Gandharwad

Author(s): Ratnaprabhvijay, D P Thaker
Publisher: Jain Granth Prakashak Sabha

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apprehension of ghata-known as ghata-çetanā-is destroyed, that about pața--or pata-cetanā-is produced and the cetanā is retained in a continuous range of consciousness existing from times immemorial. • : The same is the case with jîvas which are staying in this world, or which have already passed to the other world. For, since they are susceptible to utpada, vyaya, and dhrauvya, they have a natural access to the next world. . Moreover, if there were absolute negation of para-loka the commandments of performing agnihotra etc. for one desirous of Salvation, and the prescription of the rewards of righteous deeds such as charity etc. would be of no avail.
(xi) Nirvāņa or Final Emancipation : Buddhistic theory of Nirvana is this :-A lamp, when extinguished, does never fade into any sort of earth, ether or space, but it only pacifies itself; so' also, the Soul, when finally liberateod ( from body) does never fade into earth or sky, nor does it pass to any of the directions, but it only attains pacification at the removal of worldly bondages of sukha-duhkha.
There is another theory also, which asserts that mokṣa or nirvāṇa is a peculiar positive condition of the soul, at the attainment of Absolute Knowledge and Perception, when all sorts of miseries such as affection, enmity, pride, avarice, infatuation, birth, death, old age, and diseases etc. have been removed.
Refuting both the above-stated theories, S'ramana Bhagavān Mahāvâra asserts that mokṣa means the entire separation of Karma from the region of soul. Since the mundane world has its production due to Karma, it vanishes with Karma. But javatva happens to exist from times immemorial, and is not produced by Karma. So, jîvatva, naturally, can never vanish with Karma. It is not proper, therefore, to believe that at the time of Nirvana, jîva vanishes like a lamp.