Essence of Jainism

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

Page 59

Essence of Jainism
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liberation. In accordance with natural intellect, Buddhi or the inner consciousness performs Karma, is the enjoyer, moves to another birth, is of the nature of compression and expansion, knowledge and ignorance etc., it supports the Bhavas and is above the Bhāvas at the time of liberation. The Samkhya -Yoga tradition takes the bondage and liberation of the inner consciousness to belong to the Purusa.
(3) According to the Nyaya and the Vaiseṣika traditions, there is a plurality of souls. The soul is taken to be pervasive and unchangeable. It is still taken to be the performer, enjoyer, bound and liberated.
(4) According the Advaita Vedanta, Atmas are really not many but one. This Atma is pervasive and unchangeablelas with Samkhya and Yoga. This would mean that actually the Atma is neither bound nor liberated. In this tradition, only the inner consciousness is taken to comprise of bondage and liberation.
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(5) According to the Bauddha view, Atma or Citta is many; they are the performers of Karma, enjoyer and the resort of bondage and liberation-Nirvana. They are neither pervasive nor changeable. They comprise only of the series of moments of knowledge. They continue to be born and die in several centres like the heart and the senses, simultaneously or in due order according to circumstances.
The brief description given above clearly suggests that(a) The nature of Atma accepted by the Jaina tradition is ancient form based on the conceptions of the Jaina philosophers in their own experiences. (b) This is the second stage of the conceptions of the philosophers of Samkhya and Yoga. It is. revised (c) according to the conceptions of the Advaita, only a form of the conception of plurality of the souls as with Samkhya and Yoga, while (d) it is only a mix up of the Jain and SamkhyaYoga conceptions as approved by Nyaya and Vaigeşika. (e) The same as approved by the Bauddhas is a form revised by a rational thinking of the Jaina concept.
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