Conception Of Soul In Indian Philosophy

Author(s): J S Jetly
Publisher: J S Jetly
Catalog link: https://jainqq.org/explore/269292/1

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the CONCEPTION OF SOUL IN INDIAN PHILOSOPHY ^ In the realm of Indian philosophical systems different systems have different belief regarding the self or soul. Except af almost A all the systems agree in one point that the soul is different than the body of the creatures. af does not accept any different soul or self or different than the body of the creatures After every belief there is a reason right or wrong. So arafe also has got his own reason (for non-acceptance of different than the body. ^ Let us see the arguments of cArvAka for his norm regarding the self. It is well known fact that cArvAka does not accept punarjanma or Dr. J. S. Jetly Institute for research in Indology, DWARKA. rebirth of the soul. According to him there is no rebirth of any creature or there is no necessity that creatures are born according to their of the previous birth (f). The creatures are born a in the bodies of the creatures are ceated due to caturbhUtasaMghAta i. e. due to particular type of arrangement of four elements viz. qferaft, jala, teja, and vAyu. This particular type of arrangement is responsible for the creation of body and into it. It is just like a creation of wine due to the particular type of arrangement of particular substances like dust of sugar and others. These substances put together in a ves 37

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sel for a certain time automatically unhappy while others are seen hapcreate intoxicating effect in that py. This cannot happen if there substance called wine. Similarly, is no 79. Those who are happy the above mentioned aga arran- without much efforts of their own ged in a particular manner are must have done some good deeds responsible for creation of body as in their previous birth. While those well as daar in it. The disturbance who are seen vnhappy must have in the arrangement causes destruc- done bad deeds or sins in their tion of the body known as death. previous birth. Death is not the separation of soul from the body but merely the To this araf replies that disturbance in the arrangement in this theory is merely an imaginaa living body. tion of some selfish people to keep other people under them. It is an The modern scientists are also illusion that one who has done of this view. They also do not ac- good deeds in the previous birth has cept any different self than the body got right of exploiting others and of the creatures. They also do not those who have done bad deeds accept cafea or rebirth of the soul. are destined to be exploited. In faThus acceptance of a different so- ct, this is also an arrangement and ul than the body or vitally conne- if this is changed and if good socted with the theory of rebirth. If cial order is established then there one does not accept rebirth he can is no necessity of this guy theory. do without the different souls i. e. A good social order with perfect different than the body itself. arrangement or law or order is eno ugh to keep the society happy. Ab. Here the question put by sence of a good and real justice other Indian systems is that, that if giving social order does not justify rebirth is not accepted then when the existence of mon ar the fruit of good deeds or bad al arrangement is made in such a deeds will be experienced ? Thus way that real culprits are nunished *f and #fies theory are again and not the innocent persons, then responsible for accepting the theory the question of u and you would of th. One who does good deeds not arise. not arise. will have good rebirth. Or to explain this form other systems state I t is well-known that Trefs was that so many creatures are seen deadly against the NOT as per 36

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formed by Brahmins because so many innocent animals were sacrificed in those This type of mass-killing of innocent creatures created utter disgrace in the mind of atafa towards the performers of such sacrifices. Such sacrifices were performed in those days to achieve different aims like af etc. He could see that the theory of agua was responsible to perform such sacrifices and as stated he attacked the theory of 1. Thus ultimately the bhUtadayA inspired cArvAka to oppose the notion of pApapuNya, rebirth according to pApapuNya, and a different soul other than the body enjoying the fruit of the pApa and puNya. According to him a good justice-giving social order is enough to keep the society running in a manner requird to have the happy society. A bad social order creates misarrangements and give rise to different theories like pApa and puNya, punarjanma and different self etc. One may agree with the theory of cArvAka or not but it should be noted that the aim of not accepting the self different then the body was not purely materialistic as thought generally by others philosophers in terms that yAvajjIvet sukhaM jIveda RNaM kRtvA ghRtaM pibet / bhasmIbhUtasya punarAgamana It is not the real rafa theory but it is an imposed one by his opponents. In fact, like many other philosophers he was also a good social reformer and compassion towards innocent animals inspired him to oppose vehemently the Brahmins of those days. 39 dehasya kuta: // Another typical system is of Buddhists who do not accept separate substance like soul. In fact, they do not accept the theory of an independent substance i. e. . According to them soul is nothing but combination of five skandhana. These skandhana Pare also ever-changing i. e. momentary. The chain or of these is responsible of the notion of continuity of the soul. However, this continues though momentary chain solve the problems of pApa-puNya, punarjanma and fator also. well examined santatiniyata answers the doubts raised by other philophers regarding the above mentioned problems. The reason of this type of belief is the aim of creating worldly nonattachment. According to Bauddhas attachment is responsible for all the different type of miseries. The cause of this attachment is a belief in some lasting subtance. But if every subtance is a momentary

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one the soul where one should atta- ever powerful cannot enlighten the ch one's mind is also momentary. other rooms if it is confined and Thus non-attachment to every sub- closed in one room. It can only stance particularly worldly substan- enlighten that room where it is put. ce is the background of Buddhist Similar is the condition of the soul. theories like forca etc. According The soul though TF1 F269 and to them in this word sarga duHkham cautanya svarUpa has no power to act gg and this is due to atta- outside its own body. The soul enchments to the worldly objects joys happiness or misery through which are in fact momentary but the body only. He does good or creatures under the pressure of bad deeds through the body only. gaat believe them to be lasting, Outside the body one cannot feel the existence of the soul. Body is Thus Buddhist belief not acce the place of art. It is the confinepting soul as an eternal substance is ment of the soul. This does not due to their desire to free human be mean that the soul is bodily measings from the wrong attachment ured. It only means that the power which is the cause of all miseries. of the soul or consciousness is The third heterodox system limited so long it is connected is the Jaina system. It is alleged with the body. It can be limitless that Jainas believe the soul though when it is freed from the body while different from the body, it is body attaining Aru. Thus, it should be neasured. i. e. the measure of the soul is just according to the body noted that the soul as accepted by the Jainas is not bodily measured, of the creature. Thus, the soul of but bodies are the different confinean ant is just small like the body ment of the soul just like different of an ant and that of avelephant is rooms without windows are the as big as the body of the elephant. confinement of different lights. This is purely a misunderstanding regarding the Jaina conception Now we come to orthodox of soul by many Indian philosophical system. They are six in all namellysystems. They state that the Atma il) piec () OTT (3) FOTO 8) of Jainas is AEJA OfTorfad. But in aethit (. Hatal. (E) azia. Out of 1 fact, it is not so. According to the these six systems except Vedanta Jaina system the soul is aan Fa&. all are realist. Vedanta is the ideaIt is ever shining. It is just like a list system. Among realist systems powerful light. But the light how there is different of opinion rega

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twy rding the conception of soul. Fonto bondage of gxfa. But as is active BRF and foret agree with one only due to the contact of the another. According to them the soul soul, fa is in itself but gets is a permanent substance. It is all power from the contact of the soul. pervading but it is different accor- It is just like an electric fan getting ding to the different bodies. The power of its movement from electri Et which is created by good or city for its movement. Thus, the bad action of the soul is the contro- contact of consciouness is responsilling factor of the world. Thus though the souls of all the creatures are omnipresent, one soul cannot Lastly comes the Vedanta experience the miseries of others. school. According to it there is only One's own el is a controlling one start. Those Vedanta schools factor to enjoy happiness or exper which accept the existence of diffeience miseries according to one's rent souls also state that these souls are si u the of the ultimate TTC or guy. Tuy and at create 3TET. art. This staat is all pervading. This site is responsible in the creation of all the worldly things as The contact of mAyA or prakRti is responsible for the creation of the destined to be enjoyed by the soul. world which is in The soul is doer of good and bad itself illusary deeds through the body. For his according to ga i. e. laga. happiness and miseries he is respo The experience of different nsible. This is also acceptable to souls is only due to the grife of Jainas and Bauddhas too. They 37:Tut. In reality, there is only only differ in the nature of the soul. one stary known as ag. This is the are and Art systems though only ultimate reality. Other worldly except the omnipresence of the soul, objects are all illusary. Ignorance do not consider him the doer of the or fatent is the cause of this illusgood and bad deeds. According to ion. One can experience oneness them tofa does all the good or of stars when he is free from this bad deeds. The soul is all pervat- illusion. To be free from illusion is ding but TFT and face. It is illusion not an easy thing. One should be that soul does anything. He is mer- free from the worldly attachment ely the sAkSI of the actionsk'prakRti. which is also the result of avidyA. the realisation that he is totally diffe- The sign of such non-attachment in rent from prakRti i. e. prakRti puraSa viveka anybody is his behaviour. One who Elfa will free him from the illusary feels that there is only one start 41

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will not have hatrded for any small of the world. creature. He will have equal love for all the creatures because for him If an is the cause of the crenone is small or big. Realisation ation uraia system, equal love for all of caitanya will need to parama ahiMsakatva the creatures from small or big as is for he will feel aaru everywhere. also aimed in Vedanta system. Thus, Indian philosophical systems may This type of experience can agree or may not agree in their be observed in day to day life of conception of soul, their ultimate the the great saint of our country and aim is to be equally loving owards also in the saintsof other contries all the creatures. life of V