ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 02

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

Page 99

Characteristics of Jñana Jīva is described as sentient (cetana) having sentiency (cetanā) and its manifestation (upayoga) as the two essential characteristics. These characteristics set jīva aside from all other substances, which are all insentient. Thus soul / jīva and jñāna are concomitant and the soul is the knowledge and the knower itself. Nature of pure soul has been defined as infinite intuition / vision / darśana, infinite knowledge, infinite bliss and infinite energy. Thus pure soul has the capacity to know all objects irrespective of temporal or spatial distances and as vividly as either present or in the near vicinity. Soul and jñāna are of the same size and co-existent. If it were not so, then either the parts of soul will be without jñāna or jñāna itself will exist at a place other than soul.
Jñāna does not have spatial and temporal limitations, but is a capacity. Distance, spatial or temporal constraints are not hindrances for the soul to know. Knowledge, being co-existent with soul is as independent as existence and does not depend on any other knowledge. Further no physical contact, direct or indirect with objects is necessary for the emergence of knowledge.
Senses etc are only the media of acquiring jñāna. They can cognize only the concrete (rūpi) objects and that too their present modes only. Thus empirical soul or pure soul defiled/bonded with matter karmas, whose jñāna capability is masked with matter karmas (especially jñānāvaraniya) acquires knowledge through external media like senses and mind. Pure soul does not need any media to cognize as it can cognize all substances (concrete and non-concrete) and their modes of past, present and future. Thus the knower and jñāna is only the soul / Jīva.
Knowledge types Jain literature is perhaps the only one of its type to have extensive discussions on jñāna. In fact kevala-jñāna (omniscience) is an essential requirement to achieve emancipation / nirvāṇa. From absolute or transcendental viewpoint, jñāna is of one type only i.e. omniscience which is a quality of pure self. However due to the masking of pure soul by karmic cover, it is classified into different categories, depending on the extent of the karmic cover it has, which are in fact the modes of pure knowledge.
"Nandīsūtra , edited by Acharya Mahaprajna.
Page 86 of 385
STUDY NOTES version 5.0