Sramana 2016 01

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

Page 76

CONCEPT OF CONSCIOUSNESS IN JAINISM: 69 worldly living beings. All living beings fear from death, harm etc. This fear is found only in the worldly soul. Sexual desire is also a phenomenon of consciousness. This desire may have three forms 1. Desire of intercourse of a male with female. 2. Desire of intercourse of a female with male. 3. Sexual desire of hermaphrodite. This is a desire of reproduction. Possessiveness is also found in conscious beings. Human beings, insects and even plants bear this phenomenon. The non-living things do not bear these four sañjñās.
Consciousness as Vedanā
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Vedana is another technical term of Jainism, which denotes an experience of happiness and sorrow, coldness and hotness etc. by a living being. This vedanā is felt on the level of mind and body. It may be a result of the karma-bondage. Pleasure or comfort may be felt through five sense organs and mind.
Consciousness as Virya
Enthusiasm or power (vīrya) is also a significant nature of consciousness. A living being feels enthusiasm with in him to do something. Where does from this enthusiasm come? Generally it is accepted that energy comes from the food which we eat. Vedic statement 'annam vai prāṇaḥ' proves it. It is true that without food body cannot run for a long time. Food is the source of energy to work through body. Body is made of pudgal, so paudgalika food is required to sustain it. Soul has its own enthusiasm or power which is expressed in mental power and in emotional balance. Soul gives consciousness to body, but it has to leave the body, if it is not capable to sustain in consciousness. If the body is decayed and prāņas are arrested then soul leaves that body and goes to take birth in a new body with two subtle bodies namely taijas and kārmaṇa.
Conclusion
Science has reached in its research up to consciousness of brain, cells and genes and it has proved that cells of the body are changing every moment. Body cells are renewed in a certain time interval;