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138 :: Structure and Functions of Soul in Jainism
the next moment, because he has comprehended all in the previous moment. This will be possible only when the objects and their cognitions are wiped out of existence the next moment. As the series of cognitions and objects extends infinitely, such a situation will never arise. Knowledge and feeling of aversion and love being two different manifestations of the soul, knowledge will not always be followed by them. Omniscience is generated only when the liability for such feelings completely ceases. Hence the question of the omniscient's being tainted by love and averson does not arise. The last question against the possibility of omniscience simply limits the span of discursive knowledge. It has nothing to do with the direct type of knowledge which advances in quite a different way from that of the indirect types. It is true that one cannot exhaust all the contents of the universe by one's sensuous and and perceptual types of knowledge; but it is also impossible to put a limit to the heights of knowledge the human beings may attain.
Self Consciousness
Omnicience being established the next problem is whether it will have the self also as its objects. On one hand if self is an exception to perfect knowledge, kaivalya loses its title. The nature of the Jaina theory of omnisicence implies that the self must know itself. Just as external things are known in terms of their attributes and modes, so also the self will be known in terms of its own attributes and modes. Maņikyanandi observes: "The comprehension of the self takes place when consciousness is directed towards the self.” Such direction of consciousness will not be found to be impossible, if the self if taken as unity of its attributes and modes. Self consciousness must mean the consciousness of the attributes and modes of the self. It is vain to seek for the identity of the self, as distinct from the feeling of love or
1. Māņikyanandin: Parīkņāmukhasūtra: 1.6
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