Jaina Perspective in Philosophy and Religion

Author(s): Ramjee Singh
Publisher: Parshwanath Shodhpith Varanasi

Page 42

From Nescience to Omniscience
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kavāda
(Materialism )1 and Maya-vada (Illusionism )2 fail to satisfy us. Karma is the basis of Jaina psychology and the key-stone supporting edifice of the Jaina ethics.
(4) The Concept of Nescience
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The link between the spirit and the matter is found in the Doctrine of the Subtle Body (Karma-Śarira or Linga-Śarira ), a resultant of the unseen potency and caused by a Principle of Susceptibility due to Passions and Vibrations. The Doctrines of Constitutional Freedom of the soul and its Potential Four-fold Infinities means that the Soul is intrinsically pure and innately perfect. It is due to Karma that it acquires the conditions of nescience. Nescience is opposite to science or knowledge, i. e., through nescience we see reality not as it is and hence we are deluded and misguided. This Ignorance or Nescience is the "force which prevents wisdom shining from within, that is that which holds it in latency." The relation between the soul and the non-soul is beginningless and is due to nescience or avidya+, otherwise called Mithyatvas, Ajñāna, Mithya-Jñana", Viparyayas, Moha9, Dargana-moha10,Aviveka11, Mala1 and Paśals
1. Digha-Nikaya, I. 2.
2. Brahma-Sutra (Sankara-bhāṣya ), III. 2. 38.
3. Key of Knowledge by C. R. Jaina, p. 743.
4. Yoga-Darśana, II. 24; Vaiśeşika-Sutra, XIX. 2. 10; Katha Upanisad, I. 2. 5; Brahma-Sutra (Sankara bhāṣya ), I. 1.
1; Samyutta Nikaya, II. 17. 7-15.
5. Sthananga-Sūtra, X. 1, p. 734.
6. Samaya-Sara of Kunda-kunda, II. 92.
7. Nyaya-bhasya of Vatsyayana, IV. 1. 3.
8. Samkhya-Kärikā of Ïśwarakṛṣṇa, Kārikā 47, 48; Prasastapāda-Bhāṣya, p. 538.
9. Nyaya-Sutra of Gautama, IV. 1. 6.
10. Samaya-prabhṛta of Kunda-kunda, 25-27.
11. Samkhya-Sutra, VI. 2.
12. Saç-ratna-sangraha, p. 36.
13. Ibid, p. 38.
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