Kundakunda Acharya and Jain Philosophy

Author(s): Jayantilal Jain
Publisher: Research Foundation for Jainology Chennai

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VI THE PURE SELF-KEY TO MOKSHA
The path to Moksha lies in change of perception. The moment one perceives oneself as the pure self, the journey to Moksha begins and when the same perception is pursued relentlessly, one achieves Moksha. What is pure self? It is devoid of karmas, body or bodies, five senses, mind (mana), and even feelings/bhavas of attachment or detachment to all external objects. The pure self is devoid of even past forms of soul and future forms but is fully and perfectly manifested or realised in its present form only. The changed perception or the perception of the whole self as against its forms encompasses in itself realisation of operation of finite properties of the soul. A kind of divine view is realised which is difficult to describe in words as the realisation takes place in the smallest unit of time and is beyond words. A brief description of the 47 properties of pure self out of infinite such properties is given below to have a glimpse of the pure self as taught by Kundakunda Acharya and narrated by Acharya Amritchand in his commentary on Samayasara.
1. Live (Jivatva) : A soul is a living thing. It has lived in the past and will live in future
and will always assume the properties of living substances. 2. Consciousness (Chiti): A living substance is characterised by consciousness. A
soul never gives up this and never assumes the nature of non-living substances. 3. Vision (Dasi): The soul recognises (sees or perceives) in general its own self,
otherselves, other non-living objects, properties and forms of substances, etc., but without diving these in categories. It recognises existence as a whole without discriminating the objects in the smallest unit of time. Knowledge (Jnan) : At a time when a soul recognises the whole, owing to the operation of knowledge property, it discriminates between the whole and divisible properties of substances. The entire universe is known both as a whole as well as by separate entities. This is the most outstanding and wonderful ability of the pure
soul. 5. Bliss (Sukh): The pure soul is replete with bliss, ecstasy and perfect happiness,
with no sufferings or anxieties. These are not sensuous pleasures but infinite happiness directly derived from the perception of pure soul.
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