, as an empirical individual is not eternal. 2. Regarding the description of the empirical self (the samsari jiva), we can say though milk and water, sesamum and the oil, and flower and its fragrance are related, as it seems the relation between the soul and body, but really the position of the soul is like a bird in the cage, like the sword in the sheath and like the sugar in a pitcher. The soul can become independent of the body. 3. One of the characteristics of jiva is contraction and expansion, which it pervades the body that it occupies whether big or small. In the body of the elephant, the soul pervades entire body of the elephant and if it is the body of ant, it pervades the body of the entire ant. However, this characteristic of pervasion in a body, big or small, does not affect the fundamental nature and the number of pradesas of the soul. 4. A space is formless and as it can be comprehended by its space-giving function, so also jiva is formless, yet we can comprehend the nature of the soul by means of intellect (vijnana). 5. As time is beginningless and indestructible so is jiva that is beginningless and indestructible. 6. As the earth is the very basis of all things, so is jiva that is the basis of knowledge and experience. 7. As space is undiminishing and constant in all the three times, so is jiva which is indestructible, endless and beyond measure. 8. As the gold can get the form of garland, head-dress (crown) earrings, ring, etc., but still as the substance of the gold is the same so also the jiva is the same although it wanders about in the wheel of samsara, in the four forms of existence-the heavenly, the human, lower animal and the hellish stage. 9. As the sun spreads its rays and objects illumined and as the sun moves elsewhere at night and the light is not seen so also the soul that exists with a particular body experiences the life in this existence, and as it leaves this body, and enter another, this experience is no more. 10. As the fragrance of saffron and the lotus flower can be experienced by smell and not by sight so also jiva cannot be seen by the eyes yet we can know the existence of the self through the attribute of knowledge. 11. The music of the instrument can be heard but cannot be seen. In the same way, the jiva in its form cannot be seen. We can also understand the nature of the jiva by means of its characteristics and effects. 12. The ghost and the devils can enter the bodies but they cannot be seen. We can only infer the presence of these by the bodily activities. Similarly, we can know that there is self by observing the psychophysical activities like laughter, pleasure and pain and bodily activities like dances etc. 13. The food we take is transformed into seven basic elements through chemical composition. Similarly, the particles of matter, which are fit to be karmic particle, are transformed into karmic particles (karmavargana) which obscure the free function of the soul. 14. Jiva is a source of different forms of energy like knowledge energy (jnanasakti), the energy of the basic power (viryasakti) and will-power (samkalpasakti)1 15. Jiva, through its activity in the empirical world, accumulates samskara (mnemic traces) and through the samskara a suksmasarira (subtle body) constituted of material particles. This is called paudgalikasarira. When the soul gives up one body and enters another in the next life the suksmasarira will be there with it, with the load of mnemic traces of the previous life.2 16. Jiva is formless, but by its accumulated karmas it has acquired a body and through this body it also becomes with form. 17. All Jivas have the same qualities and capacity of development. Yet each jiva develops in different ways owing to several factors like the purusartha and other causes. 18. There is nowhere in the world, a place where subtle bodied and gross-bodied souls are not present. 19. Just as the particles of gold are mixed up with the earth in the form of ore, this mixed form of ore has been beginningless. It gets purified and pure gold is extracted with the help of fire. So also the jiva gets purified and reaches the state of perfection through samvara and tapasya etc. 20. Just as it is not possible to decide whether egg is prior or the hen, so also it is not possible to determine the priority or otherwise of jiva and karma. Both of them co-exist from beginningless time.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Jul 2013 10:31:19 +0000
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