Jainism

Author(s): M R Gelra
Publisher: Createspace

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8. Jain scriptures have provided a classical knowledge of life and consciousness. The entire ethical code of Jainism, which is based on Non-violence, is directed towards the attainment of complete liberation of soul from the karmas through introspection and penance so that the cycle of rebirth comes to an end. Or at least gets minimized. Non-violence means not to kill or hurt any living being by the body, speech or mind. Live and let live is the guiding principle. Non-injury to others is the highest religion. The process of birth may vary from plant to plant, animal-to-animal, human being to human being, but every life form has one thing in common the consciousness to self-sustain and perpetuate. This consciousness as per the Jain belief is soul.
9. Jains believe that jiva is dravya with innumerable 'Pradesas'. Predesa is the smallest unit of jivastikaya. All innumerable Pradesas of a single soul remain united to each other so that no vital energy can separate them.
The concept of soul, in turn, gives rise to three interdependent doctrines of Karmavad, Lokavad, and Kiryavad. Alongwith these three metaphysical Doctrines, Anakantvad is the heart of Jain philosophy. Umaswati, Samantbhadra, Siddhasena and Mahapragya are the main contributors in the development of Jain philosophy.
The dimensions of the soul vary in accordance with the dimension of the body. It might happen to occupy the souls of an elephant and a tiny insect but the number of its pradesas remain same being innumerable in number. There are only contraction and expansion of the Pradesas according to necessity. The body of an elephant is huge and that of an insect tiny. The difference in the size of their bodies does not affect the equality of souls, each soul being consisted of the same number of pradesas which are definite, however the form changes
(iv) Transmigration of the Soul
We can understand the doctrine of soul through an interesting and illustrative event that took place during the life period of Mahavira. Mahavira initiated monkhood to Meghkumar, the son of Raja Srenik. During one night, Megh Kumar was sleeping in a passage and felt great inconvenience and disturbance from the movements of other monks. He felt so discomforted that he decided to leave monk- hood. Next morning he appeared before Lord Mahavira. Before Megh Kumar said anything, Mahavira knew his feelings and immediately said to him, You want to go back to your kingdom simply because of the sleepless night you spent yesterday." Megh Kumar was astonished that Mahavira knew his feelings. He bowed and continued to hear more from Mahavira. Mahavira said, "Listen, I am now narrating one of your past lives. You were an elephant in the hills of Vindhyachal. Suddenly, the forest beneath Vindhyachal caught a blazing fire and many of the animals ran up to the hills to escape it.
During that period, you had lifted your foot to scratch it when a small rabbit came to get shelter under it. As you descended your foot back to the ground, you realized that the
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