Pure Soul and Its Infinite Treasure

Author(s): Jayantilal Jain
Publisher: University of Madras

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Pure Soul and its Infinite Treasure - 5
PREFACE The soul is a treasure house of infinite knowledge, vision, happiness, power and so on about which we have very little knowledge. Some have misgivings and some even doubt the very existence of soul. Absence of this knowledge subjects an individual to many illusionary ideas and consequent anxieties and unhappiness in life. This book on treasure of pure soul is a summary of the concept of pure soul as enunciated by the Tirthankaras, spiritual scientists and innumerable scholars, in Jain tradition, known to mankind from time immemorial. The subject is subtle, complex, defies normal human understanding and no one can claim to cover the same in its various dimensions. This is a small attempt to summarise the existing knowledge on the subject.
The first four chapters provide the background and introduce certain concepts which are essential for better understanding of the subject. Chapters V and VII primarily deal with the treasure of soul in terms of forty seven properties and then over one thousand names or characteristics respectively where each one of them can further be visualised in various forms that a soul takes and each form/modification compris of operation of infinite characteristics. Chapter VI emphasises that the concept of soul has secular underpinnings and should not be believed to belong to one or a few religious groups. This is applicable to all living beings in the universe and does not apply only to a part of the universe or a group of beings in the universe. On the basis of concept of pure soul, it also lays down certain secular/eternal /common standards that should be satisfied while considering a concept as secular.
This book is an abridged version of my thesis submitted to the Department of Jainology, University of Madras, in partial fulfilment of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in 2005. In terms of references for this concept, the narration is based on the Annexure to the commentary of Amritchandra on Samayasar of Kundakunda and Jinsena's Jinasahastranama.