Mahavira and his Teaching

Author(s): C C Shah, Rishabhdas Ranka, Dalsukh Malvania
Publisher: Bhagwan Mahavir 2500th Nirvan Mahotsava Samiti

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B. J. JHAVERI
It can well be appreciated that the activities have their origin in not only physical senses but in psychical senses too. In order to make these distinction crystal-clear and to adequately grasp its import it would be proper to understand the concept of self according to Jaina philosophy. The Jaina recognizes six substances: (1) soul (jīva), (2) the principle of motion (dharma), (3) the principle of rest (adharma), (4) space (ākāśa), (5) matter (pudgala), and (6) time (kāla). The first five substances are extensive like body (kaya), and occupy more than one unit of space. So they are called astikayas. Soul, matter, dharma, adharma, and space are extensive substances. Time is unextended; it has no extent in space. It is composed of innumerable moments which are not co-extensive with one another. So time is a substance. But it is not extensive (astikāya).
The soul (jiva) is an eternal spiritual substance. It is incorporeal or formless (amurta). It is immaterial. It is different from the body or the sense-organs. But it is co-extensive with the body it occupies (svadehaparimāṇa), even as the light of a lamp is co-extensive with the room in which it exists.1 Cognition, conation and feeling are its attributes. It is the knower (upayogamaya), the enjoyer (bhoktṛ), and the active agent (kartṛ). It possesses knowledge (jñāna) and perception (darsana). Consciousness is not the accidental quality of self as the upholders of Nyāya-Vaiśeśika philosophy hold. It constitutes its essence. The soul is not indifferent (udāsīna) or inactive (akartr) as the Sankhya philosophers hold. It is the enjoyer of the fruits of its actions. It experiences pleasure and pain. It is active. It has freedom of the will. It can freely do right actions or wrong actions and acquire merit (punya) or demerit (papa). It is the master (Prabhu) of its own destiny. It freely enters into bondage. It freely liberates itself from bondage. It is united with particles of karma-matter in the state of liberation. The liberated soul moves upward to the summit of mundane space (lokākāśa).2
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Tattvärthadhigamasara, V. 16. as quoted by J Sinha. History of Indian Philosophy, Vol. II, p 218
Dravyasamgraha, 2; P. 27 (pañcastikāyasamayasāra)