ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 04

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

Page 544

We get a detailed discussion of the concept of the soul but is scattered in many chapters and subchapters. Bhagavati Sutra 12/10 reveals that there are eight kinds of souls, i.e. tm : 1 Dravya tm
Soul characterized by consciousness 2 Ka ya tm
Soul characterized by passions 3 Yoga tm
Soul characterized by actions 4 Upayoga tm Soul characterized by functions 5 Jn na tm
Soul characterized by knowledge 6. Dar ana tm
Soul characterized by vision 7 C ritra tm
Soul characterized by conduct 8 Vrya tm
Soul characterized by element of power
In Bhagavati the j vas are classified in many ways. The bonded souls are of two types, mobile and immobile, wandering in four existences, developed and at times undeveloped with mind or without mind; having one, two or five kinds of bodies; one, two, or five senses, one, two or five kinds of dispositions (bh vas); one two or three yogas, i.e. channels of activity: four-fold passions; two-fold upayoga: six colours of thoughts (le y s) and is bonded by the eight kinds of karmas.
In chapter 7.8 of Bhagavati it is revealed that the soul has the characteristic of contracting and expanding. When an elephant dies its soul can leave that body and occupy a worm's body and viceversa. Just as the light of a lamp fills the room in which it is kept, the soul pervades the body it occupies. Chapter 12.2 records the questions and answers of Jayanti rama op sik wherein she has raised important spiritual questions that are very ardently studied in the Jaina sy dhy ya circles.
Chapter 7.1 reveals the characteristic of the J va to move upwards hence the liberated souls move upwards to the tip of the universe. Chapter 1.1 reveals that the knowledge of the soul travels with it in the next birth, but not the conduct and the austere practices although their fruit as the karma body follows the doer. Chapter 6.1 reveals that some souls experience great pain (mah vedan ) whereas some others do great nirjar i.e. annihilation of large heaps of karmas.
Chapter 6.3 says that the souls are in this world since beginning-less time but they can terminate their stay and reach the abode of final beatitude. Chapter 14.4 reveals the changing cum eternal nature of both living and non-living. Likewise we find ample matter on the concept of soul, characteristics of liberated as well as bounded souls. Chapter 5.8 says that the number of living beings and non-living beings is constant; they can neither be created nor destroyed, only their form keeps on changing.
Aj va Tattva or Non-Soul
The non-living things are of two types, without form and with form. The medium of motion and rest, space and time are formless whereas matter is with form. Those without form are designated as nonconcrete or non physical (am rta or ar p) and those with form are called physical or concrete (m rta or p). One can observe the parallel remarks made by the Jaina philosophers and Albert Einstein regarding the principle of motion, [for more details please refer Source Book in Jaina Philosophy, pg 126, 127 and Bhagavati Sutra 18.7/7.10]. But for the two mediums of motion and rest all things would either be at rest or in motion forever. Bhagavati Sutra reveals that all that is steady and at rest are due to the above mediums of motion and rest. Where these two mediums operate, it is termed as cosmos /universe (loka) and where they do not is called as void (aloka) or just space. Likewise chapter 13.4 reveals that Space or k a is the one that accommodates all things. It is all pervading, formless having infinite space points.
Chapter 25.4 records the discussion on time as an independent substance. Bhagavati Sutra has given
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STUDY NOTES version 4.0