Jaina Concept of Omniscience

SR No.: 001547
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Ramjee Singh
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 1974
Total Pages: 258
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Philosophy, & Knowledge
File Size: 17 MB

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KARMA : THE MATERIAL BASIS..
body and this is an instance of universal union of Jīva and Ajiva. Jiva possesses the same extension as the body does. 64 This has been very beautifully described by Shri J. L. Jaini :
"Lifeless matter is found united with the living soul. The whole drama of life is played or danced together by the living soul being in close grasp of lifeless matter. Lifeless space is the stage; lifeless time is the duration; and lifeless dharma and adharma, the indispensable assistants for the dancers to move or to rest. The exercise of dancing is their eternal movement in the cycle of mundane existence. At each stop, the momentum for a new movement is gained. At each embrace of matter, the delighted deluded soul throbs and vibrates for a fresh embrace. Wily matter is ever ready to attack the soul and flow into it with its million insinuations and to keep alive and vigorous the bondage of the living by the non-living."65
The link between the spirit and matter is found in the doctrine of subtle body or karma-sarira. This is resultant of the unseen potency and the principle of susceptibility due to passions (kasāyas) and vibrations (yoga). Šārkhya admits of four forms of pure (sättvika) and four impure (tāmasika) modifications of intellect (buddhi), such as knowledge, virtue, nonattachment and super-normal powers and their opposites. They are called the psychical factors that make up the psychicalcreation (pratyaya-sarga).67 They also determine the subtlebody (linga-sarira) of various forms of existence.68 The subtle-body receives the impressions of karma and the form of embodiment is determined by it. This constitutes character. The union of the subtle body with the gross-body leads to the birth and their disunion to death except in the case of a free
64 Nemicandra, Dravya-Sangraha, 2; Kundakunda, Pañcâstikaya-sära; 27. 65 J. L. Jaini, His notes on Nemicandra's Gommatasära (Karma-kända),
p. 3. 66. Išvara Krşna, Sankhya-karikā, 43. 67 Ibid., 40-41.
68 Ibid., 40–45. .