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Veer Sagar Jain: Convept ofSoul/Self(Atma) in Jain philosophy
Similarly jiva can be classified in a number of ways based on its destiny (gati) (like human, subhuman, heavenly and hellish) or its capability to achieve liberation (bhavya and abhavya) or its state of spiritual purification (guṇasthānas) etc.
8. Nature of the soul as per spiritual texts like Samayasāra and others As we have seen earlier that the word jīva is used in philosophical / textual and doctrinal discussions while the word atma is used in spiritual discourses. We can also say that jiva is the object of knowledge and study while ātmā is the object of meditation and experience. Jain philosophy is considered highly spiritual philosophy in which meditation on the self and its knowledge attribute are the focal points for study and practice. Jain acaryas like Kundakunda in their texts have emphasized these two points extensively. Hence we shall discuss soul from the spiritual viewpoint only.
It is said that existence of soul and its experience are inexplicable i.e. cannot be described by speech. Therefore we do find description of jiva in affirmative terms texts but description of soul is seen more from the negation form. Affirmatively Jain texts only say that soul is an amalgam of intuition, knowledge, and conduct etc. and even these are refuted immediately saying that these are different while soul is inseparable or cannot be divided into parts.
vavahāreņuvadissadi ṇāņissa caritta damsanan ṇāṇan, na vi ṇāņam na caritam na damsanam jāṇago suddho12
From practical viewpoint we say that knowledge, intuition and conduct are the attributes of soul but from absolute viewpoint it has neither of these; it is just the knower.
Similarly Sumayasara, as per verses given below explains these in a negation style.
arasamaruvagamdham avattavam cedaṇāguṇamasaddam, ja na alimgagahaṇam jiivamaṇidditthasantthāṇam13
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| SR No. | 520270 |
| Book Title | Jain Journal 2008 04 No 04 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Satyaranjan Banerjee |
| Publisher | Jain Bhawan Publication |
| Publication Year | 2008 |
| Total Pages | 46 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Magazine, India_Jain Journal, & India |
| File Size | 3 MB |