Concept of Jiva in Jaina Philosophy

Author(s): J C Sikdar
Publisher: Z_Aspect_of_Jainology_Part_3_Pundit_Dalsukh_Malvaniya_012017.pdf

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Concept of "Jiva (Soul)” in Jaina Philosophy
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dies; nor does it exist on coming into being for, it is unborn, eternal, everlasting and primeval; even though the body is slain, the soul is not.4 9 Weapons cannot cut it nor can fire burn it; water cannot drench it nor can wind make it dry 50, for this soul is incapable of being cut; it is proof against fire, impervious to water, and undriable as well."51
It is explained in the Vyākhyāprajñapti that Soul is eternal from the point of view of time (kāla) and non-eternal from that of the state of existence (gati), as it is studied from its substantial and modal aspects, for it was in the past, is at present and will be in future, i. e. it is traikālika, and it undergoes change or transformation (pariņāma) from one birth to another respectively.52 The similar view is also embodied in Srimad Bhagavadgitā: "This soul is eternal, omnipresent, immovable, constant and everlasting” 03 “As a man, discarding worn-out clothes, takes other new ones, likewise the embodied soul, casting off worn-out bodies, enters into others which are new. 54
Soul in finite from the aspects of dravya (substance) and kşetra (field or locus) and infinite from those of kāla (time) and bhāva (condition), because it is one single substance from the point of view of dravya and it is possessed of countless points (pradeśas) and immersed in countless points of space of the Universe from that of kşetra; and it is infinite from that of kāla and bhāva, for it is traikālika and endowed with infinite modes of knowledge, self-awareness, conduct, neither heaviness nor lightness, etc. 65
In a nutshell the nature of Jiva conceived in Jaina Philosophy is this that it is supersensuous, imperishable, immortal, impenetrable, non-corporeal, eternal as well as non-eternal, infinite but also finite, and dynamic in nature. It is to be observed here that there is the sameness of Jaina Ātmatattva (Principle of Soul) all along the course of its development. The tradition of Jina Pärsvanātha and Jina Mahävira regarding Soul is continuing up to the present day, but the concept of Soul has changed to some extent, as is evidenced in the evolution of the doctrine "Tajjivam tacchariram” and that of the theory "Tam jivam tam sariram". In the early period the common people had simple thoughts and views : "That which is Jiva (Soul) is šarira (body).” Following this conception Cārvāka maintains that Jiva (conscious being) and sarira (body) do not exist after death, for he did not accept the doctrine of rebirth. But the Jainas admit soul as distinct from body and the theory of rebirth; hence they also accept both gross and fine bodies. As a result, they conceive the idea of the fine body (Kārmaņaśarira) from the doctrine of rebirth of Jiva and accept the gross body, together with soul, from the conception of the prthivikāya (earthbody) up to the vanaspatikāya (plant-body) and trasakāyika (body of mobile being). But later on it is found that body and soul of worldly beings ( saṁsāriņaḥ ) are nondifferent. 56 Gradually the concept of Jivātmā and Paramātmā also was accepted by them. Consequently, they admit the degree (or difference=tāratamya) of the mind of the one-sensed being. In the current of thought of men there took place the