Soul Substance Jiva Dravya As Expounded In Dravya Sangraha

SR No.: 269765
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Vijay K Jain
Publisher: Vijay K Jain
Total Pages: 26
Language: English
Classification: Article
File Size: 882 KB

Page 18

Our passionate thought activities cause bondage of karmas, good or bad, virtuous or wicked. Merit bondage is like fetters made of gold and demerit bondage like fetters made of iron. On account of our desires we experience happiness or misery. Our desires create in our souls a disposition favourable for the karmic molecules to settle in. Due to our ignorance, the process of passionately reacting to happiness or misery and settling in of fresh karmic molecules in our souls goes on, until snapped by self-exertion. The knowledgeable soul is aware of the fruits of karmas but does not enjoy them. A wise person, therefore, does not get particularly elated on the approach of desirable objects or circumstances and dejected when undesirable conditions supervene.
The man falls when he considers transient objects as permanent; karmas are bound due to the association of the animate soul with inanimate and transient objects like the body, and consequent enjoyment of pleasure and pain, with psychic dispositions of attachment and aversion toward such objects.
Our karmas only enshroud natural attributes of the soul. A right believer knows that the soul reaps fruits of the past karmas in many forms including body formation, state of existence, duration of life, and feelings of pleasure and pain. Wise men are not particularly attracted towards pleasures that worldly objects have to offer. They realize that pain and suffering are inextricably linked to worldly life and are attributed to our karmas.
That self-born, perfect and pure knowledge which spreads over infinite things and which is free from the stages of sensory knowledge-acquisition including apprehension (avagraha) and speculation (ihā) is real happiness. Ignorance, result of knowledgeobscuring karmas, is misery in this world. Real happiness consists in destroying karmas and attaining omniscience, the very nature of the soul. Realization of this supreme status is possible only by own exertion, never by favour or grace of another. So long as the soul does not have faith in its true nature, it cannot exert itself to realize its natural perfection and joy. Right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct, that is, exertion in the right direction for the destruction of karmic bonds, is the sure way that leads to the attainment of the goal of supreme bliss.
Samsari - having the world as its abode Worldly souls are subject to the cycle of wandering - transmigration - from infinite time past. Transmigration continues until snapped by own effort and liberation is attained.
Souls having earth, water, fire, air, and plants for their bodies are various kinds of immobile beings, sthāvara jīva, that possess one sense only. The mobile beings, trasa jīva, like conch etc., progressively possess two, three, four, and five senses. The worm and similar creatures possess the sense of taste in addition to the sense of touch. The ant
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