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JAINA VIEW OF MOKṢA COMPARED WITH.....
The Jaina concept of permanent substance and its changing modes as equally real has influenced the Jaina concept of mokṣa. Jainas principle of permanence, however, is not like the eternal principle of Puruşa and Prakṛti in the Samkhya philosophy. The Jaina conception of the atman is a synthesis of the principles of permanence and changing modes. From the nominal point of view, the soul is permanent as a substance but from the phenomenal point of view, there are modes. And considered from the point of view of modes, the self is changing.
The Jainas have accepted the principle of the co-reality of substance and its modification. That is from noumenal point of view the soul is eternal as substance, and non-eternal from the point of view of modification. For this reason, the Jainas contend that at the time of attainment of mokṣa the pervasion of soul becomes less by one-third of the body of the soul just previously occupied by it at the time of mokṣa.
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The Jaina concept of mokṣa is different from other conception in Indian thought, which is a special contribution of Jainas. They are:
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(1) The Jaina conception implies pervasive quality according to the body, while according to some philosophies the soul (atman) is described as atomic. (2) The eternity of soul is not the static eternity as in some system of Indian philosophy, but it expresses the inherent nature of infinite energy. These two conceptions of the nature of soul in mokṣa, is a special contribution of the Jaina to Indian philosophy.
Therefore, to the Jainas, the liberated soul, in the state of mokṣa, has infinite knowledge and bliss because of the inherent nature of consciousness and bliss.
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According to Jains, mokṣa is the last of moral categories. It is the gist of karma-phenomenology and its relation to the science of soul. It is also total deliverance of soul from karmic bondage.
Uttaradhyayana, 36-65,
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