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Epistemology of Jainas feelings of pleasure and pain, the system of bondage and liberation, ethical notions of virtue and vice with their good and bad results, presuppose a change with permanence. The abso. lutist standing on either extreme, cannot explain the above phenomena.2 It is Agent as well as Experient
The Vedānta held that the soul in its essence is neither agent nor experient. The phenomenon of doing something and bearing its fruit appear on the lower level of existence. The Jivātman which stands on the same level as t hose phenomena, is both the agent as well as the experient. It acts and bears the fruit. The Sankhya maintains Praksti as the agent and Purusa as the experient. Jainism along with other systems holds that the soul is both, agent as well as the experient.
As a matter of fact the soul by itself is inactive in all the systems. Generally, it is assisted by the external matter for doing something. In the Nyāya-system it is assisted by the physical body or mind. In Jainism also the soul does not undergo any change, either that of form or that of space, without the assistance of karmic matter. In the case of liberated soul it is held that as soon as it is freed from the karmic bondage it goes up, till the top-end of the universe, as it consists of the nature of going upwards. But, leaving that movement, which is a matter of faith only, all movements related with the soul are effects of the karmic influence. The influence of karman on the soul according to Jainism is as powerful as that of Prakști on Purusa in the Sankhya system. The only difference between the two systems is that the Jaina does not divide the responsibilities of doing and bearing the fruit in two entities. It holds that the soul mixed with karman is the doer and the same is experient. Further, it should be noticed that the purusa of Sankhya is inactive, doing nothing by himself. The function of liberation also is done by praksti. 1. Syādvādamañjari, Kārikā 25
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