Sacred Philosophy

Author(s): Champat Rai Jain
Publisher: Champat Rai Jain

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an examination of all these substances, and I am content to refer you to the work of great Jaina acharyas who have dealt with the subject at length. Those of you who know English will also find it dealt with in my work on comparative religion entitled the Key of Knowledge. I, lowever, propose to examine here the nature of spirit and shall also briefly deal with matter, since these are the two main things the knowledge of whose properties is essential to a thorough understanding of the Jaina Siddhanta, which, as will become clear by and by, is but another term for Religion proper.
To begin with, spirit, the living substance or jiva (lit. that which is alive), is characterised by awareness, that is, knowledge and perception. It is different from matter and is not matter, though under certain conditions it is liable to becoming mixed or fused with that substance. When existing in combination with matter it is regarded as ashuddha (impure), and this is the condition of all the souls that have not yet attained nirvana, that is to say, of those that are still involved in transmigration. This is tantamount to saying that when souls become pure, i.e., separated from matter, they obtain nirvana. Pure spirit is omniscient, blissful and immortal by nature. As such, it is termed Paramatman (God); and every soul has the capa