ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 04

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

Page 321

4.4
Spiritual purification and enhancement of knowledge
Shugan C Jain
1.0
Preamble
Jiva' or referred as soul in spiritual context for self and is classified as
Pure soul with just consciousness and able to reflect (or know) all objects of past, present and future of the entire cosmos and beyond (popularly known as omniscience). Omniscience cognizes directly and unaided. It is comparable to full moon in the above example. This is the ideal to be achieved. Pure soul can exist in two forms namely with human body (called Ariha ta) and extend, without any desire or benefit, their capabilities of pure knowledge to their intelligent followers (known as ga adharas or apostles) and without any associated body called Siddha after liberation of Ariha ta. Empirical soul which is pure soul defiled with a veil of impurities called karmika matter or karmas. So empirical soul cognized with the aid of other entities like sense organs and hence its cognition is restricted and incomplete. Cognizing ability of empirical soul is inversely proportional to the thickness of its defilement.
Example of the moon can be used to understand the above two states of soul. On the full moon night shines brightly and enables us to see all objects clearly can be compared to pure soul while during the rest of the month it appears like an empirical soul due to various obstructions coming in its way and us
All ethico-spiritual and religious activities are associated with reducing this thick cover of karmika impurities and enable the empirical soul to enhance its cognizing capabilities until the state of pure soul or omniscience is achieved and liberation (moksa) ultimately.
2.0
Jain theory of knowledge
Mah v ra, the latest rejuvenator of Jainism, with his extreme penance and self-restraint attained omniscience and revealed the Reality to us. With the dawn of philosophical era starting about first century BC, we saw emergence of a number of Jain logicians (like Kundakunda, Um Sv ti, Samantabhadra, SiddhaSena Div kara, Hari Bhadra, Akala ka, Hem Candra and others in Jain philosophy) who tried to explain his doctrines based on logic and canonical literature. Jain theory of knowledge, unique in a number of concepts and details all aspects of knowledge such as its definition, sources, development from lowest levels to the ultimate, types, objects of knowledge and the doctrines of valid knowledge (pram a), viewpoints (naya), prama, Anek nta and Sy dv da. Processing of knowledge, however, is based on the concept of black box as processor and the inputs and outputs.?
Object of knowledge or what we want to know (cosmos and its constituents) called prameya/j eya. Knowledge processor: pramt / tm or consciousness and its manifestation to think / analyse. The output or results known as pramiti or just knowledge and Happiness (Bliss ultimately)
Soul: Soul (atma) and consciousness are concomitant i.e. one cannot exist without the other. Caitanya or consciousness is the essence of jiva. The consciousness itself takes two forms namely attainment / capacity (labdhi) and utilization (upyoga). Attainment is the capacity to know whereas utilization involves its application for the purpose of knowing. The utilization of consciousness itself takes two terms namely intuition / Dar ana (which is indeterminate, is not definitive cognition or simple intuition of generalities or sheer awareness) and knowledge (which is determinate, is definitive, is with particulars or specific attributes of the thing). These two utilisations of consciousness occur sequentially of intuition followed by knowledge in empirical soul. As empirical soul cannot have complete knowledge of a thing, so it has to view the object from many angles/ view points to have near complete knowledge of the same. It is also important to demarcate knowledge and its application. Knowledge is a function of soul while its application is of the sense organs and sensory system including mind, brain and nervous system. Empirical soul uses certain material media (like sensory organs, mind called as quasi sense organ and nervous system) to acquire and transmit this knowledge. So its knowledge is called Acquired or indirect and has certain limitations of speed, scope in terms of place, area, time or the substance type etc. This limitation depends on the purification level of the soul itself as well as the media it uses to know other objects.
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STUDY NOTES version 4.0