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Jaina Perspective in Philosophy and Religion
according to Haribhadra, is expressed by different terms. It is Puruşa in the Vedānta as well as the Jaina system, as Jñana in the Buddhist school, Kșetravit in the Samkhya system. Similarly, the fundamental ground of worldly existence is called Avidya ( Vedānta and Buddhism ), Praksti ( Samkhya ), Karman (Jainas ). Similarly, the relation between matter and spirit is known as Bhránti ( Vedanta and Buddhism ), Pravstti ( Sankhya ) and Bandha in Jaina system. Haribhadra referring to Gopendra of the Sárkhya System holds that the Puruşa does not even enquire about the path of realization unless the Praksti has turned her face from it. In other words, it is the nature of the Spirit to get disentangled from matter. For this requisite purification of the soul is very necessary. Then the soul becomes a Bodhisattva or Tirtharkara.2 When a man becomes a boddhisattva, there is no mere spiritual degeneration to him. 3 He does not commit evil or sin, on the contrary, he is keen exclusively in the well-being of others, acquires wisdom, treads upon right path and appreciates merit.4 Haribhadra compares the Jaina conception of Tīrthankaras with the Bodhisattvas,5 He distinguishes three categories of souls destined to be emancipated-Tīrthankaraso, Gapadharas? and Munda-kevalins.8 Haribhadra's contribution also lies in suggesting five-fold stages of preliminary preparation for Yoga as we find in Patañjali's scheme of Yama and Niyama. As we have referred earlier, the stages of the soul
1. Yoga-bindu of Haribhadra with Svopajñavștti, pp. 17-18. 2. Ibid, p. 270. 3. Ibid, p. 271. 4. Ibid, p. 272. 5. Ibid, p. 274. 6. Ibid, pp. 284-288. 7. Ibid, p. 289. 8. Ibid, p. 290.
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