Religion and Culture of the Jains

Author(s): Jyoti Prasad Jain
Publisher: Bharatiya Gyanpith

Page 89

THE THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE
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karman, which a fully developed, pure, perfect and liberated soul manifests. So, when we view the soul that Rāma is in its pure and perfect state we do so from the suddha or pure niscaya naya. But, when we say that Rāma has such and such knowledge, right or woring, that he has a perverted attitude, or that he exhibits such and such feelings, emotions or passions, the statement is made from the aśuddha or impure niscaya-naya, that is, from the real but impure point of view, because the soul in its pure state does not possess those attributes, but exhibits them only when it is in its impure state. Nevertheless, they pertain to the soul, and not to matter or anyth else but the soul. They are the manifestations of consciouness, even though they are caused under the influence of the material karman, and helped by various other external factors, persons, things, events, situations, etc. On the other hand, when we say that such and such karman (karmic energy or force in the form of karmic matter) is flowing towards Rāma's soul, binding it with greater or smaller intensity, for a certain duration of time, or that a particular set of karmas bound by him previously are bearing fruit, the point of view implied is the vyavahāra-naya. Similarly, to say that it is Rāma's body, that 'A' is Rāma's son, father or brother, that 'B' is his mother, sister or wife, that this house or property belongs to Rāma, or that Rāma did such and such thing to such and such person, place or thing, would be the vyavahāra point of view.
There are several divisions and subdivisions of this naya. It is not a wrong, false, despicable or ignorable point of view, but is as much a part of and aid to valid knowledge as any other point of view, only that it should be applied in its proper sense and not confused with the niscaya or any other naya. In the context of the transcendental spiritual relisation of a Jaina mystic, however, greater emphasis, sometimes the sole