Essence of Jainism

Author(s): Sukhlal Sanghavi
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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Essence of Jainism
this body consists of the inner consciousness, pride, mind etc. that are illusory-ma yika elements born of nature-Praksti; actually they are in place of the gross Karmana body according to Jajn tradition. The concept of the subtle or Karmaņa body is just the same. If there is any difference, it is in the type of the description, in lesser or more details and in classification, and this is possible and natural in the different traditions that porder over the problems from different angles of vision. In this way we see that in all Armavadi traditions, the element of Karma is accepted as the cause of rebirth. So is accepted the dravyakarma also in form of the gross body accompanying the soul in its series of births. The Nyāya and Vaiseșika traditions have not accepted the subtle body in particular, have accepted the mind of the form of the atom accompanying the soul in its series of births and have thus adopted the concept of Dravya-Karma.
After the concepts of rebirth and Karma the concept of liberation also steadied itself in philosophical thinking. E time up to the present days, the concepts of the Indian philoso. phers regarding the nature of Ātmå vary when they lay down the idea of bondage and liberation. The concepts of a I the philosophies of the principal traditions are given here in order to give a clear idea about the nature of the Jain belief from the view-point of evolution : (1) According to the Jain tradition, every body has a different
soul in it. He performs good and bad deeds and is the enjoyer of the fruits of his deeds such as bappiness, sorrow etc. In its pew birth the soul goes to another place and contracts or expands according to its gross body. The same soul attains to liberation and liberation is the period when it becomes completely free from all worldly happiness and sorrow, knowledge and ignorance etc, and is freed from all good and bad Bhāvas. According to the Sarakhya and Yoga, Atma is different with every body; but since it is unchangeable and pervasive, it is neither the doer of Karma, nor its enjoyet; it does not go to another birth, it is not having motion; it is not seeking only