ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 02

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

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empirical soul from the absolute viewpoint is like siddhas (existing in the summit of the cosmos) without body or sense organs or destruction and is pure and without any karma attached to it.
9. Method of experiencing the existence of the soul. Jain texts repeatedly suggest/preach that we must experience the nature and existence of soul. Amrtacandra says that this is the only way to destroy delusion, "Meditate upon self,
tay contented with self and be focused on it; you will attain contentment and then bliss". 16 Even Kundakunda has said the same at number of places in his texts. 17
Many spiritual texts of Jain say that one can never experience self with the aid of external media and the only way to experience is by meditating upon the knowledge attribute of the self.18 The practitioner who wishes to experience the self should think / contemplate that the entity which intuits and knows is me and everything else is non-self.19
We can explain the process of experiencing the soul in simple and lucid terms as follows: 1. Acquire true and correct knowledge of soul and understand it properly. 2. Divert all wandering and external tendencies of sense organs and mind towards the
inner self or soul i.e. from gross body to subtle body and then to soul. 3. Get rid of thoughts of attachment, aversion and just concentrate / meditate on the inner
self. 10. Three types of soul: external, internal and supreme Jain texts talk of three types of soul namely; external (bahirātmā), internal (antarātmā) and supreme (paramātmā).
External: The self that thinks that the body it owns is the soul is deluded and ignorant20. Internal: The self that understands its nature properly is with right vision and faith.21
16 Ayi kathamapi mrtva tatvakautuhali san, Anubhava bhava mürteh pārsvavarti muhurtam Prathagadha vilsantar svar samalokya yena Tyajasi jhagiti mūrtyā sākamekatvamoham //Samayasara , commentary, verse 23 17 Samayasara 206 18 Samayasara 205, commentary verse 143 19 Samayasāra, 298,299 20 Yogindu, Yogasāra 10
21 lbid 8
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STUDY NOTES version 5.0