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EXISTENCE OF THE SOUL
THE SOUL FROM THE PRACTICAL POINT OF VIEW.
From the practical point of view, the soul is described in connection with bondage of the material karmas. All the attributes and conditions which do appear through karmas are described. All this description of the soul from the practical stand-point does almost agree with that of the five Skandhas of the Buddhists. This impure condition of the soul is not its real nature. When this condition is destroyed, then Nirvana is procured. This is what the Buddhist Literature says that when these skandhas which are destructible and are caused in connection with others are altogether destroyed, then. Nirvâna is attained.
The Jain saint, Sri Nemichandra Acharya describes the nature of the soul in his Dravya Samgraha thus :-- जीवो उवओगमआ अमुत्ति कत्ता सदेहपरिमाणो । fra deren ferar en fareerenTE GUTÉ || 2 |||
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Jivo uvaogamas amutti kattâ sadehaparimâno, Bhatta samsarattho siddho so vissasoḍdha ai (2). The soul has nine characteristics. It is (1) living (2) has conscious attentiveness (3) is non-material (4) is the doer of actions (5) enjoyer of the fruits of actions (6) has the size of the body it occupies (7) wanders in the world (8) can become liberated (9) has the natural tendency to go upward.
We may describe these nine characteristics with some details, I. Living-The soul exists in any body
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