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Knowledge In Jainism : An Overview
penance, acting affectionately and speaking kindly can get knowledge or education." In the Nandisūtra a process for acquiring knowledge has been described with the help of eight qualities of buddhi
“A desciplined student (i) intends to listen to the teacher (ii) asks real questions (iii) listens the answers carefully (iv) understands them (v) thinks over them (vi) determines the meaning (vii) takes it for further memory (viii) tries to practice them in life."36
In this way a student can acquire knowledge, but it is possible only in the position of subsidence-cum-destruction of Jñānāvaraṇa karma.
Svādhyāya (self-study) is also a means of acquiring knowledge and for destruction of jnānāvaraṇa karma. Uttarādhyayan sūtra (29.18) says- “Through self-study one can destruct the knowledge-obscuring-karma.”
The person having scripturul knowledge may get light in life at every moment, as stated in a different way
“A person having knowledge of scriptures does not loose himself in the world, as a needle with thread fallen on ground is never lost."37
Conclusion
Knowledge is identical with a soul and it cann't be separated from that soul. If it is perverted, it is called mithyā, » Uttarādhyayana sūtra 11.14 ** Nandisutra, gāthā 95: Sussūsai padipucchai suņai ginhai Thae vāvis
tato apohae vā, dhārei karei vā kammam. > Uttarādhyayan, 29.56 :
jaha suī sasuttā padiyā vi na viņassai| evam jīve sasutte samsāre na viņassai||
