Jain Psychology

SR No.: 210907
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: T G Kalghatgi
Publisher: Z_Kailashchandra_Shastri_Abhinandan_Granth_012048.pdf
Publication Year: 1980
Total Pages: 4
Language: English
Classification: Article & 0_not_categorized
File Size: 420 KB

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Jain Psychology
Prof. T.G. Kalaghatgi, Dharwar (Karnataka)
The Jain psychology may be considered to be academic and rational psychology. It did not use the method of experiment. It relied on introspection and the insight of the seers. The problems of modern psychology have developed in a more exact and measurable direction. However, it is only possible to show a few similar developments in the psychological investigations in the Jainas, ancient Indian and western thought.
Jainism is a realistic philosophy. It gives a dichotomous division of categories into soul and non-soul, the living and the non-living. From the noumenal point of view, the soul is pure and perfect. It is pure consciousness, it is characterised by Upayoga, 1 Upayoga is that by which a function is served. It is also described as that by which a subject is grasped. 2 It is the source of experience. All the three aspects-cognitive, conative and effective, spring from it. Upayoga is of two types-formless, anākār and possessed of form or sākār. This distinction is analogeus to the indefinite and definie cognition, which may in turn, be characterised as 'Darshana' and 'jñāna'.
Attempts have been made to interpret Upayoga as a resultant of consciousness and an inclination arising from it. It would be after to state that upayoga is the conative drive which gives rise to experience. This may be likened to the 'horne' of the modern psychologists. The hormic force determines experience and behaviour. The conscious experience takes the form of perception and understanding. It operates even in the unconscious level of animal behaviour. But the horme expressed and presented by the Jain philosophers could not be presented in terms of modern psychology, because their problems were mainly epistemological tempered with metaphysical speculation, However, they were aware of the fact that there is a purposive force which actuates and determines experience. This is clear from the distinction between 'jñāna' and darshana' as sakar and anakar upayoga. Cetana is a fundamental quality of soul. It is pure consciousness, a kind of flame without smoke. It is eternal, although it gets manifested in the course of evolutionary process of life in the empirical sence.
Jainas recognise various forms of consciousness. They make distinction in consciousness as knowing, as feeling and as experiencing the fruits of ‘karma' and willing. 4 Conation and feeling are closely allied. As a rule, we have first feelling, next conation and then knowledge.
The Unconscious : -The idea of the unconscious has been popoularised by Froudians. It has developed in two aspects--the psychological and metaphysical. The Jainas were aware of the uncoscious. The Nandisūtras gives a picture of the unconscious in
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