Jainism Eternal and Universal Path for Enlightenment

Author(s): Narendra Bhandari
Publisher: Research Institute of Scientific Secrets from Indian Oriental Scriptures Ahmedabad

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Jainism : The Eternal and Universal path for Enlightenment
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question to be raised, because of its indescribable nature. In spite of the elaborate discussion given above, the nature of the soul is a highly debatable point. Materialists and spiritualists, each recognizes only one reality. Scientists hypothesise that "living" can emerge out of non-living, whereas some spiritualists believe that all matter is a manifestation of self('tm ). It is however not clear how either of these claims can be verified. To resolve this dilemma, some dualistic theories were proposed. They consider mind and matter or Purush and Prakriti as two eternal, coexisting, independent, interacting reals. Even if the two way psycho-physical interaction between mind and matter - from mental to physical (as in action of body, commanded by a thought) or from physical to mental (as in perception) occur, how can our abstract, internal thoughts and intentions about action cause the physical motion of our bodies without the presence of self everywhere within the whole body and confined to the body, a property ascribed to self, called niyatpradeshatva shakti.
According to Jainism, the universe is an interplay between Jiva and Ajiva. The soul and karminu interact with each other without loosing their essential qualities. Jainism is clear that jiva can not be converted into Ajiva and vice versa, a quality known as "agurulaghutva" which maintains them as they are and prohibits conversion from one to another although they can interact and fuse with one another. Jains consider both matter and jiva as astik ya. Both are real (sat: "Utp:d- vyaya- dhruvya-yuktam sat"). Every action by jiva results in a psycho-physical entity called Karman sharira. In bonded state, it acquires vibration (spandan yukta)”.
Jiva, like matter, is asthiklya, but unlike matter that offers resistance to other material particles entering the space which is already occupied by another matter, soul occupies the dimension of the body but does not offer any resistance to other souls to enter it i.e. tm does not fill the space which it occupies. Two or more souls can occupy the same space just like two lamps can illuminate the same area. Thus coexistence and co-presence are qualities of the souls. Of the various qualities of the soul mentioned in Samaysar, one is Vibhav shakti: i.e. power of distortion which makes soul and matter liable to mutual influence. Both soul and matter interact with each other without loosing their own essential qualities. This is the primary power under the influence of which itm interacts with karm nu and both evolve in their own way. This interaction leads to bondage. There is no bondage without interaction between Itm and Karminu(material particles) and there is no interaction without bondage. There are two types of bondages: Bh? v karma and dravya karma. Bh?v karma is the transformation of self through itself and dravya karma is transformation of self