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JAINA VIEW OF SOUL COMPARED WITH
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the body from the soul. Ātman, which indicated breath in early Vedic literature, implies in the Upanişads a universal soul of which the individual soul is merely a miniature. Then follows the conception of unitary ātman, which is the source of everything else. Ātman is as much cosmic principle as the Brahman both of which are used as synonyms in many passages. Ātman is conceived as Reality, everything besides being illusion only. At times the actual agency etc., are attributed to Bhūtātman who under the influence of Prakrti becomes manifold. As a lump of iron, buried in the bosom of earth, reduced to earth, so the individual ātman is merged into Brahman. It is through delusion that the human self, the self within us, considers itself as an individual, but in fact it is identical, with Brahman, the impersonal absolute. There is neither duality nor plurality of the self, but every personal self and impersonal Brahman is one and the same.
According to Jaina thinkers, the ātman is not created by anybody nor does ātman create anybody. As a substance the soul is eternal, but only its modifications (paryāya), qualities (guņa) are coborn (Sahabhuva) with the substance, while modifications present themselves in succession on the substance. The ātman or soul is substance, insight and knowledge (darśana and Jñāna), are the qualities; the appearance in the four grades of existence are the modifications caused by karman.
In Jainism the ātman is itself, and can never be anything else, so far as nature of ātman is concerned, it is not born, it does not die, nor it does brings about anything like bondage or liberation. Various terms like birth, old age, death, disease, gender and colour do not, in fact, refer to soul but only to the body.®
Furthermore the restraint (samyama), chastity, knowledge and austerity are the name of the Soul, the ātman. Religious treatises, sacred works and austerities do not bring liberation for him whose
Paramätma-prakāśa, P-33 Ibid, 67-70, P-12
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