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Jaina Perspective in Philosophy and Religion
and Kama ( enjoyment ) are regarded as simply subservient to mokşa. It is the highest pursuit ( Mokşa eva paramapuruşărtha ). The genesis of the idea of Moksa is traced in “the endeavour of man to find out ways and means by which he could become happy or at least be free from misery”?, as in the state of 'sound sleep'.?
(2) Concept of Moksha in Indian Philosophy Just as no school of Indian philosophy, not even the Cárvākas, deny the concept of Self, similarly there is absolute unanimity regarding the central conception of Mokșa as the highest goal of life;3 but the different schools disser with regard to the nature of Mukti and the means for its realisation, according to their different metaphysical positions and attitudes.
For example, in consonance with the materialistic con. ception of the Soul (caitanya-višişta-deha-eva-atman ), the Cárvakas come to a materialistic conception of liberation (dehocchedah-Mokşaḥ or Moksastu Marana ca prāņavāyunivartanam ). Similarly, in consonance with the doctrines of the Middle-path and Dependent Origination, Buddhists reject both Eternalism ( Śaśvatavada ) of the Upanişads and Nihilism ( Ucchedavada) of the Carvakas, They deny the continuity of any identical substance in man, but not the continuity of the stream of unbroken successive states of five kinds ( Panca-skandhas). The soul or ego is nothing more than this Five-fold Aggregate, hence Nirvana must be the destruction of this mental continuum ( cittam vimuccate ), or at least the “arrest of the stream of consciousness ( santati-anut
1. Ramacandran, N. : 'Concept of Mukti in Indian Philo
sophy', Proceedings of Indian Philosophical Congress,
1944, p. 243. 2. Shamashastry, R. (Dr.): "The Concept of Mukti in
Indian Philosophy', Jha Commemoration Volume, p. 357. 3. Haribhadra : Yoga-dşști-samuccaya, pp. 129-130; Bhava
Prabhịta of Kunda-kunda.
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