Atma the Self

Author(s): Punyadarshanvijay
Publisher: Sanmarg Prakashan

Page 31

.... ATMĀ
The Self....
ĀTMĀ - THE SELF (The Evolution of the Soul)
This is only a fringe of one of the Doctrines of the Jaina Philosophy. Atma - The Self (soul) is from the beginningless time (Anādi). It possesses consciousness and intelligence with infinite inherent attributes. It is existent and eternal, formless, of the same extent as its body, maker of its own destiny, has the power of feeling, is conscious, has bondage and emancipation (salvation). It longs to be purified.
Eight Chief Fundamentals : 1) The faculty of omniscience (Kēvala Jñana). 2) The faculty of undifferentiated cognition, perception (Kēvala
Darsana). 3) Eternal Bliss (Avyābādh Sukh). 4) Possession of complete religious faith (Samyaktva) and an
unreproachable moral conduct (Samyak Caritra). Pronan 5) Possession of eternal life (Akşayasthiti). 6) Complete formlessness (Amūrta Agurulaghu). 7) Complete equality in rank with others (Agurulaghu). 8) Unrestricted infinite energy (Ananta Virya).
All these attributes and others belong naturally to every soul (but are obscured). The soul is eternally infected by matter. His union with "Karman" has no beginning and is covered with impure Karmic Varganā (divisional groups of Subtle Atoms of Matter) e.g. similar to impure gold in a gold mine. The souls are of two kinds : (A) The formless soul free from body or Prana (life-forces) which remains eternally in the pure self-illuminating (liberated) non-physical state with infinite knowledge and bliss. (B) The soul with form or body possesses Prāņa. It is non-permanent and has continuous changes in its form (non-liberated).