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Ethically, the term 'Sama' or 'Samyak' means rightness. Inspite of all its different shades of meanings the term samatā is associated with some kind of a psychological state of mind and it has some impact on our external, social and individual adjustments.
In a Jaina text known as Bhagavatisūtra, there is a conversation between Lord Mahāvīra and Gautama. Gautama asked Mahāvīra"what is the nature of soul"? and Mahavira answered, "The nature of soul is equanimity." Gautama again asked, "what is the ultimate end of soul"? and Mahāvīra replied, "The ultimate end of soul is also equanimity (Viyāhapannatti, 1.9).
The view of Lord Mahāvīra that the real nature of soul is equanimity (samatā) is further supported by Acārya Kunda-kund. Kundakkunda's famous works known as Samayasära, in which Jaina spirituality reach its culmination, deals with the nature of soul. In the whole of Jain literature he is the only ācārya who used the word 'samaya' or 'Samayasāra' for soul (Ātman). I think the Ācārya has purposely used this word for Ātman. So far as I know, no commentator of Samayasāra has raised the question : "why has Kundakunda used the word 'Samaya' for jiva or soul?" I think the word samaya may be a Prāksta version of Samskệta-word samah + yah which means one who has the quality of equanimity. i.e. Samatā.
Further the word Samayasāra can also be defined in the similar fashion. We can say that he who possesses Samatā as his essential nature is called Samayasāra.
Ācārya Kundakunda also equated the word 'samaya' with svabhāva or essential nature. He used the words svasamaya and parasamaya. Sva-samaya means real nature and para-samaya means resultant nature. Further, sva-samaya, i.e. real nature, has been explained as an ultimate end. In this way its ultimate end is equanimity or samatā.
Furthermore, according to Jaina Ethics the way through which the ultimate end can be achieved is also Samata which is known in prākṣta as samāhi or samãi. In this way three basic presuppositions of Jaina Ethics, the moral agent, the ultimate end and the path through which this ultimate end can be achieved, are equated with the term
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