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Sumayasāra
Introduction/Premble to Chapters I & II complex because they possess innumerable qualities and relations and, therefore, must be apprehended from different aspects. Multifaceted reals, inevitably lead to “multiple predicates”, each one of them being partially true but not one of them is totally true.
Theoretically the number of possible nayas are infinite, since we have to deal with infinite attributes and relations. In practice, the Jain logicians generally enumerate seven different nayas. As far as, it concerns us, we can reduce the number to two main aspects-substantive aspect (dravyārthika naya) and the aspect of change or determinal manifestation (paryāyārthika naya). They are also called transcendental or ultimate aspect (niscaya naya) and empirical aspect (vyavahāra naya) respectively.
All nayas are in perfect harmony with the law of anekānta, i.e., when the soul is viewed in its pures and perfect state in accordance with the ultimate aspect, its worldly state as per empirical aspect is not denied but ignored for the time being.
Pure soul, being incorporeal, cannot be perceived by the sense organs and is an object of pure and perfect knowledge (omniscience) only. But the soul, even in its purest state, does neither surrender its individuality nor relinquishes its dynamic constitution and continues to possess its own pure qualities. As stated earlier, existence apart from qualities (Vedāntists believe in quality-less existence as the Ultimate Reality) would be an empty abstraction and is, therefore, the more unfit to stand for Ultimate Reality.
But the pure and perfect state of the soul is to be realized from its worldly state of existence, which is radically different and must therefore be viewed from the empirical aspect. In this state it is an embodied entity or an organism which is perceivable by the sense organs through its gross organic/physical body. Besides the body, it is also associated with several other things, living and non-living. Impure instincts and emotions (psychological distortions) are also associated with the soul according to this aspect. Thus, by identifying itself through its worldly interests with its environment of things and persons, its complex nature becomes much more complicated. It is, therefore, extremely difficult to define the nature of the soul unless we examine it from different aspects.
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