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Soul Science: Samayasara by Jain Acarya Kundakunda
regarding identification of the eternal soul by the faculty of knowledge. To be specific, in stanza 205 Acārya Kundakunda conveys the following:
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(i) Many persons have tried to get liberation through the path that ignores their attention over their own soul, and they have failed.
(ii) Therefore, if you wish to be free from the bondage of Karma then you should pay attention to your own soul by grasping the soul's eternal and steady faculty of knowledge.
To emphasize the above mentioned point, Acārya Kundakunda further provides the following in stanza 206:
(a) You should always remain focused on the soul, i.e., the soul's faculty of knowledge.
(b) You do not need anything else. You should have contentment with the soul.
(c) You should remain fully satisfied and saturated by your own soul.
(d) By such conduct you would experience the supreme bliss. कोणाम भणिज्ज हो परदव्वं मम इमं हवदि दव्वं ।
अप्पाणमप्पणो परिगहं तु णियदं वियाणंतो || 207 ।।
Ko nama bhanijjam buho paradavvam mama imam havadi davvam. Appanamappano parigaham tu niyadam viyāṇanto. ||207||
को नाम भणेद्बुधः परद्रव्यं ममेदं भवति द्रव्यम् ।
आत्मानमात्मनः परिग्रहं तु नियतं विजानन् || 207।।
After knowing the fact that the Self is the possession of the Self, which kind of knowledgeable person will say that other substances are mine? [207]
Annotation
In true sense, that which always stays with you is yours. Acārya Kundakunda is using this criterion to state that the Self is
