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Jaina View of Life
the whole world because it does not depend upon the sense organs and the mind. The pure intuition of the omniscient self knows all the objects simultaneously by a single strike of intuition since it transcends the limits of time and space. Prabhacandra says that the Mimāṁsaka objection that the omniscient soul would be unconscious the next moment of the occurrence of omniscience is not correct, because it is a single unending intuition. For the omniscient, cognition and the world are not destroyed the moment the omniscience is possible. Similarly, the Jainas contend, as against the MImāmsakas, that the omniscient soul knows the past as existing in the past and future as existing in the future.10 The omniscient self is absolutely free from the bondage of physical existence as past, present and future. In fact, the Mimamsakas also admit that in recognition we apprehend the past as well the present in one cognition, and a flash of intuition called pratibha Jñāna in empirical life can apprehend future as future. It is therefore, possible for the omniscient soul who is entirely free from the fetters of Karma to have a super-sensuous vision of the whole world, past, present and future by a single unending flash of intuition. In the Pramana Mimāmsā the possibility of the occurrence omniscience is logically proved by the necessity of the final consummation of the progressive development of knowledge,11 There are degrees of excellence in knowledge and the knowledge must reach its consummation somewhere. That is the stage of omniscience when the obscuring Karmas are totally annihilated.12
The Nandi Sūtra mentions two types: i) Bhavastha, omniscience of the liberated who still live in this world as for instance the omniscience of the Tirthamkaras. ii) Omniscience of the one who is totally liberated which may be called Siddha.198 The
120. Philosophies of India by Zimmer, Edited by Joseph Campbell, Part III, p. 261.
121. Prameya-kamala-martanda, p. 67.
122. Prameya-kamala-martanda, p. 67.
123. Pramāņu Mīmāṁsā. I, IXVI and commentary.
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