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Ontology of Atman, the Self
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that the Jiva has come to an end. Both these attributes of birth and death are known as Utpada and Vyaya. But so far as the soul is concerned they are mere appearances, mere modifications known as Paryāya because the real characteristics of soul are beginninglessness, that is, Anādi and endlessness, that is, Ananta. Its permanence - Dhrauvya is experienced even when it undergoes modifications - Paryayas, For instance, every human being undergoes the states of childhood, youth and old age involving serious modifications of body, mind and intellect. However, it is the experience of everyone that pure ego 'l remains the same. It was this 'T' which was made the subject-matter of inquisition by the greatest saint of our modern times Sri Raman Maharsi, who admonished us to go on constantly asking ourselves the question—“Who am I'. This l' is the Soul, the Spirit, the Jiva.
Such souls are infinite in number and retain their individuality. Each one has to chalk out its own path of liberation and utilise its inherent potentiality to be fully liberated.
The above approach is obviously different from the one adopted by Advaita Vedantists led by the great Salikara, according to whom there is only one Supreme Reality, the Brahman and the entire visible cosmos is Māyā, i. e., an illusion, super-imposed on unilluminated human mind by Avidyā, i. e., ignorance. In other words, Salkara does not recognise the duality of Jíva and Ajiva, and according to him, whatever is Ajiva, the matter is unreal. To a Jaina Philosopher Ajiva is as much real as Jiva. Jiva ( the soul ) has come into contact with Ajiva from time immemorial, and it is only the reality of Ajiva that results in soul's journey from one birth to the other and its struggle for the ultimate freedom from the bondage of Ajiva.
Categories of Jiva
Consistent with the above approach, the Jainas have seen two main categories of Jiva, namcly ( 1 ) 'Siddhas’, liberated
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