________________
THE BRIGHT ONES IN JAINISM 245 As to the relationship between this highest Ideal Being, PURE SOUL, or GOD, and the Universe, we can consider this relationship in connection with the 6 Substances given above.
1. God is Soul or Jiva in its purest condition. So long as there is the slightest, remotest, faintest shadow or possibility of impurity of any kind, or of any connection with the non-soul or non-sell, the soul is mundane, in the world. It is not God.
In other words, God is the purified ideal Soul; in its actual, visible condition in the world, this Soul is a matter-clad, matter-soiled, worldly soul.
In its nature, this Pure Soul or God is possessed of the Infinite Quaternary (Ananta Chatushtaya) of Infinite Conation (Darshana), Knowledge (Jnana), Bliss (Sukha) and Power (Virya), among other infinite qualities of Perfection, which are familiar as the uncountable and inexpressible attributes of the Deity to students of all Religions, believing in God. The only difference is that Jainism does not believe in God as the Creator of this material, visible, world; Jainism holds that the Creation implies desire, which connotes imperfection. God being the perfect Soul cannot have desire or be imperfect.
The Pure Soul or God is the Ideal or Goal, to which all Liberable (Bhavya) souls look and aspire for example, guidance and inspiration.
In one word, the God of Jainism connotes all the qualities, functions and uses of other God-believing Theologies, except Creation. His relationship to Jiva or Souls is also the same as in other theologies,
2. As to matter, this Pure Soul is absolutely free from all connection with or impurily due to matter, Matter has form, touch, taste, smell and colour. The Pure Soul or God has none of these. God is all-conscious, all-knowing. Matter is devoid of all consciousness, of all knowledge.
3. As to Motion there is no medium of Motion outside the Universe. Therefore God or the Pure Soul is subject to no Motion. 4. As to Rest, there is no medium of Rest outside the
32 Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
