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History & Doctrinal aspects of Jainism : 49
for Ahiṁsā (e.g. compassion, forgiveness, service, love, tolerance, equanimity etc.) for practice by us in our day to day life.12 → Non-possession (Aparigraha) is the way of life. Attachment and possessions (Parigraha), be they psychic or material, are the root cause of all pains in this, past and future lives. > Truth is multifaceted. Doctrine of Multiplicity of viewpoints (Anekānta) in thoughts enables us to resolve all conflicts in a nonviolent way.
> Syādvāda or conditional dialectic in speech i.e. expression of Anekānta.
Basic conceptions of the religion All existents in this universe are real. Jain term for existent is sat (literally-being, reality) and represented by the term Substance (Dravya). Reality or substance is endowed with the three characteristics namely origination, destruction and permanence. Substance is an amalgam of attributes and modes'3. By substance Jains understand a base or foundation for manifold attributes, which undergo transformations in the form of acquiring new modes and losing old modes at each moment i.e. being and becoming or permanence and change i.e. persistence with change. Substances can be grouped into two broad categories namely; livingbeings (Jīva) and non-living beings (Ajīva).'' Jivas are sentient and further classified as pure souls and empirical souls (i.e. pure soul bonded with kārmīkamatter). These karmas are the causes of different material modes of soul. Empirical souls are the living beings, which have four vitalities / capabilities called prāņas for identifying them as living being, namely, senses (taste, touch, smell, form/color and sound), energy (mind, speech and body), breathe and age (lifespan). They exist in the four realms of existence / destinies, namely, heavenly, human, hellish and sub-human/animal beings. There are infinite souls in this cosmos.
