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CHAPTER - 5 JAIN PHILOSOPHY OF SOUL 5.1. MEANING AND EXISTENCE OF SOUL 5.1.1 Introduction
Traditionally, jainism is known to be atheism. Is Jainism atheistic ? Is Jainism theistic ? If Jainism is 'an ethical system', and if Jainism fulfills all the requirements to be named as religion, how could it be atheistic ? If Jainism is theistic, what is the nature of its theism ? One can easily see that all these issues are metaphysical, as theism deals with God or supreme being or ultimate reality and its nature. if the soul in its purest form is all 'Perfection', the meaning, the existence, the nature and classification of soul will naturally uncover the metaphysical aspects of soul. And after all it is the metaphysical aspect that is the fundamental one. Again, Jain system enjoys a respectable place within the systems of Indian philosophy for being a complete one. For every problem of Indian philosophy, may it be regarding the world, the God or the soul, the Jain system has a solution of its own, theories and doctrines peculiar to the selves. It becomes, of prime importance for us to examine Jain conception of soul, mainly from its metaphysical point of view, and to find out whether the conception when observed and examined leads us to anything that is apparently or latently theistic. Let us try to understand the Jain conception of soul, which is the central and the most fundamental of its metaphysical aspects. 5.1.2. Meaning
As earlier already seen Jainism recognizes nine categories of the fundamental truths. They are (1) Jiva (2) Ajiva (3) Punya (4) Pāpa (5) Asrava (6) Samvara (7) Bandhá (8) Nirjarā and (9) Moksa, The whole universe is also analysed into two eternally independent categories of jiva and Ajiva. The Jiva is 'Chetan' or the enjoyed and Ajiva is Jada' or the objects enjoyed. The Jiva has consciousness while the Ajiva is devoid of consciousness. The division between "Jiva and Ajiva does not correspond to I and Not I. It is an objective classification of things in the universe that underlies the distinction of Jiva and Ajiva."!
1. Dr. Radhakrishnan, Indian Philosophy Vol. 1 (1977) p. 314-315
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