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Concept of Omniscience in Jainism : 147
Niyama etc. The last stage is Asamprajñāta-samādhi: where the mind is without any content. On reaching this stage one realizes the distinction between Prakṛti and Purușa and attains liberation, without further delay. Śraddha (mental cheerfulness of hope), Virya (courage and energy leading to firmness), Smṛti (memory), Samādhi (meditation) and the Prajñā are the five means to attain the stage of asamprajñāta-samädhi. Vedānta School of thought holds that Kaivalya and Sarvajñata are two different things. Kaivalya is a state of liberation where the cognition of worldly things is absent. On the other hand Sarvajñatā is a lower stage where the soul and matter are not absolutely separated. In Samkhya, system knowledge is considered as the function of Buddhi, which is the evolutes of Prakṛti. The question of omniscience in no way stands with Purusa. When the Buddhi obtains purity by removing the dirt of tamas and rajas, and the property of pure sattva is manifested, the aspirant attains the highest state of Vaśīkārsaṁjñā, the state of perfect self-control; only then the omniscience is obtained. This state of Vaśīkārsaṁjñā can be compared with the state of Vitaraga as held by the Jainas. The Samkhya does not believe in the God. Yoga though it believes in the God, but not as creator and destroyer, yet possesses all the virtues that are the ideal of an aspirant. Here the God is held as omniscient but to decide whether the omniscience is quality of Buddhi or the extra-ordinary Puruşa is the omniscient is quite difficult. In latter case it cannot be conceptual.
The Tantras present the most extensive reading of the Yoga. They declare that an insight and pure life combined with a deep and intense appeal to devotion to the divinity automatically awaken the divine Sakti in man. The Tantra literature as a whole consists of two divisions- Kriya and Yoga. They elaborate rites of worship and the Yogic practices go hand in hand. The Buddhists and Jainas also advocate the existence and utility of Yogic knowledge. Dharmakirti, Prajñākaragupta, and Haribhadra clearly mention the Yogic perception. Haribhadra compares anālambana yoga to Asamprajñātasamādhi of Pātañjala-yoga, which culminates in omniscience.
