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Nature of Salvation
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scriptures have declared, soul is characterised by life” Consciousness is cognition of all things having forms or no forms. Without consciousness the soul can not know, can not discriminate, and can not will Jnāna, i.e. knowledge, though a very important characteristic of the soul, depends upon the particular state (of consciousness) in which the soul appears"7 Thus consciousness (chaitanya) is the natural and essential characteristic of Jiv. Prof. JL Jaini explaining the nature and characteristics, writes about the Jiva or Soul, “The soul is a Dravya, therefore, like every other Dravya it is eternal. Its peculiar attributes are perception and knowledge. It is different from Karma and matter and therefore immaterial. It has identified itself with matter, therefore it assumes a body, to which it must fit. It is responsible for its Karmas, because it has the power to get rid of them all. It must reap the harvest of the seeds that it has sown, and therefore, must remain in the field or Samsāra, or a cycle of existence. And still all these evils are self assumed, and in its pure condition the soul is siddha." Lord Mahavira says, “This Jiva (or soul) is since the beginningless (Anādi) time, it is immortal, indestructible, eternal and permanent."! Every soul, in its essence; in its pure state, possesses infinite qualities (Guna) the following eight (according to Jainism) are the chief of them.
1. The faculty of Omniscience (Keval Jnāna) 2. The faculty of absolute undifferentiated cognition (keval
Darshan) 3. The superiority over Joy and grief (Avabadha)
The possession of complete religious truth (Samyaktva)
and irreproachable moral conduct (caritra) 5. The possession of eternal life (aksayasthiti) 6. Complete formlessness (Amurtava) 7. Complete equality in rank with other fiva
(Agurulaghutva) 8. Unrestricted energy (Virya)'
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