Enlightened Vision of the Self

Author(s): Akalankadev, Devendra K Goyal
Publisher: Radiant Publishers New Delhi

Page 17

FOREWORD
is devoid of cognitive acts. The cognitive acts are ascribed to buddhi (intelligence), which is said to be an evolute of the unconscious principle of prakrti.
When the nature of jira or the Self is defined as chetana (consciousness) or knowledge (jnana), which constitutes its very essence and is regarded as an essential and distinguishing characteristic of the Self, how can that guma (attribute) be separated from drarya (the soul substance)? The Self, therefore, is said to be amukta (not free or inseparable) from knowledge and other attributes with which it is associated. In asserting that the soul is not free (amukta) from its essential or the most prominent feature of consciousness, i.e. jnana (knowledge), Akalanka disagrees with the Mimamsakas and the Vaisheshikas, who maintain that jnana or knowing capacity is not the nature of the soul; it is an accidental or adventitious quality generated in the soul on account of its contact with body, mind, and sense organs. Jnana is, thus, considered to be a distinct entity from the soul and is said to be brought in association with the soul or jimatma by combination (samaraya); then the soul becomes the knower. In other words, the quality of consciousness (chetana) and substance of the soul (atmadrarxa) are two different entities occasionally or accidentally brought together by extraneous circumstances.
Commenting on this, Prof. Chakravarti observes:
This doctrine...is rejected by the Jaina thinkers as most contradictory, because it would reduce the Atma or the soul to a non-thinking entity before it has the good fortune to be combined with Guna or quality of knowledge or Jnana. The knowing capacity or Jnana is intrinsic manifestation of the spiritual entity Chetana drauga or Jira. To imagine that the quality of gma can exist separately from the Jira or the Atma is, according to Jaina metaphysics, quite impossible and meaningless, because according to this central doctrine of Jainism Guma and Draya cannot be separated and when so separated each becomes meaningless abstractions incapable of existence in reality. Hence the triple psychic characteristics of knowing, feeling and action are considered inalienable qualities of the Chetana entity, Atma or Jira and they should not be considered to be of independent existence brought