Sramana 2016 01

Author(s): Shreeprakash Pandey, Rahulkumar Singh, Omprakash Singh
Publisher: Parshvanath Vidhyashram Varanasi

Page 70

CONCEPT OF CONSCIOUSNESS IN JAINISM: 63 There are many levels of consciousness; we can put them in the following categories.
1) Consciousness as apramattatā or alertness. 2) Consciousness as upayoga or knowing activity. 3) Consciousness as prāņa (active ability of sense organs, mind, speech, body, respiration and life-span). 4) Consciousness in body
5) Consciousness as saññā (eagerness to eat, feeling fear, sexual desire, desire of possessiveness). 6) Consciousness as vedanā or feelings 7) Consciousness expressed in vīrya or enthusiasm. In this way, there are many levels or kinds of consciousness experienced by a living being. A pure and complete consciousness is found in the liberated souls (having destroyed the eight karmas“) and in pious souls having destroyed the four ghāti karmas namely jñānāvaraṇa, darśanāvaraņa, mohaniya and antarāya. Variations in Consciousness and Apramattatā Mostly living beings on the earth are having karmic bondage, hence the consciousness is not fully manifested in them. There are six categories of the living beings on the basis of variation in manifestation of the consciousness. The living beings having only one tactile sense organ are the lowest in manifestation of their consciousness. Two sensed beings can manifest more consciousness than one sensed, three sensed beings more than the two sensed beings; In this way five sensed beings are able to manifest more consciousness. The being having mind with the five sense organs are quite more able in expressing consciousness. The human beings possessing a right view can express more consciousness. The degree of consciousness increases in experience of pious conduct and character. In Jainism a holy monk with five mahāvratas (i) abstinence