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Advaita Trends in Jainism
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pure existence is also pure consciousness. Therefore the Ātman is nothing other than the consciousness. However, this consciousness is not the flux of states, a stream of consciousness, It is an universal and eternal consciousness. It is undifferentiated consciousness alone (Nirvisesa Cinmatram?) or pure consciousness with no difference of knower, knowledge, the known, infinite, transcendent, the essence of absolute knowledge.3 Coming to the Jaina conception of Soul, we find that as Jiva is also a substance or Sattá is real or existence. However the most important characteristics of Jiva ( like the Vedanta ) is consiousness or Upayoga.4 So it is co-extensive with knowledge. Further, as in the Vedanta we find the Soul described as eternal, Pure, Self-illumined, free, real, supremely blissful, infinite ( Nitya, Suddha, Buddha, Mukta, Satya, Paramananda ), so also is Jainism." Ātman Paramatmas
The career of the individual self sketched by Salikara is exactly parallel to the sketch given by Jaina Metaphysics. There are two kinds of Self, recognised in Jainism – Pure or Swa-samaya or Ego-in-itself and Para-Samaya or Empirical Ego6. Ego-in itself is the same as the Paramātman of Upanişads or Brahman of Vedānta. Sankara calls the ultimate reality as Paramātman or the Supreme-Self. To Sankara Paramatman and Brahman are inter-changeable terms. The
1. Advaita Makaranda, 11. 13. 2. Sarva-Siddhanta-Sangraha, XII. 8. 41; Šaukara-Bhaşya on
Brahma sūtra, III. 2.16; Yaśavanta Muktavali, p. 49. 3. Viveka-cudamani. p. 239. 4. Paramatma-Prakaśa of Yogindu ( Trans. by A. N. Upa
dhye ) III. 8; Pañcāstikaya-samaya-sāra of Kunda-kunda,
2. 80, 1. 27; Dravya-sangraha, 2. 5. Cf. : Vedānta-sära of Sadānanda, 171 ( Nikhilānanda );
Samaya-sära of Kunda-kunda, 1. 37-38; Tattvārtha-sūtra.
II. 8. 6. Samaya-sara of Kunda-kunda, 1. 2.
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