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अनेकान्त 64/3, जुलाई-सितम्बर 2011
It is usually questioned that when the upayoga is defined as Cetana vyapara upayogah," "Cognitive activity of consciousness is functional consciousness, How is functional consciousness possible in liberated state as there remains no activity in the state of liberation. The answer to the above question can be given through analysis of the term vyapara given in the above definition. In Nyaya Philosophy, it is defined in Nyayasiddhanta muktavali as "tat janyatvesati tat janyajanaktvamiti vyaparah" the word vyapara refers to that begetting itself is the begetter of its own begetter. To make it more clear that which is effect in itself and also cause of the effect is vyapara. This vyapara is present even in liberated state the consciousness 1 of knowledge begets the second consciousness2 of intuition which (consciousness 1) was itself caused by the consciousness of intuition, as defined Cetana jnana darsanatmika/ tasya vyaparah pravrittirupayogah
Consciousness consists of knowledge and intuition. Consciousness is the activity that is the application of the same."
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Thus of according to Jainism in spite absence physical activity in liberation there exist pure immediate cognitive activity in the form of infinite modes of knowledge and intuition which keeps on going in the form of chain of cause and effect or more precisely begetter and begotten. And such a consciousness is definitely functional consciousness.
Thus it is established that functional consciousness in Jainism is an defining characteristic of the soul. It is neither narrow as you cannot find any instance of soul devoid of functional consciousness, nor is it broad as you cannot an instance where consciousness remains without soul. Even in the stage of liberation, the consciousness is functional as there exists artha parayaya in each and every existent. Without this artha parayaya there can be no artha kriya (causal efficiency). And Without artha kriya nothing can exist even soul. To conclude functional consciousness is that arthakriya of the soul without which soul cannot exist.
Reference:
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The World Book Encyclopedia, World Book & Childcraft International Inc, U.S.A, 1978. vol.12 p 242
Uttarajjhayanani, XXXVI, 2.
Bhagavai, 2.137... uvaogalakkane nam jive.
Jain Siddhanta Dipika of Acarya Tulsi, trans. By Satkari Mookerji in the
