Structure and Functions of Soul in Jainism

SR No.: 001617
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: S C Jain
Publisher: Bharatiya Gyanpith
Publication Year: 1978
Total Pages: 272
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Epistemology, Nyay, & Spiritual
File Size: 16 MB

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106 :: Structure and Functions of Soul in Jainism
souls under the influence of Karmas. Jinabhadra sees some inconsistency in the above view and holds that conation and knowledge are successive in the omniscient also. The argument advanced in support of the view is that "no two conscious activities can occur in the same soul simultaneously." Under the situation Siddhasena tries to solve the difficulty by holding that conation and knowledge are identical. He bases his position on the argument that, as the conation-obscuring and knowledge-obscuring karmas are shed off simultaneously, the dawning of the perfect conation and perfect knowledge is also simultaneous. He accepts the distinction between conation and knowledge in all the stages preceding the perfect one. He concludes identity of conation and knowledge from their simultaneity in the perfect ones. Like Jinabhadra, Siddhasena also thinks that two conscious modes cannot be simultaneously found in the same soul, hence, for him, the identity of conation and knowledge in the only way out. All these views are found to be inadequate in one or the other way. We have seen that the general tendency of the Jaina thinkers is that conation and knowledge are two distinct attributes. Then it follows that the modes pertaining to the two attributes, must occur simultaneously, and we do not see any reason why conation and knowledge should not be found simultaneously in the muzidane souls. Jinabhadra's view is untenable because by making conation and knowledge successive, there is a breach of the flows of knowledge and conation both. This would mean that there are moments when a soul can be found as devoid of either knowledge or conation. So neither conation nor knowledge will essentially belong to the soul. Besides it becomes unintelligible how a positive attribute should be held to suspend its function, however momentary this suspension may be. Siddhasena's view runs totally against the traditional view that conation and knowledge are two distinct attributes. He can uphold his position only when there is one single faculty behind both conation and knowledge. We
1. Višeşāvasyaka-bhāsya, verse 3096