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Soul
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THE FIRST AND THE SECOND BHANGA's
By the expression, ‘soul exists', we do not mean that the soul exists absolutely in all its forms and modes simultaneously. The soul exists, only in so far as its Sva-dravya (own substance), Sva-kşetra (own place), Sva-kāla (own time) and Sva-bhāva (own modification) are concerned. Thus Jiva exists in its own substance; it exists, that is to say, as a cognising psychical substance. Similarly, a Jiva may be said to exist with reference to its own place; the soul which is in Pāțaliputra must be understood as a soul, “existing in Pătaliputra”, only. In the same way, the time also is to be considered in connection with the existence of a soul; one would be mistaken in not considering the soul which exists in Winter, as one 'existing in Winter'. The particular modification or state of the soul is to be considered also for the same reason; full truth is not correctly stated, if the soul which is angry at a particular time is not described as an 'angry soul. It is for this reason that the Jaina philosophers in explaining the fact of a soul's existence, say that the soul exists only with reference to its own Substance, own Place, own Time and own Mode. According to them, it is philosophically more correct to say. 'Syāt-Jivaḥ Asti' ('in some respects the soul exists') than to say simply "Jivaḥ Asti' ('the soul exists”). In determining the nature of a substance, they thus use the expression, Syāt (in some respects) and hence their theory has been well-known as Syād-Vāda. (Theory of Possibility)
In the doctrine that "Syāt i.e. in some respects only, the soul is existent, it is implied that "Syāt' i.e. in some respects again soul does not exist. Accordingly to understand how the soul exists, it is also necessary to see in what respects, it does not exist. The Jaina thinkers maintain that with reference to Para-dravya (the substance of another thing), Para-kşetra (the place of another thing), Para-kāla (the time of another thing) and Para-bhāva (the state of another thing) the Jīva is non-existent. 'Rasa' (liquidity) is an attribute of the 'Pudgala' (matter), a kind of Ajīva or non-psychical substance. 'Rasa' is not an attribute of the soul. Hence
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