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COMMON SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE....
occurrence. It is not a sensory phenomenon."!]
3. Kevalajñāna-Omniscience
It is pure knowledge which is highest and complete called omniscience. It is the highest kind of extrasensory perception. “It is the culmination of the faculty of cognition of a living being."12 It is direct knowledge of all substances and their modes and arises because of destruction of all possible hindrances. It is unique, complete, perfect, direct knowledge of all the objects of the universe without the instrumentality of external senses and mind. Its cognition is directly produced by self. Jaina logicians refute Mimāṁsā view that omniscience is impossible. jainas admit that the possibility of omniscience cannot be established on the basis of empirical method. However its logical possibility must be admitted. Jaina arguments for existence of omniscience is : "The proof of omniscience follows from the proof of necessity of the final consummation of the progressive development of cognition.”13
Thus, in case of omniscience, knowledge reaches the highest limit when infra-sensible particles of matter are destroyed totally. All the systems of Indian philosophy except Cārvāka and Mīmāṁsā accept the possibility of such experience of perfect knowledge in one form or the other. The distinctive feature of Jaina view is that omniscience arises in soul directly and not through senses or mind. Senseorgans are inherently imperfect and, therefore, they cannot produce perfect knowledge. Even meditation cannot produce omniscience until karmic veil which is obstacle to right knowledge is destroyed. It is complete transcendental experience.
